POV: you get asked in a job interview to "sell me this pen"

@caroline.career

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Promoted product

Sproutusesprout.com

Sprout helps you apply to jobs faster with tailored applications built around your experience. Discover roles, answer a few smart questions, and let Sprout handle resumes, cover letters, and applications—while keeping everything tracked in one place.

95 videos9 creators

Why it worked

The video succeeds by using a universally recognized interview trope to hook the viewer, then seamlessly transitioning into a relatable personal story that introduces the product as a solution to a similar 'inefficiency' problem.

Summary

The creator performs a skit demonstrating the classic 'sell me this pen' interview question, using the technique to pivot into a pitch for the Sprout app. She explains how the app automates job applications, mirroring the efficiency she describes in her sales pitch.

Structure

1Introduction of the classic sales interview prompt
2The creator uses consultative sales techniques to identify the interviewer's pain points
3

Original caption

One of the most overused sales questions but I think I handled it pretty good #salestips #jobinterview #layoffs #sproutpartner #salescall

More from @caroline.career

Product placement

The Sprout app logo and a brief description of its function are shown on screen during the transition from the sales skit to the product pitch.

On-screen text

POV: you get asked in a job interview to "sell me this pen" *oldest trick 😂 *ask more questions about it *I feel like the interviewer😂 *I like where this is going *try to relate to them auto apply with tailored resumes and cover letters *it's so much easier🙌 *this parts important *always hold a pen! *finally I'm done😂😂 SOLD🤑🤑

Transcript

Can you sell me this pen? Yeah, of course, but before I do can I ask you a couple of questions? Yeah, sure, go ahead. So when was the last time you used the pen? This morning actually, I was just signing some documents. Okay, perfect and what happened to it? Do you still have it? I actually have no idea. I think I left it somewhere or someone took it. Right, so you needed a pen this morning, you used it, and now it's gone. So how often does that happen to you? To be honest, all the time. I'm really bad with pens so I lose them constantly. And when you can't find one, what do you usually do? Yeah, I probably just ask someone to borrow one or I run to the store and buy one. So it's fair to say this is something that happens pretty regularly and ends up wasting your time? Yeah, I guess it does. Yeah, I'm the same. I hate doing things the long way. It's like when I was applying for jobs, I used Sprout to just auto apply with tailored resumes and cover letters instead of doing everything manually. Same idea here though. Final question, if you were to buy a pen right now, what kind of budget would you have in mind? I'd say a maximum of $6. Got it, got it. So what you've told me is you use pens regularly, you lose them all the time, and when you don't have one, it ends up costing you time or money to replace it. So what if you had a pen like this? Your name was being engraved on it so no one accidentally takes it, a clip so it stays attached to your notebook, and it writes so smoothly so you can actually enjoy it. For $5, you're basically solving a problem that happens to you everyday. Would you say that's worth it? Yeah, I definitely say so. Yeah, let's do it. I'll take it.