Your first handshake during the meet and greet is like the director saying “Ahaaaaaction!” It warrants a specific version of yourself who is of course still natural and spontaneous but versatile to the distinctness of the personality of the prospects you are about to make an emotional encounter with. Right then and there, the prospects become both your audience and your co actor. The encounter becomes a movie where you are an actor (A), the writer and the director (D) in one body of a true master Closer. Such, lead me to look for more Sales Tip resources aside from books.

I love reading books. However, a motion picture which graphically shows how specific remarks are executed would be a booster from the spiels you read from texts. The following movies are ranked according to the weight of sales insights I personally appreciated after watching.

5 – THE PRIME GIG, 2000

CLOSER-ACTORS: Ed Harris, Vince Vaughn (D) Gregory Mosher William Wheeler

Penn’s pitch to Evelyn is too involving that their conversation via phone seems like an in person encounter.

I always fantasize a movie that depicts the sales industry I am in; the one-call close selling of Timeshares. This film is the closest to my field thus far. Penny’s (V. Vaughn) first sales career in the early scenes was in a vacation coupon telesales where lines are something every Timeshare closer can relate to.

The main reason though, why this is on this watchlist, is because of how excellently Sob-Credibility story is filmed. Replay the Evelyn Feller Close and this is a perfect case example on how to master using Sob Story to close your deal.

Remember: On WEALTH.

4- TWO FOR THE MONEY, 2005

CLOSER-ACTORS: Al Pacino, Matthew McConaughey (D) D.J. Caruso Dan Gilroy

Rewind to this scene, Brandon Lang (McConaughey) closing a bet through a Pina colada.

Take note how the Pina Colada Close is executed here. Learn how knowing your prospect’s favorite stuff drives you towards a smooth sale. Involvement!

This is the only on this list which is almost a Biopic film since some scenes are inspired from true events. The movie does not actually convince me to be worth listing here if Walter’s role is not portrayed by Pacino. His acting prowess makes the coaching more effective to the viewers as he delivers his lines weaved with pitch spiels and winning mindset.

Remember: ON PERSISTENCE

3- WALL STREET, 1987

CLOSER-ACTORS: Michael Douglas, Charlie Sheen (D) Oliver Stone Stanley Weiser, Oliver Stone

Replay this scene and learn how to make negotiation sounds like you are making a favor to you prospect and win the haggle. Coined this as “You-brought-my-mother-into-it” Close.

The most awarded film on the list. Douglas’ performance is indeed worth an Academy Best Actor here. His character Gordon Gekko, is 24th in American Film Institute’s 100 Years, 100 Heroes and Villains while his line about Greed is also listed 57th in AFI’s 100 Years, 100 Movie Quotes.

Scenes which dramatize sales techniques from Sun Tzu’s Art of War are also entertaining and stimuli for rewinds. Sheen acts perfectly like he is Robin and Douglas is Batman. The only reason why this is not on the 1st rank is, the next two movies have more prospect-closer scenes which Closers would really appreciate. But then with emphasis, this film is with great acting and sales content.

Remember: ON GREED

2- BOILER ROOM, 2000

CLOSER-ACTORS: Giovanni Ribisi, Vin Diesel (D) Ben Younger Ben Younger

That rebuttal for “I have to ask my wife first”.

Tagged as the Wall Street (1987) counterpart of the 2000s (Millennium), Boiler Room perfectly depicts the sales deck scenes of hard selling and overcoming objections.

This film truly shows several scenes which Closers could identify and learn from. You smirk when you recognize a tactic you already did to a prospect while you nod when you learn something new to use on your next pitch. Lots of scenes to rewind. From Vin Diesel’s Benadryl Take Away to Ribisi’s Captain Crunch “I have to ask my wife” rebuttal.

Remember: ON BEING A CLOSER

1-GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, 1992

CLOSER-ACTORS: Al Pacino, Alec Baldwin, Jack Lemmon (D) James Foley David Mamet

The James Lingk – Opportunity Close monologue by Ricky (Al Pacino) was the most persuasive spiel this sales film had.

The second Pacino-starred movie on the list. Baldwin’s cameo will never be in oblivion. Scenes owned by Lemmon will always be compelling. Ed Harris, who is in the 5th film, Prime Gig did another splendid antagonist Closer role here.

