Sell me your the stapler

Question posted in Automotive Sales and Repair Services, Retail on 09 2009
Rate question difficulty level 1 Votes
The best interview question I have ever been asked was for my first job as a loan officer. After all of the typical questions and a few progressive behavioral questions, the general manager called me into his office and asked me to sell him the stapler on his desk. He wanted to see if I could think on my toes and what my instinctual sales approach was.
 
 
1 Answer
 
 I first probed for his needs and motivations, then proceeded to establish that he wouldn't want all 120 of his loan officers coming to his office everytime they needed to staple something; I closed him on 3 cases of staplers.

Needless to say, I got the job.

Typical interview questions and even behavioral questions miss the mark with people like myself who quickly chameleon to people and environments. Only by putting us in the elemental environment of the job we will be doing without preparation time can someone really get a taste for who I am. For any sales job, this is an excellent interview exercise. Someone who cannot think and speak quickly and confidently isn't likely going to be a good salesperson.

09/14/2009
 
 
Add an answer*
 
Email
Location: United States
salesperson marketing Sell
Now hiring!
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Intuit 
Mountain View, CA
as part of the Small Business team as a Senior Product Marketing Manager. We are looking for creative problem ... Requirements: Minimum 5 years of product marketing or related experience, preferably in an...
---------------------------
Product Marketing Communications Manager
Panduit 
Illinois
Responsibility: Responsible for leading marketing plans and product launches for multiple product lines through ... drive the creation, coordination and implementation of all product collateral included in marketing plans and product...
---------------------------
Mobile Product/Community Marketing
eBay 
San Jose, CA
- crafting materials/copy for mobile product releases and focusing on all of the marketing channels to make sure they ... our product releases globally including partner relations, marketing opportunities, and content creation - be...
---------------------------
RTS Product Marketing Manager
Flextronics 
Carrollton, TX
of solutions offered by the brand across the website, product offering & new portfolio of products, product ... 5+ years proven experience, primarily in Marketing Product intimacy / Enterprise Brand Management Online / E-commerce...
---------------------------
Director of Product and Marketing
ARI Network Services 
Milwaukee, WI
OF PRODUCT AND MARKETING Summary The Director of Product and Marketing reports to the Vice President of Global ... of the product lifecycle including product marketing and product planning, through conception, research, design,...
---------------------------
Marketing Manager, In-Product Discovery
Intuit 
San Diego, CA
of the Consumer tax team as a Senior Marketing Manager, In-Product Discovery. We are looking for creative problem ... the way the world does business. Job Summary: As marketing manager for Consumer Group's In-Product Discovery...
---------------------------
Regional Product Marketing Manager
Veeco Mocvd 
Somerset, NJ
product marketing, engineering and other functional groups Marketing Communications -- Provides input and assistance ... recommendations for product changes, enhancements and new product directions Regional Marketing Manager must also...
---------------------------
Marketing Product Manager
Rain Bird 
Tucson, AZ
Marketing Product Manager will lead the efforts growing sales and profitability of their products including the ... strategic marketing and product planning. * Management of product managers and marketing staff within the group.
View all jobs