Sales Cinema to Reality

Movies are meant to entertain. Entertainment relies on varying perspectives of reality. No matter how liberal a movie gets with its interpretation of reality, typically there is a foundation in truth.

The portrayal of selling in movies is no different. Sometimes the storylines are outlandish. Sometimes even the reality of the story is unbelievable.

But most of the selling principles portrayed in movies are based on actual selling fundamentals. Let’s take a look at a few of them and see how relevant they are to selling in today’s environment.

Always Be Closing.

In the 1992 iconic sales film Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin portrays a sales trainer hired to motivate a struggling real estate office. One of the sales principles he demonstrates is ABC, Always Be Closing.

ABC doesn’t play well in today’s selling. ABC lends more to high pressure sales tactics and a sell at all cost mentality.

The internet puts vast information in the hands of the prospect. And prospects do their homework.

Google nailed this down to a science. 7-11-4 is the answer. Prospects do 7 hours of research before buying. They interact with a brand 11 times (touch points). And they engage in 4 different locations: social media, sales people, websites, etc.

The modern seller needs to bring value and consultation to help the prospect solve their problem. Leave the agenda at the door. Dive into the world of the prospect.

Sell Me This Pen.

Scorsese out did himself in creating the 2013 classic, The Wolf of Wall Street. It is a classic.

This film is jam packed with “what not to do.” From the hard selling, deception, and flagrant drug fueled, con-artist tactics, we could spend endless hours dissecting the lack of ethics Belfort brought to the sales profession.

Conversely, the “sell me this pen” tactic highlights a valuable principle of sales: developing urgency.

Without urgency, sales cycles drag on forever. Nothing is more frustrating than a deal that is lingering on the verge of closing.

There are many ways to create urgency. One of the most effective is to paint the pain. Think that is a bit harsh? In 2023, Americans spent $678 billion on pharmaceuticals. In the same year Americans spent $38 billion on vitamins and nutritional products.

The take away, no one wants to be in pain and most people will spend a lot of money get rid of pain verses preventing it. Highlighting pain points in the sales process drives urgency. We all need sales next year. But, if possible, I like sales that happen sooner rather than later.

It Has to Be Your Bull.

Tommy Boy is a classic comedy. There are not many people that look at Tommy Boy as a classic sales film. However, Tommy Callahan masters a very pivotal sales technique. His best sales are based in story telling.

His crazy portrayal of himself as a sales person lands him some chicken wings at the diner. Tommy dances around the “guarantee on the box” objection by creating a story of a glue sniffing guarantee fairy. And the “I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull's ass, but I'd rather take a butcher's word for it” line tells a very vivid story.

Tommy Callahan is a crazy comedic character and his stories reflect that. Craziness aside, stories sell.

Incorporating a good story into the sales cycle brings a visual aspect that is hard to develop otherwise. This is one reason reviews help sales. Not only is it social proof, it allows the prospect to see the sale from the perspective of another prospect.

Tell the story. Transform the situation from selling to having the prospect visualizing the solution. The story sells.

Take Aways.

Not all selling tactics are timeless. ABC was a defining selling style in the 90’s. The age of information has made ABC an example of what not to do.

Other selling principles are still extremely useful. Driving urgency and telling stories consistently help close deals.

Be a solution consultant, create urgency, and tell a good story. Incorporate these tactics into your sales process and watch you sales increase.