4 Best Sales Movies Ever Made
Want to watch some great sales movies for inspiration, fun or learning?
Here are the top 4 must-watch sales movies along with their top quotes and dialogues.
1. Glengarry Glen Ross Poster
What do you get when you put together Al Pacino, Ed Harris, Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Pryce and Jack Lemmon together in a movie? Besides finding a lot of street credit, GGRP also offers a great movie-going experience. That experience doesn’t just come in theatres but anywhere you watch it. It is independent of outside factors like screen size or hardware.
Glengarry Glen Ross is about cold-calling salesmen doing what they do best. Real estate is our product, and Florida is the market. It has a grey theme with a lot of inspiring commentaries. We also read between the lines: taking apart some quotes from one of the top sales movies ever made — Glengarry Glen Ross.
Alec Baldwin is the so-called ‘shark’ of the storytelling all the ‘fishes’ to hunt — i.e, sell — or die. The sales team is stressed about bad leads.
Harris talks about what he learned when he first got into the sales racket:
“You don't sell one car to a guy, you sell him five cars over fifteen years. Some guy says I’ll go out rob everybody blind and go to Argentina because nobody ever thought of this before.”
So a shark (referring to those like Baldwin) with enough drive to win a Cadillac and lose a customer, kills the goose and leaves it for the next generation of scavenging salesmen.
Al Pacino pitches, “We either look forwards or backwards. That’s our life. Where’s the moment? What are we scared of? Banks closing, stock market collapse, my wife died on the plane...?”
Al Pacino is distraught with an Indian's need to bargain when he gets a lead with the surname Patel, “Even if lord Shiva himself handed him a million dollars he wouldn’t sign the deal.”
“You never open your mouth unless you know what the shot is.” Ricky Roma, played by Al Pacino, scolds Spacey for bluffing without knowing the context and screwing up a deal.
Bluffing may work it seems but only if you’ve done your research and know the background. Otherwise, it’s just better to keep quiet. Glengarry Glen Ross is a must-watch in our list of top sales movies.
2. The Goods – Live Hard, Sell Hard
Witness first-hand some awesome negotiation skills.
If you can look past harsh IMDB ratings and love sales, this is the movie for you.
If you follow South park, you know “Poop, comes out of your butt when you're dead.” Watch out for DJ Request who is the top guy on the lot because you get to request nothing.
The protagonist of The Goods – Live Hard, Sell Hard is Don Ready. His business card is succinct, “I sell cars mother****er.” Remember Mark Zuckerberg's fabled “I'm CEO…bitch!” business card?
He introduces himself in the film by declaring: “I'm Don "The Goods" Ready. Everyone here told you their story, here's mine... I have hair on my balls and I sell cars. The end.”
“I am a sucker for short and succinct introductions, and I love this,” is the unmistakable feedback he gets from the audience.
Another must-watch from our list of the top sales movies.
Some memorable quotes from the movie:
“Fat kids... customer hates you. Fat wife... customer pities you. Shit Zooha, that's the best fat wife I've seen in four or five years. Can I have a copy of it?”
“Whenever I see clowns, I always think of their relatives and how disappointed they must be in them.”
Craig Robinson will tell you what real horror is.
Craig Robinson:
“Listen, man, I haven't been home in a year and a half... and I'm about 90% sure I left the front door open.” Scares the shit out of me!
“Honey, we just finished the last job three hours ago. I still smell like a customer!”
“Ahhhh, it feels like a Smurf jizzed all over my face!”
3. The Prime Gig
The Prime Gig is one of our favourite sales movies: another realistic portrayal of telemarketing madness and corporate greed.
You may recall those people who pitch you the big-life? Aha! A pyramid scheme, you say? Maybe. I will withhold the spoilers for now.
A quote from the movie: "They probably looted old grandma of her cane to get there, and now they are looting you. You need to ask yourself if you are the ‘big fish in a little pool’ and can do the same.”
The acting brilliance of Vince Vaughn and Ed Harris guides and drives The Prime Gig. The movie has no punchlines to brag. It is this simplicity that's memorable.
The Prime Gig bags a place in our top 4 must-watch sales movies ever.
The movie talks about components of a successful pitch and their desired percentage:
Sympathy: Make them feel sympathetic towards you (‘the salesman’) or someone dependent on the product sales. [10%]
Takeaway: Take the deal away from them and make them feel like they are missing out on something that might become precious later. [30%]
The pro-cons list: There are no negatives on the list except the fear of risk [replace risk with change] [30%]
Listen: Listening makes an emotional impact and develops trust. This relationship becomes the backbone of a successful pitch. [30%]
4. Boiler Room
Back when Telemarketing was the only thing you could do to sell products and services, Giovanni Ribisi in Boiler Room teaches you how to cold call and convert. Ben Affleck’s speech is the other high point of the movie.
Either you sell them your products or they sell you their excuse.
Boiler Room will tell you that a sale happens either way.
Top quotes from Boiler Room:
Seth Davis: “What do you mean, you’re gonna pass. Alan, the only people making money passing are NFL quarterbacks and I don’t see a number on your back.”
Seth Davis: “Fine, fine. I'm gonna take you off my list of successful people today.”
Jim Young: “There's an important phrase that we use here, and think it's time that you all learned it. Act as if. Do you understand what that means? Act as if you are the fucking President of this firm. Act as if you got a 9" cock. Okay?”
Greg Weinstein: “Don't pitch the bitch.”
Boiler Room is undoubtedly a little overrated but it in no way lacks a punch and thus is one of the top 4 must-watch sales movies.
Why did we choose these movies? Because we want you to watch them, and they are just ripe enough for you to want more.