Movieclips Monday: Making the sale
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When “Tommy Boy” came out, my friends and I flocked to the theaters and were not disappointed. To this day, we still quote the movie as if we saw it just yesterday. (“Holy shnikes!”)
When “Tommy Boy” was released, I was attending school in Toronto and also working part time at a technical staffing firm, sourcing resumes for industrial engineering positions. I was learning the business and taking tours through car part manufacturers much like Callahan Auto Parts. (Side note: The set of the Callahan Auto Parts plant is actually the Distillery District in Toronto, one of the nicest parts of the city and definitely one to check out.)
As I moved to different cities and held various positions, one thing that never ceased to amaze me was the variety of sales styles practiced by the people I have met through my career. With different backgrounds and values, people value different criteria when they look to buy.
Some are looking at price only, some look for the best product, and some people buy based on the relationship. No one likes to deal with sleazy salespeople. Above all, I have found that buyers seek honesty, a trait that I believe will take you far.
The degree of honesty that Tommy Boy displays here might be a bit much, but one of my early mentors told me to just be upfront about my capabilities and let our clients know who I was as a person. Keep in mind that your customers have a sales force as well. If you are honest about who you are and what you are about, you can expect the same from your customers as well.
In this case, Tommy Boy demonstrates an extreme version of honesty. In fact, it is a turning point for him once he is honest with himself about who he is and what his sales style is. From here on out, his customers see who he is as a person, setting him up for future success.
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