For today’s blog post I will discuss three best cinematic sales pitches. Too often, the media personifies sales people negatively; either through crude behavior, demanding language, or deceitful persuasion. However, the scenes cited below provide viewers with real reasons as to why sales people act the way they do. Either through tactics of optimism, peer pressure, or creativity, these characters aim to convince their potential clients the need and pain their products satisfy.
Pursuit of Happiness
This scene is especially memorable because Will Smith is forced to sell himself, his situation, and his credentials. The Pursuit of Happiness displays the importance of genuine relationships and integrity that are vital and respected in the sales industry. Smith states, “I am the type of person, if you ask me a question and I don’t know the answer, I am going to tell you that I don’t know. But I know how to find the answer and I will find the answer.” Surprisingly, his transparent attitude earned him an offer at the sales firm.
The Music Man
Harold Hill uses the strategic mechanism of pain, in order to convince his current clients into buying his products. He convinces individuals that his products are necessary vital for their future embitterment. Hill states, “All week long in River City you will be frittering away, your young men will be frittering away their noontime, suppertime for time to get the ball in the pocket.” He warns his clients that an idle brain is the devil’s playground. Through this scare factor, Hill successfully convinces the town into his scheme.
Mad Men
Don introduces the use of emotion in selling, specifically stating that everyone has a story to tell. During this scene, Don is pitching the Hershey’s chocolate brand to a group of associates. After talking about a memorable trip to the convenience store with his father, Don goes on to describe the emotional impact that one Hershey’s cholate bar had on his relationship with his father. Don states, “His love and the chocolate were tied together. Hershey’s is the currency of affection, a childhood symbol of love.”
BoweryJE22
This is so great! As much as it helps to see videos of sales-gone-wrong, sometimes it’s important to get the other end of the spectrum and watch selling behavior that could actually translate into real life success. I especially love the use of emotion in the second video–it’s such a valuable tool, but often used incorrectly in sales. Awesome to see more video examples of some of the principles we’ve been learning.