A recent blockbuster movie ended with this request: “Sell me this pen.”

Easy enough, right? Perhaps the most appropriate response: “I have something for you to sign.”

That was the answer provided in the movie “Wolf of Wall Street,” but in real-world sales, the response can be somewhat haunting. What would you say to that request if asked about your product? Taking a same-ol’, same ol’ approach to selling more pens will only work when the ink in the client’s current pen has run out. To achieve greater success, you need to know how to get the customer to discard their favorite pen—before it’s empty.

Most clients, whether prospective or existing, do not provide original comments and feedback. Many clients give the same responses and objections to most agents—and most agents respond in the same way. Some hesitate with their answers, some try to apply an assertive or challenging approach and some simply move on to the next topic. Most do not take the time to figure out the answer to the simple request, “sell me this pen.”

Research suggests that as much as 80% of customers do not feel it is worth the effort to change to a plan, provider or coverage—which means when it comes to making a decision, most people have a difficult time doing something different. The reason for this is “schema,” which refers to an individual’s mental framework for how they make a decision. All of us have schemas, ranging from simple to complex. For the most part, we have all developed favorites, including things we like to eat, read, attend, visit, wear or watch. We all have our habits, preferences and biases.

The same is true of the client you are trying to communicate with or sell to. What does it take to get someone out of their box? How do you get someone to think or act differently? It’s not about a clever gimmick or a more forceful approach. Getting someone out of their box and doing something different is one of the solutions to “sell me this pen.”

To accomplish this, salespeople must know how to craft a better conversation and guide it toward a better interaction and conclusion. This requires making an acknowledgement that most conversations simply constitute an exchange of known information and current knowledge—stagnation that prevents forming an impetus for change. So from now on, don’t view your client conversations as fact-finding exercises. View them as explorations that will help push someone out of their box. The best way to obtain that mindset is to understand that most questions fall under the category of “recital.”

A recital question gets someone to simply state what they already know. It allows the customer to maintain pre-determined biases and thoughts that keep them from expanding into new ideas and directions. To avoid this, engage the client in in-depth dialogue—the exchange of new ideas and thoughts, rather than just prompting the delivery of a correct answer.

Obtaining this level of conversation is the key to knowing how to “sell me this pen.” It gets someone to reconsider their position and paves the way for change. Prior to every conversation, determine the mindset of the client you will be speaking with. Is this person unreceptive, receptive or accepting? The success of your conversation will depend on this answer. Most established mindsets are rooted in two or three essential main beliefs or values, so crafting conversations around these points will help facilitate the likelihood of change.

Not every conversation will lead to success, but current recital conversations diminish the potential for change. Stepping back and determining each client’s critical areas of conversation will enable you to help him or her reconsider product, coverage and provider recommendations from the perspective of change.

Charles D. Brennan, Jr. is the author of McGraw Hill’s “Take Your Sales to the Next Level” and director of the Brennan Sales Institute, a leading provider of advanced sales training programs.