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Secret Salesperson

Have one person lead this activity – it can be a Scouter, a senior youth or just someone who is interested in leading. The leader of the activity chooses some youth to become the ‘secret salespeople ‘. These ‘secret salespeople’ will be tasked with selling a product to the audience – but here’s the trick.... the ‘secret salespeople’ do not know the product that they are selling. The ‘secret salespeople’ take turns giving their pitch, and answering audience questions about the product. Let the hilarity ensue – because the audience is aware of the product being sold, and the product is toilet paper!

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Plan

  • What do salespeople say or do in order to be convincing?

For Secret Salespeople:

  • In order to be persuasive, what will you say or do as a Secret Salesperson?
  • How will you answer a question about the product that you don’t know the answer to?

For Audience:

  • What questions can you come up with that might create an accidental funny answer from the Secret Salespeople?

Do

  • The person leading the activity will choose volunteers who are interested in being the Secret Salespeople. These Secret Salespeople will be separated from the group until it is their turn to ‘sell’ the secret product.
  • The leader will explain the game to the audience and inform the audience that the Secret Salespeople will be selling toilet paper – however, they don’t know that!
  • One by one, the Secret Salespeople will try to sell the product and answer questions from the audience about the product and its use.
  • Let the Secret Salespeople in on the joke! - Let them know that they were just selling toilet paper.  Did they say anything funny because they didn’t know what they were selling?

Review

  • What sales tactics were the secret salespeople using in order to be persuasive? Do real salespeople use these tactics?
  • Did any Secret Salespeople end up lying about the product they were selling?  Do you think real salespeople do this?
  • Remember to submit your activities on our Scouts for Sustainability Take Action Map

Keep it Simple

  • If the improvising is too challenging, work in small teams and try to come up with a way to sell toilet paper - then, present your sales pitch to the rest of the Section. Whose toilet paper would you buy?

Take it Further

  • Try to come up with a different product – other than toilet paper – that might create hilarious situations for the ‘Secret Salespeople’.