Best Group Size
6-20 people works best.
With a small group, everyone can pitch. With a larger group, split into teams or invite only a few volunteers to present.
Sell Me This Object
Sell Me This Object is a high-energy improv icebreaker where participants grab an ordinary nearby item and pitch it as if it were a wildly useful product.
What Is Sell Me This Object?
Sell Me This Object is an improv icebreaker that quickly raises the energy in the room. Each participant picks up a nearby object, then tries to sell it to the group as if it were a must-have product.
The object can be completely ordinary: a mug, pen, phone case, sticky note, key, headphones, bag, notebook, tissue, mouse, or anything safe on the desk.
This is not a real sales exam. The goal is to help people relax, speak up, and use imagination. The more seriously someone sells a ridiculous ordinary object, the funnier it usually becomes.
Sell Me This Object Group Size, Time, Settings, and Materials
How Long It Takes
Plan 10-20 minutes.
A quick icebreaker version can work in 5-8 minutes if only a few people pitch.
Best Settings
- Team icebreakers
- Training openings
- Creative activities
- Sales training
- Communication practice
- Small team activities
- Online meeting icebreakers
Less Ideal Settings
- Very formal meetings
- Very shy groups without alternatives
- Rooms where people are completely unfamiliar and tense
- Serious training sessions with almost no time to play
Materials
No props need to be prepared in advance.
Participants can use any safe nearby object. Online groups can play by grabbing something from their own desk.
How to Play Sell Me This Object Step by Step
1
The Host Explains the Rule
The host can say:
“We are going to play a simple game. Please pick up one object near you in 10 seconds. Then you will have 30 seconds to sell it to us. It does not need to be professional. The more exaggerated, creative, and funny, the better.”
Make the frame clear:this is not a sales exam.It is a light improv game.
2
Give Everyone 10 Seconds to Find an Object
Count down out loud:
“10, 9, 8... Time! Whatever you picked is your product now. No swapping.”
The countdown creates just enough pressure to make the game feel spontaneous.
3
Each Person Pitches Their Object
Give each person 20-45 seconds.They can answer:
- What is this object?
- What magical feature does it have?
- Why does everyone need it right now?
- What problem does it solve?
- How much does it cost?
- Why will people regret not buying it?
For examplea pen can become“a life-management device that makes you look 80% more professional whenever your boss walks by.”
4
Let the Audience Ask One Question
To make the pitch funnier, let the audience ask one light question after each pitch.
- What is the warranty?
- If I already have one, why do I need yours?
- What makes it better than competitors?
- Is there a limited-time offer?
- Who is the perfect customer for this?
5
End with Voting or Applause
You can simply applaud each pitch and move on, or finish with playful awards.
- Best improvised salesperson
- Most creative pitch
- Most ridiculous but convincing product
- Most like a TV shopping host
- Funniest product
Sell Me This Object Examples and Pitch Prompts
Ordinary Objects, Over-the-Top Products
- A tissue = emotional first aid
- A water bottle = adult survival system
- A mouse = office power controller
- A sticky note = a tiny brick that prevents life from collapsing
- A pen = the tool that makes you look busy when your boss walks by
- A mug = the liquid carrier of elite professionals
Objects Participants Can Grab
- Mug
- Pen
- Phone case
- Sticky note
- Keys
- Headphones
- Bag
- Notebook
- Tissue
- Mouse
Ways to Make Sell Me This Object More Fun
TV Shopping Version
Ask everyone to pitch like a TV shopping host: “Original price 999, today only 9.99, and we will add an imaginary bonus gift.”
Luxury Brand Version
Turn a normal object into an absurd premium product, such as a pencil becoming a Nordic minimalist writing instrument.
Failed Product Rescue
Give someone a hard-to-sell object like an empty box, broken pen, used sticky note, or rubber band and challenge them to make it desirable.
Target Customer Version
Assign a customer: a boss, alien, child, fitness coach, or extremely picky client. This gives the pitch a clearer direction.
