5 Movies That Teach You How To Sell

Your favourite pastime could be the secret ingredient in making huge profits.

Movies are generally made for entertainment purposes, and if you are like me, you will marvel at how much we can learn from them. So if you’re wondering what inspired this blog post, not to worry, here’s why:

A few days back, I got drawn into a discussion about entrepreneurship, and the abundance of movie references blew me away; hence, this post. If we are honest, you wouldn’t ordinarily watch a movie because of the moral lesson; except, of course, if there’s a price to it. That being said, here are some movies that you can watch with the claim of doing “research” while not feeling guilty.

Wolf of Wall Street

If you guessed that this movie would make our list, then congratulations; you’re correct. Wolf of Wall Street pushes you to persevere no matter how much the odds are against you. Investing three hours into this movie, albeit, time currency, will find you on a journey where having enough is not just enough, and excellent business tactics that will leave you rethinking your sales strategy. However, when you are done, you will feel equipped enough to take the business world by the horn. If in doubt, here’s a killer quote from the movie for you: “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.”

The Big Short

Otherwise christened an “American Horror Story,” the Big Short takes you through a corporate journey in the world of housing bonds, mortgage bonds & banking, highlighting the importance of keeping your eyes to the ground no matter what industry you operate in. If you’ve seen this movie, you will agree with me that big names don’t total success. I mean, we saw how the big institutions like Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and Deutsche bank handled the news of the market decline. Although interlaced with humour, celebrity appearances, and tons of corporate jargon, you will be inspired to jazz up and stay abreast if you do not want to be left behind when the market takes a sharp turn.

Equity

Yes, this is for the ladies, and No, it does not refer to equity on a par with gender equality. Equity zeros in on the need for you to be dogmatic and tactical while in business. With immense spotlighting on the brutish front that women take up in the stance of playing the challenging game of numbers, you will be inspired to stay true to your values while selling. Bishop, the main character of Equity, did over and beyond to save her company; she did all these without compromising her honesty while being firm regarding business.

Thank You for Smoking

A funny title, Yes, but this movie is packed with enough lessons on advertising and selling that you’d be just about ready to sell to anybody. If you think this description is far-fetched, picture this: A 15-year-old cancer patient, Robin, who has stopped smoking is on a show with an ambassador for the Academy of Tobacco Studies and the ambassador, with the aim of “inspiring” goes: “It’s in our best interests to keep Robin alive and smoking; The anti-smoking people want Robin to die.” So you are up for a hilarious ride; get your notes, and be ready to get tips and tricks that will help you close sales.

Joy

Watching this movie, you will be schooled on marketing and advertising tips for your business. Set in 2015, this happy-ending themed movie tells the story of Joy Mangano, the innovative inventor of the self-wringing mop. Her navigation through the business waters will teach you a thing or two if you plan to/have an innovative product. Joy lets you in on the confidence level you need to stand by your product, despite the resistance and going against the books in the right way.

These movies are only a speck among the millions of films that have been produced to appeal to corporate workers, wide-eyed startup founders, and hopeful entrepreneurs. Movies are very much available for you when all else fails, so grab your popcorn and tune in to learn how to take over the world.

Originally published at https://medium.com on October 5, 2020.