PREVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.

Sell Me This Pen (B2 - C1)

PAGE 1

Choose one of the products below. Imagine you’re a salesperson for the product.
PART 1
Take a minute and try to sell the product to a classmate/your teacher.

1 2 3

$70

$35
$25

PART 2 Discuss the questions below about sales and selling.

1 What was it like trying to sell the object you chose above? Explain.
2 Why might a job applicant be asked to do this task in a sales job interview?
3 What do you think are some qualities of a successful salesperson?

PART 3 Give some tips on how to sell a product/service effectively. Use some of the verbs
below in your tips, and use other verbs as well. Explain each one.

Ask... Focus on... Create...

Justify... Eliminate... Make the customer...

Sales experts advise not to do the following when selling a product/service. What
PART 4
does each word/phrase mean? Why do you think you shouldn’t do these?

1 Don’t be pushy.
2 Don’t badmouth your competitors.
3 Don’t make exaggerated claims about the product/service.

What else shouldn’t someone do when trying to sell a product/service? Explain.

SELL ME THIS PEN! Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Sell Me This Pen! (B2 - C1)
PAGE 1

PREVIEW DISCUSSION

Would you like to be a salesperson? Do you think you’d

be good at it? Why or why not? If you’re already a
salesperson, how do you like working in sales?

VIEWING ACTIVITY
Watch the video until 1:18 and pause. How did the man try to sell the pen? Why do
PART 1
you think he was unsuccessful? Discuss or write a few reasons.

Continue watching until 2:28 and pause. Match the reasons why the man was
PART 2
unsuccessful at selling the pen. Were your answers the same/similar in Part 1?

1 He lacked... a. the deal.

2 He spoke about... b. any demand for the pen.
3 He didn’t focus on... c. the pen too much.
4 He didn’t create... d. the person he was selling it to.
5 He didn’t close... e. confidence.

Continue watching until 4:11 and pause. Which sales tactics did the man use?
PART 3
Discuss or write a few tactics below.

List the sales tactics in order the man uses. One is not discussed! Were your
PART 4
answers the same/similar in Part 3?

He asked for the sale.

1 He asked the customer questions.
He eliminated any risk.
He justified the value of the pen.
He made the person feel good about themselves.
He created demand for the pen.
VIEWING FOLLOW-UP Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Sell Me This Pen! (B2 - C1)
PAGE 3

PART 1 Discuss the questions below.

1 Refer back to Preview, Part 1. Did you make any of the same mistakes that
the man made in his first demonstration? If so, which ones?

2 What do you think about the man’s demonstrations/tips? How useful or

interesting do you find them?

Read the lines below from the second sales demonstration shown in the video. Then
PART 2
discuss the questions.

SALESMAN: “I genuinely have the impression that you are somebody who is professional,
you set high standards, and you expect nothing but the best. Is that correct?”
CUSTOMER: “That’s correct.”
SALESMAN: “Therefore, you need to have this pen. This pen costs $70.”
CUSTOMER: “Wow, that’s a very expensive pen. This one here only costs me one dollar.”

1 The last line above is an example of a price objection. What does this mean?
2 What are some other reasons a customer may object to a sale?

Below are some types of customer objections. Match the types of objections that
PART 3
describe the man’s example objections below. One is not used!

a. authority objection d. competition objection

b. trust/risk objection e. product fit objection
c. implementation objection f. timing objection

1 “The last time I bought a similar pen, it broke within a few days.”
2 “I just saw a similar pen on sale at a different store at a cheaper price.”
3 “This pen might be a little bit too luxurious for what I need.”
4 “I might need to wait until I get next month’s salary before I buy the pen.”
5 “I should talk with my colleague first, since we’ll both be using the pen.”

What strategies could a salesperson use to overcome some of these objections?

SELL ME THIS [PRODUCT]! Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Sell Me This Pen! (B2 - C1)
PAGE 1

STEP 1: CHOOSE A PRODUCT & PRICE

• Think of and write any product to sell. You can choose one that fits a category below.
• Share what you chose with a classmate/your teacher. Show them an image if possible.
• Take a few minutes to prepare selling this product to your classmate/teacher.

PRODUCT PRODUCT CATEGORIES

• electronics • automotive
• apparel/fashion • sports
$ PRICE
• home appliance • travel
• stationary • other

STEP 2: SALES ROLE PLAY

• Take one of the roles below and read your role description.
• Switch roles after and repeat.

STUDENT A: SALESPERSON

Imagine you meet a potential customer shopping for your product in Step 1.

• Ask the customer questions, and answer any of theirs.

• Create demand for the product and justify its value.
• Handle any objections.
• Ask for the sale.

STUDENT B: CUSTOMER

Imagine you’re shopping for a product and you meet a salesperson.

• Ask the salesperson some questions and answer any of theirs.

• Show skepticism/hesitation by giving a few objections.
• Decide whether you accept or decline their offer.

STEP 3: REFLECTION

How successful was your sale? How difficult was it for you to sell the product?
QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC. Copyright 2023. For use only with license.
Sell Me This Pen! (B2 - C1)
PAGE 5

PART 1 Answer each question below according to the information in the video.

1 Describe the context of the video you watched and what happened.
2 Why was the man unsuccessful in his first demonstration?
3 Why was the man successful in his second demonstration?

Finish writing how the salesman makes the customer feel good, and then the
PART 2
objection the customer gives in the second demonstration below.

SALESMAN: “I genuinely have the impression that you are somebody who is professional,
you . Is that correct?”
CUSTOMER: “That’s correct.”
SALESMAN: “Therefore, you need to have this pen. This pen costs $70.”
CUSTOMER: “Wow, that’s... .”

Give some examples of the following kinds of objections someone might give to a
PART 3
salesperson trying to sell them a pen.

1 Trust/Risk objection
2 Competition objection
3 Product fit objection
4 Timing objection
5 Authority objection

LESSON REFLECTION:

Discuss the topics below about the lesson.

1 Did you learn or use any new vocabulary or phrases in this lesson? If so, what?
2 Did you learn anything new about sales or selling? If so, explain.
3 What did you enjoy about the lesson?
4 Is there anything you found difficult about the lesson?