Team Pitch Version
Groups of 2-3 sell one object together. One person presents, one demonstrates the use case, and one plays a satisfied customer.
What to Watch Out for in Sell Me This Object
Do Not Critique Like a Real Sales Review
Avoid feedback like “your sales logic was incomplete.” That kills the mood. Use playful reactions instead: “That feature is ridiculous and I love it.”
Avoid Private Objects
Remind people not to use wallets, IDs, medicine, private photos, or anything they do not want discussed.
Do Not Put Too Much Pressure on Introverts
Offer alternatives: pair up, say one tagline, serve as a judge, or ask audience questions.
Keep the Timer Tight
The game loses energy when pitches get long. Around 30 seconds per person is usually enough.
How to Facilitate Sell Me This Object Well
Demo First
Pick up something simple, like a bottle of water, and sell it as “meeting survival liquid.” A light demo gives everyone permission to play.
Say Funny Is Better Than Professional
Many people hear “sell” and think they need to be good at sales. Tell them the game rewards courage, imagination, and playfulness.
Control the Time
A clean rhythm works well: 30 seconds to pitch, 15 seconds for one question, 5 seconds for applause.
Do Not Force Very Shy Participants
This game has a performance element. If someone clearly does not want to present alone, let them pair up or help as a judge.
Encourage Exaggeration
Invite imaginary features, impossible benefits, dramatic pricing, and fake testimonials. The pitch does not need to be true.
Why Sell Me This Object Works
The game is funny because the object is usually ordinary, but the pitch has to make it sound amazing.
That contrast between a normal object and an exaggerated sales pitch creates easy laughter. People do not have to perform perfectly; they just have to commit to the bit for a short moment.
What Makes Sell Me This Object Strong
Strong Improv Energy
Participants do not know what object they will use, so they have to react in the moment.
High Room Energy
Compared with quiet discussion games, this feels more like a tiny performance and quickly lifts the room.
Easy Laughter
The more seriously someone sells a very normal item, the funnier it becomes.
Useful Speaking Practice
It practices quick thinking, public speaking, persuasion, creative framing, humor, and reacting in the moment.
What Sell Me This Object Is Designed to Do
This game is not really about training sales skills. Its core purpose is to help people speak quickly, reduce stiffness, raise energy, spark creativity, and let the group see a more playful side of each other.
It works especially well in the first 15 minutes of a training, workshop, or team meeting when you want the room to move from guarded to willing to participate.
Sell Me This Object Host Script
“We are going to play a quick game called Sell Me This Object. Please grab one random object near you in 10 seconds. In a moment, you will have 30 seconds to sell it to us. It does not need to be professional. The more exaggerated and TV-shopping-like, the better. The point is not to sell perfectly; it is to relax, speak up, and play.”
Keep the Session Flowing
Group Order
A movement-based icebreaker where participants arrange themselves in order by safe prompts like birthday, commute time, first name, or coffee intake.
Start the sorting challenge
I Love You Honey
A playful laugh-control icebreaker where one person tries to make another laugh with a fixed silly line while the other tries to keep a straight face.
Try the laugh challenge
One Word at a Time / One Word Method
A fast creative warm-up where each person contributes exactly one word and the group builds a sentence, story opening, or absurd idea together.
Build a one-word story
Quick Info
Scenario
Creative Games, Sales Training, Communication Training, Training Openers, Meeting Starters
Audience
Adults, Teens
Place
Indoor, Virtual
Style
Funny, Creative
Time
5-20 Mins
Group Size
6 - 20 People
Prep
Any safe nearby object
Tips for Success!
- Demo first with a very ordinary object.
- Say clearly that funny is better than professional.
- Keep each pitch around 30 seconds.
- Avoid private objects like wallets, IDs, medicine, or personal photos.
- Let shy participants pair up, judge, or ask questions instead of pitching alone.
Did You Know?
The joke works because the object is ordinary, but the pitch treats it like the greatest invention in the room.