When I worked in sales cold calling people, one of our sales trainers admonished us not to “Tommy Boy” the sale .

He is referring to a rather instructive Chris Farley movie from the 1990s called-you guessed it-“Tommy Boy.”

Tommy Callahan is the son of a visionary car part factory owner-a wealthy businessman- who while at a wedding reception to marry a trophy wife, dies from a heart attack.

Long story short, the factory is now in danger from a competitor and the only way for Tommy to save the company his father founded is to go on the road and sell enough orders for brake pads and make the factory profitable.

The problem is that Tommy is an utter moron.

He gets a D+ in college and celebrates it as a win: “You know, a lot of people go to college for seven years”

Needless to say, the company execs are quite anxious about putting their fates in the pudgy hands of a doofus who took seven years to finish college.

Tommy has potential- he’s a really good storyteller. Nonetheless, his effectiveness as a salesman is hindered when he keeps saying stupid krap to prospects, like: “You can take a good look at a butcher’s ass by sticking your head up there, but wouldn’t you rather take his word for it?”

And accidentally lighting prospects’ desk on fire.

Things start looking bleak for Tommy Boy…

Until he learns to relax.

He stops seeming so needy, even as his factory’s fate is in jeopardy.

Once, he stops being so over excited, Tommy talks to people in a calm, casual, direct way and finally gets lots of sales.

Hell, he finally starts using his dead father’s script correctly: “I can get a good look at a T-bone by sticking my head up a bull’s ass, but I’d rather take a butcher’s word for it”

So yes, you have to chase people to some degree when you’re selling to them.

You need to email them and have a conversation with them. Canned content is not allowe.

But you do it in a way where you’re communicating this attitude: “ I have something very valuable that solves a problem that I think you have but I’m prepared to walk away at any moment if it’s not a good fit.”

P.S. My book shows business owners and entrepreneurs the exact steps for using creativity to make lots of money. It costs around $30 everywhere else, but if you join my daily email list by clicking the link below, you can have a digital copy for free.

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