Last night I finally got to see a movie that has been recommended to me countless times, and I had been wanting to see for a while, Boiler Room. It was absolutely incredible. If you are in sales, or even business at all, definitely check it out. Twice.

That’s right, watch it once for entertainment, then watch it again for personal gain. Boiler Room has some of the best sales pitches and closes I’ve ever seen. The second time watching it, consider it instructional material. The hardest part of this is you have to separate yourself from the immoral side of what’s actually going on in the movie. Don’t get caught up in the characters or plot, but simply watch the techniques of selling.

Watch Giovanni Ribisi (the main character)’s rebuttals to common objections and excuses. Watch him move the conversation in any direction he wants, always aiming for a close. Watch his psychological techniques, saying lines like “I don’t care how much stock you pick up,” rather than saying “I don’t care if you buy stock or not.”

No matter if you’re cold calling clients, following up on hot leads, or talking face to face with a customer who just walked in the front door of your shop, this movie demonstrates some sales techniques, that if mastered, can prove invaluable to your business.

Now, if you don’t have time to watch the full movie, or if you’d rather have a quick recap, here are a few of the highlights I’ve found on YouTube:

This one isn’t selling to a client, but is a great, persuasive speech given by Ben Affleck:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvICN8DNMpY

This video is GOLD. A cold call that appeals to virtually every sales technique in the book with brilliant execution. The end gets a little harsh and pushy, more than I’d personally like to go, however it’s still an amazing sales close.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yunGYX2_uBE

Here’s another amusing conversation of Seth analyzing a telemarketer that called him:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW-PHukzdgM

Here are some great quotes from the movie:

“Move around, motion creations emotion.” – Very true. When you’re selling your product, don’t be still. You need to be passionate and energetic, excited as if you honestly believe it’s the greatest product in the world. Stand up, walk around, move, get some blood flowing. Your pitch will increase in power exponentially.

“There is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock, or he sells you on a reason he can’t. Either way, a sale is made, the only question is who’s going to close, you or him?” – An absolutely brilliant line that I’ve never heard or thought of before. Your job in sales is to disarm any inhibitions and or excuses the other end might have. Consider each call a battle- either you win or they do. If you lose, at least go down fighting. You’d be surprised how many calls that seem hopeless can turn around in an instant.

“I just want you to test me out.” – This is a great quote for closing a new client. It shows you have confidence in your product, otherwise you wouldn’t say it. It’s an indirect way of saying “if I believe in my product, you can too.”

“… you’d be pretty excited about my next idea, right? Of course you would, you’d be out there handing out my business cards, wouldn’t you?” – This line was particularly interesting for me. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it’s a cool line to add to your book, and pull out at the right time. Often times during a sales call you come around to asking hypothetical questions about how good the outcome of them buying your product would be. An example of this in use, “If my widget increases your productivity by 500%, you’d be happy wouldn’t you? (I suppose so.) Of course you would! You’d be handing out my business cards wouldn’t you?” This is a great line for reinforcing their positive image of your product, while easing the mood a bit and still maintaining a level of professionalism.

Boiler Room, despite it’s immoral plot, is one of my favorite movies to date. Check it out.