10 Inspiring Sales Quotes from Movies

Movies are more than just great entertainment. They can challenge our thinking, ignite our passions, feed our fears, stir our emotions, and inspire our dreams. They allow us to escape, but they also allow us to imagine ourselves into the lives we fantasize about. The silver screen can provide valuable wisdom we can carry back with us into the real world, as we work to create our own happy endings.

Here are 10 Great Inspiring Sales Quotes to Motivate any Salesperson:

1) “Don’t ever let someone tell you, you can’t do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you got to protect it. People can’t do something themselves, they want to tell you you can’t do it. You want something, go get it. Period. All right?” – Chris Gardner, The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Sure to fire up anyone who’s ever felt like an underdog, this inspiring sales quote from Will Smith, as real-life homeless man-turned-stock broker, Chris Gardner, sums it up beautifully. Anything is possible when you work hard and believe in yourself. As this motivational quote warns, you should never let critics, naysayers, or even well-meaning friends and family convince you that your dreams are impossible. Setting goals is the first step in turning outlandish dreams into reality, so think big, aim high, and believe with your whole hear that you can accomplish anything. You can.

2) “Show Me the Money.” – Rod Tidwell, in Jerry Maguire (2006)

3) “Well, it’s no trick to make a lot of money… if all you want to do is make a lot of money.” – Bernstein, Citizen Kane (1941)

This Everett Sloane quote, from what is possibly the greatest movie of all time shines light on the fact that there’s a lot more to being a successful person than making money. Depending on the individual, true success might encompass independence, accomplishment, influence, helping others, healthy relationships, and let’s not forget, happiness – something many have said money can’t buy.

4) “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 a reason he can’t. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that’s it, I’m done.” – Jim Young, Boiler Room (2000)

This insightful sales quote by Ben Affleck’s less-than-scrupulous character is an apt description of the dance that takes place during any sales negotiation. A sales pitch involves two people making a case, and only one will win the argument. It’s up to the salesperson to decide who the winner will be. While this film doesn’t paint a flattering picture of salesmen, this quote is spot on.

5) “Success is a menace. It fools smart people into thinking they can’t lose.” – Bill Gates, Pirates of Silicon Valley (1999)

Bill Gates, played by Anthony Michael Hall, in this movie about the cutthroat battle between Apple and Microsoft for software supremacy, makes a great point. It’s tempting to dream about reaching a level of success and wealth at which you can just sit back and enjoy what you’ve built. While there’s nothing wrong with celebrating your wins along the way, it’s never a good idea to take your hands entirely off the wheel. There will always be bumps in the road, no matter how long you’ve been in business. You must always keep your head in the game if you hope to achieve lasting success.

6) “A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing. Always be closing.” – Blake, Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

In Glengarry Glen Ross, Alec Baldwin plays Blake, a not-so-nice sales trainer sent to pump up a team of real estate salesmen. Baldwin’s character is far from being warm and fuzzy, but this line, from one of the best sales movies of all time, is an irresistibly quotable reminder to keep your eye on the target, stay focused, and get the job done.

7) “Do or do not. There is no ‘try’.” – Yoda, Star Wars (1980)

Star Wars may not be a movie about sales, or even business, but Yoda has it right. Saying you’ll try is as good as accepting failure before you’ve even begun. Say you’ll do, and you will. Who needs Tony Robbins when you’ve got an adorable and eternally wise space creature to guide you?

8) “Smile. It enhances your face value.” – Truvy Jones, Steel Magnolias (1989)

Who knew that a beautician, Truvy Jones played by Dolly Parton, could offer such on point sales wisdom? The punny quote holds true for beauty and for closing deals. Smiling is one easy way to make yourself, and your product, more appealing to the customer.

9) “Money is not the prime asset in life. Time is.” – Gordon Gekko, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010)

We all know that time is money, and this quote from the sleazy but slick Gordon Gekko, played by Michael Douglass, drives the point home perfectly. Time is a critical factor in making sales, whether you’re offering a product or service to save the customer time, letting them know that time is running out to act, or offering some luxurious item to help them enjoy their time more. Time is everything, and keeping that in mind can help you make more sales.

10) “The driver has to work harder than anyone. He’s the first to show up, and the last to leave. When his buddies are all out drinking beer, he’s up in his room studying pictures of turns.” – Coach Irv, Cool Runnings. (1993)

Who would have thought that a goofy John Candy comedy about the first Jamaican bobsled team could have valuable insight to impart about succeeding in sales? With this quote, John Candy’s Coach Irv perfectly sums up what it means to lead from the front, to model the behavior you want from your team rather than simply demanding it. To get the best possible results from your sales team, you have to be the driver, coming in early, leaving late, and keeping a close eye on the sharp curves hiding on the road ahead.

From good guys, to bad guys, to little green guys with pointy ears, characters in the movies tell us a lot about what it takes to succeed in the business world. Just like real life salespeople, they overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, they dig in and go after their dreams, they make terrible mistakes, they celebrate victories, and they bounce back from failure. But unlike those wonderful characters up there on the screen, we’re lucky, because we are the ones writing the script.

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