How would you sell a second hand toothbrush?

by Cormac L

Posted: 12 years ago 29 replies

COPY WRITING

Looking though Odesk this morning I spotted a client looking for a Philippines based SALES AND MARKETING EMAIL WRITER. Out of curiosity I clicked and had a look.

All applicants for the job are asked to respond with the following

Q: If you are to sell me a 2nd hand toothbrush , how would you pitch that to me?

Inspite of not being geo graphically suitable or in any way interested in this job, I decided to have a crack at the question, as it felt like a 'fun' challenge

and in a few minutes I came up with this.

Sales pitch for second hand toothbrush

Replacing a toothbrush is allot easier than replacing your teeth. Second hand teeth just don't exist. New teeth have to be custom made, and on the whole, are very expensive.

However, in our eco conscious world, it is actually possible to get a recycled toothbrush. They are refurbished like new, but cost far less.

Buy a ‘refurbished toothbrush’ and you’ll save money and help the environment.

What do you think of that?

Anybody else, just for gits and shiggles, care to have a crack at writing a short sales pitch for a second hand toothbrush.

Would be interesting to see how other copywriters here would tackle that!

#hand #sell #toothbrush

Ninja Ana 12 years ago

Wow, all I can say good marketing rapport and sales. You had a good idea how to answer a very tricky and funny question. Yet you answer it economically and environmentally. Good luck
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- 1 reply
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- marlon 12 years ago
  
  Hi,
  
  I reckon I'd do it on ebay or a pawn shop or flea market.
  
  Oh, wait...it's a copywriting question!
  
  Personally, I'd find some bonuses a LOT more valuable than the
  secondhand toothbrush.
  
  That's how Spoelstra (Ice to Eskimos book) sold out night
  after night to an NBA that won only a handful of games.
  
  You could also look for people who needed one for cleaning
  purposes...to clean things....
  
  Or sell to people in the world with no toothbrush at all.
  
  But I would go for bonuses.
  
  If the toothbrush belonged to someone famous that would
  make it ez to put on ebay.
  
  Marlon
  
  Thanks
  
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  Cormac L 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by marlon
  
  Hi,
  
  You could also look for people who needed one for cleaning
  purposes...to clean things....
  
  Good idea! That's something that didn't strike me at the time.
  
  Thanks
  
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wlasikiewicz 12 years ago

Thats is the most random thing i have read today.
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n8 12 years ago

LOL this is great

Have you ever thrown out your toothbrush? As gravity pulled it into the wastebasket were you confident it had no other use?

Over 24 million toothbrushes have been thrown out this year. Discover how you can improve the enviroment and save money by keeping your toothbrush out of the landfill.
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travlinguy

12 years ago

I can't verify this, but rumor has it that Lady GaGa once cleaner her fangs with this toothbrush...

Thanks
1 reply

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Cormac L

12 years ago

Originally Posted by travlinguy

I can't verify this, but rumor has it that Lady GaGa once cleaner her fangs with this toothbrush...

hehe! that seems like a good one

Have you ever thrown out your toothbrush? As gravity pulled it into the wastebasket were you confident it had no other use?

Over 24 million toothbrushes have been thrown out this year. Discover how you can improve the enviroment and save money by keeping your toothbrush out of the landfill.

Possible upsell with an eBook?

Thanks
1 reply

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DJL 12 years ago

This repurposed toothbrush is the perfect gift for your mother-in-law!
Sent to you postpaid & shrink wrapped, so she'll never know the difference!
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nobita436 12 years ago

That is really a great performance of your skills.
You are really good dude.
You have a very good knowledge over marketing issue.
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The Marketeer 12 years ago

If you can sell a second hand toothbrush, you can sell anything. Of course it's just a test.

I'd go with a "save the environment" and economical angle.

And there's always the "work of art" angle. Turn them into a piece of art and spin some interesting story behind it. Charge big bux for it. Some art fanatic is sure to buy.

They also make great cleaning tools to enable one to reach where other larger brushes would find hard to reach.
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Hopeless Bromantic 12 years ago

If you had the right target market, you could call it a "Freedom brush" and claim that Al-Qaeda doesn't want Americans to have it.
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Baadier Sydow 12 years ago

Apart from the obvious hilarity of the questions its a super clever way to set the quality of respondent apart.
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videolover7 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Throw in some used toilet paper as a bonus.

Glad to see you treating the subject with the seriousness it deserves. LOL

I can't tell you the number of times your one-liners have made me laugh.

