You Have To Train A Sales Crew But Only Have TV Shows To Reference (1950s-Forward To Now). What Would You Pick And Why?

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I posted this sales training question on a LinkedIn message board and thought you’d enjoy the answers. Here’s the question: You have to train a sales crew but only have TV shows to reference (1950s-forward to now). What would you pick and why? (Please feel free to post your own)

• Leave it to Beaver
• My Three Sons and
• Father Knows Best since all gave lessons in life, lessons in relationships, and principles to learn from. Wait…second thought…I would also add
• Mr. Rogers
• Hobo Kelly
• Captain Kangaroo
• To Tell The Truth and 20 Questions, to teach sales people the value in asking questions rather than walking into a sales meeting ready to sell what they have vs. finding what the customer wants.
• Just keep them away from shows like WKRP in Cincinnati where salespeople are viewed as knuckleheads or less than ethical!
• Gil from the Simpsons
• Star Trek TNG for their approach to team decision making and focus on problem solving
• Boston Legal & Shark to teach how to construct arguments and deliver difficult ideas positively
• M*A*S*H so people can learn how best to bypass any obstacle to getting what you want
• The Actors Studio to teach about getting people to talk about themselves and their deeper motivations
• The Fugitive - how to never give up in the face of overwhelming opposition

In thinking about this I have come to realize how much easier it is to get management advice from TV than Sales Training.

• Star Trek: the Next Generation- You could base an entire sales crew training course on the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. They might initially be viewed as what not to do, but surprisingly there are some real gems included for example Rule 57, which states, “Good customers are as rare as latinum. Treasure them.”
• M*A*S*H because as Dr. Sydney Friedman says, “Every once in a while you have to drop your pants and slide along the ice.”
• Andy Griffith Show. Loyalty is important, even if it’s ole Barne.
• Ed Sullivan Show. It’s all how you present things. The plate-spinning guy can be the lead-in for the Beatles.
• Any of the CSI series. It’s all about attention to detail.
• ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The ski-jumper lived to jump another day.
• Mary Tyler Moore Show. Not everyone likes spunk, but most people do
• Survivor-because sales is not for everyone.
• Deal or no Deal-because you have to be able to handle the pressure and occasionally take chances.
• Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous-because the perks can be great.
• The Office-because, unless you work for yourself, every company has politics.
• Top Chef-because it is cut throat at times.
• Big Break (golf channel)-because you have to pay your dues.
• Local news-because every single day is different.
• Do infomercials count? There are some that are high caliber and great! There are MANY that show how to create false enthusiasm and how not to project a professional image. When teaching how to create a transfer of enthusiasm (which according to Brian Tracy, is the sale) I would show clips of Billy Mays the Oxy Clean guy and show how the body language message did not match the vocal expression which leads a discerning buyer to skepticism. My sales team loved it – they had never looked at it that way…As far as traditional older TV shows go, I don’t think you can get any better than
• The Andy Griffith Show
• The Dick Van Dyke Show
• Sesame Street… anything that teaches honesty, integrity, and belief in yourself!
• Columbo. Asking the right questions at the right time is a key element in advanced sales techniques. Columbo was also great at no fear, follow up questions, and building a case. His ability to walk into anyone’s office (home) and get right to the point was great, just enough small talk to get them off guard and all the right questions. Just as a sales person needs to keep going to “build a case” for their product or service that is what Lt. Columbo did week after week.
• Anything with Chef Gordon Ramsey
• The Dog Whisperer. I’m a big fan of the alpha dog with high emptily, caring, confidence and a mix of humor.
• The TV Evangelists have perfected the art of delivery with emotion and passion plus it is fun to see the look on your spouses face when they find you in front of the TV on a Sunday morning with the phone and credit card in your hand.
• The Bob Newhart Show, because there was always another way of looking at things comically.
• The Honeymooners, because Ralph always showed tenacity and never gave up, it also teaches that even with the best intention poor planning and execution lead to failure
• Beavis and Butthead, because lack of education… well you know. 

These were all great answers. I’d add a few not yet mentioned: 

• That Girl! – because being bright and fun can get you work
• All In The Family – because you need to see people as they are, not as you want them to be
• Carol Burnett Show – because you can always laugh.
• Project Runway – because its really all up to you, not the other guy if you are going to standout

What are yours and why?

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