Can you sell me a pen?

The thing that I found hardest to do in my career is to sell something. Anything. If I had a hang of it, I would probably be financially free today but the first thing that comes to mind when I hear "selling", is salesperson.

The car dealership is the original sin. I don't know how the experience can be improved but they just have a way to piss you off eventually. But when you put yourself in the salesperson shoes, it's not that easy.

Selling is hard, we get it. And not just for cars. As a developer, it is very hard for me to sell you anything I make because I always feel like "It's just code."

It's easy to think of the cliche super salesman that can sell you anything. Even a pen.

Interviewer (A) - How can you sell me a pen?

Super duper Salesman (B) - I can do that.
Do you have a pen?

A - Sure, here you go.

B - Thanks. Ok, can you write down your name on this piece of paper?

A - Ok, can I have the pen?

B - Sure, it's 10 dollars.

In a movie, we would call this man an amazing salesperson. In the real world:

A - What the Fuck? You are a fraud.

Selling anything is hard, and tricking people does not help. It might work to put someone in a situation where they have no choice but to pay but this will also be the last time you will see this client.

However, there is something else that help sell and justify the price of things. Let me tell you right now that there is no such thing as real price. Price is just a number we make up that is convenient for us. To sell something expensive, you have to give it a good story.

People buy an expensive iPhone because of its story. When you buy it, you are part of the story. You are part of the elegant design we see in the commercials. You believe in simplicity. You are creative. Although you will use it to take crappy selfies and it will cost $100+ a month to use it. But it makes you feel good about yourself.

When people buy things they love, they tend to talk about it to others. They do free advertising, even though no one asked them to. They love it because of the story. So let's go back to the story of the pen. How do you sell a pen?

Well simply look at Apple's new pen and see how they sell their pen. Remember that Steve Jobs used to say that a stylus is one of the worst thing you can use on a touch screen. After watching their commercial, you see how it can be a great addition to your tablet.

Selling is telling a story, and it does not have to be logical. Capture your audiences mind, make them relate, and tell them a beautiful story. Watch them throw their wallets at you.

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