Sell Me This Laptop

🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/Qbsw5lFeZS

— Invisidon (@QuantumAlteredX) January 6, 2026

Surely mythical. Yet a reminder of how different Sales interviews ought be from the standard general approach.

As someone once flown around the world to coach sales leaders specifically through interviewing Enterprise candidates for actual sales skill, I've come across plenty of this kind of thing.

For interviewing salespeople I wouldn't recommend his "usual trick". Although I have used it as a playful aside within small internal sales meetings. Using props that adorn most sales offices; banana, pen, (ahem) 'toiletries'. I also once experienced a veteran demand I sell him an ashtray. As he puffed away on a cigar in my face. It was many years back.

This angle feels akin to the oddball, brainteaser trope. Which I also urge avoiding. They're less about the candidate and more of the powerplay.

I get how advocates claim it reveals core selling skill. Yet I feel it too easily misleads.

If you want to gauge innate ability, ask them to pitch what they currently sell. If you're taking on someone new to selling, then ask them to persuade you as to a hobby, past-time or favoured leisure pursuit.

Successful routes I've passed on include getting them to 'pitch' attractions of their present employer, turning the chair round to roleplay a phone call scenario, and asking them to 'draw' what they mean.

Encourage these and you'll better steer clear of theft and extortion.