This is a motion picture version of a play script by David Mamet that won the Pulitzer Prize in 1984. Script is based on Mamet’s experience being previously in a sales workplace, which makes this production appeal so realistic to sales persons specifically to real estate agents. From handling slump, honing a positive mindset, competition, red leads, handling cancellations, undoubtedly, a topnotch in both cinematography and sales coaching material. For me, the most classic among all classic sales films so far.

I’m going to tell you something. Your life is your own. You have a contract with your wife? You have certain things you do jointly? Bond there. And there are other things, and those things are yours. And you needn’t feel ashamed, you needn’t feel that you’re being untrue. Or that *she* would abandon you if she knew. This is *your* life.

Ricky Roma’s haggling spiels after James Lingk declared cancellation of his purchase the day after he signed the dotted line because of his wife’s disapproval. Use this when you overcome a one-legged attendee’s can’t decide objection.

Remember: ON TACTFULNESS

These films serve to me as reinforcements. Concepts from your readings when demonstrated like in the movie scenes turn you to be an effective doer in real life. Flawlessly portray your role in every sales table you have to close a deal on. Be a hall of fame Academy Best Actor throughout the befriending-pitch-objection-rebuttal-closing performance.

Do you have your own sales film watch list too? Comment your favorite sales film.

“CHANGE THE CONDITIONS and you will cross that line. The line that you said you wouldn’t cross” -Joe Hunt, Billionaire Boys Club (1987)

Christopher Gardner, Joseph Henry Gamsky, Bill Porter – Real to life closers who know no hindrance to close a sale. May it be sleeping overnight in the subway toilet with a 5 year old son, selling door to door in a 7-mile neighborhood daily with a stiff-knee gait or even killing not just once. Watch and you will never know how to listen to your excuses. Not anymore.

3. Pursuit of HappYness (2006), played by Will Smith

The only theatrical film on this list, you might have watched this and you will agree with me that replaying it would still be a tear jerker. From losing the trust of your wife to queuing for a shelter room every after your sales shift with your 5 year old child, your luggage and that bulky bone scanner. Really inspiring sob.

2. Billionaire Boys Club (1987), played by Judd Nelson

Made as a television movie in 1987, you will find yourself checking your sanity every time Joe speaks a word. Scenes perfectly manifest his tenacity to be second to no one. From a nerd debater in high school to a splendid brain washer founding the BBC. This definitely is a movie that triggers Morality Check of a closer’s sales persistence. When does persistence decoy a sinful greediness? Lot of closing skills to learn. I had a long list while watching. Did he really kill for an immense wealth? As to my verdict? Well, there are no absolutes. There are no black and no white. Just shades.Watch it Now.

“You won power over a person through the knowledge of two things, Joe explained: One was what they wanted, the other was what they feared.”

1. Door to Door (2002), played by William H. Macy

That line from Bill’s acceptance speech being Watkin’s Salesman of the Year in 1989 may be too simple, but when you reach that scene while watching, you find your tears like dewdrop per second. Both this TV movie and the array of documentaries featuring Bill really make me extremely inspired. Bill Porter indeed is the only of his sales persistence caliber. He has Cerebral Palsy. He is a top Salesman. Legendary.

These are compressed version of the circumstances these closers encountered. A reel from the real struggles for the sake of the art of motion picture. You might have been once like Chris, Bill or Joe. You may be like any of them in the future, or yet your kind of persistence is even stronger than theirs which the world have not known yet.

Would you do the same choices they did? Same dose of optimism? Same dosage of resilience? How challenging you are facing now compared to theirs?

Crossing the line is all in the mind.

COMING SOON: Billionaire Boys Club would have a theatrical film version this 2016 which will be starred by Ansel Elgort as Joe Hunt. Judd Nelson, who was Hunt in the 1987 TV movie will be the father of Joe. Kevin Spacey will be Ron Levin while Emma Roberts as Sydney, Hunt’s love interest. “As we were writing this, I thought, ‘What if ‘Wall Street (1987)’ became ‘Alpha Dog (2006)’ halfway through?” James Cox, director said.

I hope the 2016 version would not neglect the sales skills every salesman could learn from Hunt’s real-life closing prowess. I will be watching this. You too, right?

Tag: persistence

5 Classic Sales Movies that Coach You Hard to Close More Sales