- July 25, 2018 -
Ever watched the movie "Glengarry Glen Ross"?
There's a pretty raw scene where Alec Baldwin's character (I'll call him 'Rich Guy') is sent to "motivate" four real estate agents, all currently in a slump.
He unleashes 7-minutes of venomous verbal abuse...a monologue (and his only scene in the movie) that over two and a half decades has become film lore.
[Here's the clip if you're interested. Be warned it's not rated PG.]
Jack Lemmon plays Shelley Lavene, once a successful salesman but now in a long-running funk. On top of that, he's got a dying daughter.
He dares to get up from his desk during the rant and heads toward the coffee machine...and finds himself the target of 'Rich Guy's' berating:
"Put that COFFEE down! Coffee's for closers only!"
'Rich Guy' proceeds to compare the price of his BMW to the Hyundai's they're probably driving.
'Rich Guy' announces that he's on a mission of mercy.
He fires 'em all and grants them one week to regain their jobs. Actually, only the top two will stay employed.
This month's sales contest has an added component:
+ 1st prize is a Cadillac Eldorado.
+ 2nd prize is a set of steak knives.
+ 3rd prize is "You're fired!"
When Jack Lemmon’s character complains that "the leads are weak" in response to the insults being hurled at him, ‘Rich Guy’ says, "The leads are weak? You’re weak!"
'Rich Guy' then give a classic chalk-board marketing lesson:
ALWAYS...BE...CLOSING
Attention-Interest-Decision-Action
Finally, he picks up a pair of brass balls, closes his brief case and leaves with one last parting shot:
"I can go out there tonight with the materials you got and make myself $15,000! Tonight! In two hours! Go and do likewise...or you'll be shining my shoes."
Regardless of whether you love it or hate it, hidden within this scene are a few gems of wisdom.
You’ve probably heard Henry Ford’s famous quote: "Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – either way you’re right."
Jack Lemmon’s character BELIEVES his leads are weak..and because of that belief, he literally can't close the deals.
Yet, in the same office, there’s another salesman, working the SAME leads and closing sales left and right...something that the looser salesmen seem blind to.
This scene is bothersome to watch.
And it's typical boiler room selling that I first-hand experienced in my early stock broker days.
It was a rush, but I definitely don't miss the pressure.
So back to the film...can bad leads ever be the problem?
Absolutely. But the bigger problem is the stuff between our ears that holds us back.
Call it head trash.
What head trash do you have going on that's literally stopping you?
What junk are you holding onto that messes with your confidence?
I’ve found the best way to lose the head trash is to be around people who don’t think that way.
People who dream big. Who aren't afraid to make mistakes. Who don't quit.
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