There are moments in movies that stand the test of time. They are the first thing we think of when someone uses a turn of phrase or references something that sends your brain down the rabbit hole of movie quotes. These become cultural stalwarts and embed themselves into the very collective consciousness of our society. Some become known for certain industries. Wanna know what law enforcement is like? Check out Training Day or End of Watch. Wanna know what being a firefighter is like? Press play on Backdraft. How about military life? Full Metal Jacket, Jarhead, or Officer and a Gentleman. Want realism? Don’t watch any of them. But what about sales? There are a dozen movies that can teach you how to sell. Boiler Room. The Wolf of Wall Street. But none of them are as iconic as Glengarry Glen Ross. In fact, one scene in that movie every salesman should watch. Blake’s 8-minute tongue-lashing at the office underachievers.
Alec Baldwin took less than ten minutes to cement himself in the lexicon of sales mentors. Walking into the office, he looks at Ed Harris, Jack Lemmon, and Alan Alda and rips them to shreds when one pours himself some coffee.
“Put that coffee down!! Coffee’s for closers only. Do you think I’m f–kin’ with you? I am not f–kin’ with you. I’m here from downtown. I’m here from Mitch and Murray. And I’m here on a mission of mercy. Your name’s Levene?… You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch? The good news is – you’re fired. The bad news is – you’ve got, all of you got, just one week to regain your jobs, starting with tonight. Starting with tonight’s sit. Oh, have I got your attention now? Good. ‘Cause we’re adding a little something to this month’s sales contest. As you all know, first prize is a Cadillac Eldorado. Anybody want to see second prize? Second prize’s a set of steak knives. Third prize is you’re fired. You get the picture? You laughing now? You got leads. Mitch and Murray paid good money. Get their names to sell them! You can’t close the leads you’re given; you can’t close s–t, you are s–t. Hit the bricks, pal, and beat it ’cause you are going out!… The leads are weak.’ F**king leads are weak? You’re weak.”
Harsh but needed
When I was in the Army, I learned a valuable lesson. Soft lessons teach soft resolve. Hard lessons teach regret. Firm lessons teach firm resolve. When a drill sergeant screamed at someone, they did it for three reasons:
- Being firm with you ensured you would remember this lesson. Embarrassment, shame, or fear are big motivators if applied correctly. They are also not great motivators if applied incorrectly, so do it well.
- They spoke loud enough so others had the benefit of learning from your mistake. Anytime someone accused a drill sergeant of yelling, the response was that they don’t yell; they just speak loudly enough so everyone learns.
- Firm resolve. Toughening up the people working with them is every leader’s job. Preparing them for the worst they could face. Too sensitive for this? How will you handle a job stocked full of rejection? In the Army, you get shot at; words are nothing. Harden yourself.
Was Blake preparing these men for war? No. As a matter of fact, it was nowhere near that. But the philosophy behind this approach goes well with life. You are going to face disastrous things sometimes in life; you have to be able to weather those storms. Remember those firm lessons and apply your firm resolve as well.
Sales tips that can also elevate your life
Sales teaches you a lot about life. While the mindsets and the philosophies can feel gross when you think of Blake and Belfort, applying these same no-nonsense ideals to your life can elevate every corner of it.
- The price is the price; what you’re asking about is the value. When I was in sales, this was my number one phrase I went with, because it allowed me to redirect the conversation back to what I was offering. But let’s apply this to life. Price is the immediate payment for the long-term benefit to life. While the price you pay (monetary or otherwise) is the initial pain, the focus and consideration should be on what you get out of it in the long run, never on the initial price.
- Cheap is easy to find; results aren’t. One of the tricks in sales is to pull up other products from competitors and, when someone is solely worried about price, direct them towards the cheapest one and remind them to check the reviews. When walking through the world, cheap things are everywhere, and those sales will always be there because people are cutting costs everywhere they can. But if you focus on results and outcomes, then work backwards, whether you are worried about money or not, the price piece takes care of itself.
- You’re not paying for this; you’re paying for what happens after this. Back to a value conversation, what are you getting out of buying this product? My favorite place to use this is in the gym. I am not paying for a gym, so I have a place to do bench press or the perfect biceps curl. I am paying for my clothes to fit better.
- What does it cost to stay where you are? Movement is the number one driver of a sale. Stagnation frustrates every person and every business. So this question always got them talking and defining the problem the seller is trying to solve. I use this same thing in the gym as well. Is the gym expensive? Yes. Are new clothes all the time as I get bigger more expensive? Also yes. Are medications needed due to weight gain expensive? Absolutely. And even more, it’s expensive for your health.
- You don’t need the cheapest option; you need the final option. Nobody likes this process. Remember buying a car? God, it sucks. So why would you not want to buy into something that permanently solves a problem? Same with your day-to-day life. It is easy to focus on quick fixes in life. Around the house, the wardrobe, the kitchen. But this philosophy is perfect for fixing all your problems. For good.
- If price is what is stopping you, how much is not doing this costing you? Similar to #4: Why focus on the money when the cost of NOT buying will cost you more in the long run? Apply this to working on your inner sh*t in therapy. You could ignore the problem, especially if it doesn’t affect your day-to-day, but how much is not going to therapy costing you in the long run? Relationships? Jobs? Mental Health?
- If you only buy on price, then you might as well buy two anyway. This was one of my favorite go-tos when I sold suits. So many men went for the cheap suit and didn’t realize it wouldn’t last as long, and you’d have to buy another one anyway. So buy quality first. In life, it is vital to invest in yourself. And don’t be cheap about it. Your life is the product you purchase every day; pay every metaphorical dollar and cent you have.