VL
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- Jon Sullivan 12 years ago
  
  My first post... and its about a second hand toothbrush.
  
  My brother is a car salesman. Well he was a car salesman, he manages a dealership now.
  
  I stopped in to see him one day after I had done an interview for a Database Administrator position. We started talking about interviewing and he said he had a very simple test to identify who had the potential to sell cars.
  
  He would ask them to sell him a pen...
  
  A pen is probably a step up from a secondhand toothbrush, but he didn't expect applicants to bring one to an interview.
  
  I think I'll call him later and ask him to try and sell me a secondhand toothbrush.
  
  Thanks
  
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TheSalesBooster 12 years ago

I don't think anyone in the world cares about recycling or protecting the earth when it comes to cleaning your teeth with a tooth brush someone else used.
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travlinguy 12 years ago

Originally Posted by Ken_Caudill

Throw in some used toilet paper as a bonus.

Man, what are you thinking? The only thing that would complement a used toothbrush would be slightly used dental floss. :rolleyes:
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masterpaintingnow

12 years ago

A new toothbrush made from recycled parts is not a used toothbrush, so how to sell an actual used toothbrush? Insane!

Read the Most Insane Thing You Will Ever Read!

Do you want your teeth to fall out? No, of course not, so here is a solution that will sound crazy.

Used toothbrushes. Wait. They are completely steralized, and we have the highest quality ones around. They look new. There is no chance of catching AIDS, or your arm falling off, or anything like that.

Etc

Thanks
1 reply

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The Marketeer

12 years ago

Originally Posted by masterpaintingnow

A new toothbrush made from recycled parts is not a used toothbrush, so how to sell an actual used toothbrush? Insane!

Read the Most Insane Thing You Will Ever Read!

Do you want your teeth to fall out? No, of course not, so here is a solution that will sound crazy.

Used toothbrushes. Wait. They are completely steralized, and we have the highest quality ones around. They look new. There is no chance of catching AIDS, or your arm falling off, or anything like that.

Etc

Good point.

That's the thing you see. Most toilet paper is also re-cycled. (Yes, it's true. Look it up) In fact it's a million dollar business.

But you don't see anyone cringing at the thought of that.

I don't think some people realise but this whole thread is discussing a hypothetical situation to test the creative ability of a copywriter, not about really selling used toothbrushes.

Thanks

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Sum1 12 years ago

Toothbrush for sale. Used only once. Still in mint condition. More valuable than a pair of pre-frayed jeans from River Island. One time offer only. Nowhere else will you get this opportunity. Once it's gone - it's gone! Act now! Don't miss out. Only one of three left. One for each tooth!
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- Mr. Subtle 12 years ago
  
  .
  
  [ 4 ] Thanks
  
  1 reply
  
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  Cormac L 12 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by Mr. Subtle
  
  .
  
  LMAO
  
  That's a comic answer but I bet you could do better, if you were pushed!
  
  Thanks
  
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Jason Kanigan 12 years ago

I would repurpose it as a small area scrub brush (for INTENSE high-value scrubbing!) and get it out of the teeth-cleaning sphere entirely.
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hbhanot 12 years ago

I will sell it by saying it is used by Brittany Spears to men and Will Smith for womens
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PSSLena 12 years ago

That was a tricky a question. It's hard to sell a used toothbrush so it'll be very hard, however since you answered with humor and wit the employer might consider it
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BrianJones 12 years ago

Smart people have a way of making seemingly simple or even stupid stuff into a good topic. Good job! HHAHAHAHA

But I'd like to agree that it's practically impossible to sell a second-hand (used) toothbrush except if it was previously owned by the likes of Justin Bieber or Lady Gaga. Maybe you can realistically sell it as a bathroom or sink cleaner of sorts. New toothbrush are fairly inexpensive!

Btw, I loved the image ad. Funny.
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Jordan Rhodes 12 years ago

The question that you have posed is rather difficult. One would have to fabricate the truth in such a manner that it seems appealing to the audience. In addition, you have to conform to the principles of Copywriting.

The selling process could be expedited if the toothbrush was possessed by a famous celebrity (as posted above).
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tendify 12 years ago

Unisex toothbrush. One careful owner, good diet, all original teeth.
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- Walter Parrish 12 years ago
  
  I think someone caught on to the fact that those used toothbrushes we had been selling as new for 20 years were used
  
  kiddn lol
  
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