A while ago I wrote a post about who my favourite salespeople were in movies, with Don Draper from Mad Men (I know it’s a series and not a movie!) and Chris Varick from Boiler Room being up top.

I thought I would add to this as there have been some serious contenders of late.  And a really bad example too.  Why not?  We love a good laugh.

The Wolf of Wall Street:

This is a lovely simplistic yet effective style of selling. Gain the prospect’s attention, let them know why they can’t afford to not be involved, then close.  His tone of voice is lovely, and his use of pauses is timed to perfection.  He listens and responds.  His enthusiasm is definitely infectious.  You can see why everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing to listen to him.

Chris Gardner in The Pursuit of Happiness:

I love this example. What he realises is that doing what he has been told to do will get him nowhere, so he goes straight for the top decision maker. And it works! He gets invited to meet in person, so no more calls are required that day.

Robert De Niro being Robert De Niro:

This is, of course, not a good example. But it’s funny as he thinks he has the sale, doing everything necessary (in his eyes).

And Seinfeld responding to a telemarketer is lovely:

A beautiful example of how to respond to telemarketers calling you on your mobile or home phone. Try it. It does work a treat.

Can you add any more to this list?