You're Not Selling a Product
Grammar: Collocations and fixed expressions in the language of sales and persuasion
A Business English English lesson exploring business.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on business, practising collocations and fixed expressions in the language of sales and persuasion. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: You're Not Selling a Product
In 1997, Apple was close to bankruptcy. Steve Jobs returned as CEO and made a decision that had nothing to do with computers. He hired the advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day and launched the Think Different campaign — a series of black-and-white portraits of figures like Albert Einstein and Amelia Earhart, with no product shown at all. Sales recovered. Within three years, Apple had moved from near-collapse to cultural dominance. Jobs understood something that most salespeople learn too late: customers do not buy products — they buy identities.
Vocabulary
- close a deal
- drive purchasing decisions
- limited-edition
- social proof
Discussion questions
- Think of something expensive you have bought — did you need it or want it?
- Can you think of a brand you feel loyal to, even though a cheaper alternative exists?
- What makes a salesperson persuasive — knowledge, personality, or something else?
You're Not Selling a Product
Grammar: Collocations and fixed expressions in the language of sales and persuasion
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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