How To Sell A Pen

The Challenge

I first heard that line when I worked in market research in the late '90s. It was a common interview question for sales hires back in the day.

​Today, its fame comes from The Wolf of Wall Street. It's the last line spoken by Jordan Belfort, the main character. It's the last scene in the movie and he's running a sales seminar. He approaches the first person in the audience and hands them a pen.

​"Sell me this pen."

​The guy starts to talk nervously about how nice it is to hold and…

​Belfort snatches the pen from his hand and gives it to the next guy.

​"Sell me this pen."

​This guy, equally uncomfortable, talks about how much he likes writing with it and…

​Belfort snatches the pen and hands it to the next guy.

​As this guy starts to speak, the camera drifts away over the audience. Fade to black. The movie’s over.

​And we never hear how Belfort would sell the pen.

​That would have to wait till 2018.

How to sell a pen

In 2018, Belfort was invited to speak to students at Oxford University. In a Q&A session, a student stood up, held up a pen and said, "Sell me this pen."

​Belfort laughed. It was the first time anyone had actually asked him to do that. Here's his answer.

​It's a test. People who don't understand selling always start talking about the pen. The features. The benefits. In other words, they'll try to sell the pen. That's not what you should do.

​If someone asks you to sell them a pen, ask, 'Are you in the market for a pen?'

​And take it from there.

​Don't waste their time or your time if they're not in the market for a pen.

​If they are, ask more questions. Is what you're selling a good fit for them? Then great, keep talking.

​"The biggest mistake rookie salespeople make is trying to sell to everybody. Not weeding out people who are not interested and only selling to those who are."