Glengarry Glen Ross? The Wolf of Wall Street? Boiler Room? These are probably a pretty standard top-3 when folks are asked what they think is the best “sales movie” of all time. And, yes, I happen to be a big fan of all 3. I mean, where would we be today without Alec Baldwins infamous “Always be closing” monologue? Now, I have seen a lot of movies in my day, and I will never forget the first time I saw the Chris Farley classic, Tommy Boy, which was released back in 1995 (feel old yet?) There are too many great quotes to go through, and it is one of those movies I could put on at any time and watch all the way through, laughing hysterically as if it was the first time I saw it. A comedy classic. However, it wasn’t until a few years back where I finally realized how truly GREAT of a sales movie Tommy Boy is. I mean, I understood the plot of the film. Tommy was trying to sell enough brake pads to keep his late fathers’ company afloat. But like most people, I viewed it as a slapstick comedy before focusing on the sales aspect of the film, like we all do with the three movies mentioned above.
Now that I am older and have had made a career out of sales, I can finally appreciate the true greatness of Tommy Boy, and I will tell you why I believe it is the greatest sales movie of all time. If I were running a sales team, I would have all newly hired sales reps go home and watch the film immediately. The lessons you can take home are incredible and let’s face it, it is going to be a lot more enjoyable than a typical HR training video… Here are my top 4 lessons from the Tommy Boy sales pitch and the G.O.A.T sales movie!
1. Focus On Your Why
Tommy Boy’s Sales Pitch Evolved Over Time
Tommy was in no way a “natural salesperson”, and throughout most of the movie, didn’t have a clue at all as to what he was doing. The whole plot of this movie is simply Tommy following his “Why”. He wasn’t on the road selling brake pads to make a bunch of money, or to be the top rep in the industry. His goal was to make his father and those around him proud. Throughout his entire life, he was continuously told he would not amount to anything, or that the only reason he was employed in the first place is that his father is the owner. If Tommy did not hit his goal, the people he had known his entire life and had built great friendships with would be out of a job. The company that his father worked so hard to build would be sold to someone else. That was all the motivation he needed. During the movie, he figures out how to make sales and get closer to his goals, but the constant is that focus and drive to make sure he gets the job done so that he comes through for his family. Take a look in the mirror. Are you focused on the money? Are you focused on the recognition? Or are you like Tommy, and are focused on providing for the people in your life who are depending on you? There is always a bigger picture. I would encourage you to think about what is REALLY driving you to do what it is you do every day. Trust me, focus on that, and the monetary and recognition goals will fall into place.
2. Accept Coaching
This is vital for a new sales rep, or someone who is starting a new career in any field. Trust me when I tell you, you will not be the smartest one in the room. And even if you are, you can always learn something new from someone else. In Tommy Boy, the first few sales calls that Tommy and Richard go on are, let’s just say, painful. Hilarious, but painful none the less. All I can picture is that first sales call when Tommy thinks it is a smart idea to use a prospects toy car to reenact what would happen if they used a competitor’s brake pads as opposed to his…. Long story short, it didn’t go well.
In fact, here’s a free lesson to all salespeople: Stay away from incorporating fire in your sales pitch. It didn’t work well for Tommy, and it won’t work well for you. However, the real turning point in the film is when Tommy and his partner Richard, someone who has been selling for Callahan for quite some time, are having lunch after yet another missed sale. Richard soon comes to find out that Tommy has been going about his sales pitch all wrong. After some coaching advice and a little pep talk, Tommy takes it to heart and starts incorporating the lessons from Richard on the next sales call. Guess what happens? You guessed it, Tommy sells his first purchase order. And there was no looking back from there. The point is, if you are struggling or find yourself in a “slump”, that is a clear sign that it is time to try something different. There are resources all around you, and they will make you a better salesperson and help you get closer to your goals. You would be a fool not to take advantage of them.
3. Celebrate The Small Wins
This is huge. We sometimes get so caught up on our long-term goals and monthly or quarterly quotas, that we forget to focus on the daily or weekly wins. There is so much rejection we face on a day to day basis in sales, that it becomes almost second nature to get discouraged. When you become discouraged, you lose confidence, and in sales, confidence is key. As mentioned earlier, Tommy hears “no” after “no” on his initial sales calls, and that taunting goal of saving his fathers company is looking more slim day after day. Once things start trending in the right direction, you can see Tommy’s confidence soar. There is a scene where Tommy and Richard are spending the night in a hotel after successfully closing their first deal. In the grand scheme of things, one sale is nothing. Richard is spending the evening in the room going over the numbers and focusing on the overall sales goal, becoming more and more stressed just thinking about the pressure they are under. However, Tommy suggests they get a pizza, have a few beers, and celebrate the sale. The first sale they made on their road trip.
I am a big believer in finding as many opportunities to celebrate as possible. Especially early in your career. If you are building a book of business, it can be extremely frustrating and stressful at times, especially if you are surrounded by reps who have been doing it for years. Yes, long-term goals are important. But I would suggest setting some short-term goals you can achieve on a daily or weekly basis. Maybe it is a certain number of phone calls in a day, or the popular “go for no” challenge. Keep track of how many “no’s” you get in a call block. It is a simple way to get used to rejection and learn how to move on from it. Not everything has to be a home run. Take time to celebrate the singles and the doubles, and eventually, the runs (big wins) will come. And to take a page out of Tommy’s book, sometimes there is nothing better than a slice of pizza and a couple beers after a long sales day.
4. You Become Who You Surround Yourself With
Towards the beginning of the film, Tommy and Richard are virtually polar opposites. Tommy is the lazy, unmotivated, slob, who probably has no business in being a part of any professional office environment. Then there is Richard: suite and tie, climbing the corporate ladder focused on making something of himself at Callahan Auto parts. He is the one who speaks during the meetings and has the confidence to present the product. He is a number cruncher and doesn’t quite know how to “cut loose” like his counterpart. However, as the movie goes on, you start to see Tommy adapting the best traits of Richard (taking the coaching, building his confidence to pitch and close the product) and Richard starting to learn to loosen up and have some fun.
As I mentioned earlier, you can always learn something from someone else. I have heard before that you begin to incorporate the traits of the five people you hang around most. This is often followed by a recommendation to make sure you surround yourself with other successful people if you want to be successful. That is all well and good, but I would take it a step further. I would also try to meet and spend time with people who are different than me, who have had different experiences, and who have different skills. Richard learned a valuable lesson, which is to not take things too seriously. Tommy learned valuable sales skills, which gave him the confidence to eventually hit his goal and sell half a million brake pads.
Keep this in mind the next time you are looking for some motivation. Sometimes the self-help books can get old, and the “pump up” podcasts can become tiresome. Next time, switch it up. Grab some popcorn and throw in the Chris Farley classic. I would be willing to bet you will catch yourself saying something along the lines of, “If Tommy can do it, so can I” And remember sales managers, when sending your new reps home with all of their onboarding material and product sheets, don’t be afraid to suggest Tommy Boy, if they haven’t seen it yet, I am sure they will thank you in the morning.
Now for some fun, let’s throw our favorite Tommy Boy quotes in the comments!
“Hey, that’s a pretty girl down there… I wonder if she goes out with one of the Yankees!”
