In the movie, Glengarry Glenross, the sales manager is a jerk, an acerbic cynic, a malevolent force, a take-no-prisoners, I-dont-hear-your-excuses, kind of guy.

He announces a contest.

First place, you win money.

Second place, you win steak knives.

Third place, youre fired.

Is this guy for real? Are there sales managers who act like this?

Of course, there are. I havent met any as a consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, but theyre out there.

Ive worked with them.

And, though its a little contrarian to say this, theres something important they have to teach salespeople and other managers.

In a word, they embody what everyone in selling needs: CERTAINTY.

If you are certain, definite, unequivocal about the value of your product, your service, your company, your place in the universe, your right to earn a big, fat paycheck, then the world is your oyster.

As they say, people will step aside for a person who knows where hes going.

On the other hand, if youre riddled with doubts, and you wear your insecurities on your sleeve, then you have a big problem.

The Glengarry manager wont hand you those knives, hell hurl them at you.

Like a hard-bitten drill sergeant or that dour taskmaster of a teacher you had in high school, he wont cut you any slack; hell just cut you from the team.

Results, results, results, results!

Thats all hell accept.

Like one of those old-fashioned cops with bursting biceps, his swagger discourages most problems from ever ripening into existence.

I had a martial arts instructor who was like this. Somebody asked him about the potential for injuries in training and he shot back:

NOBODY GETS INJURED HERE. THERE ARE NO ACCIDENTS HERE!

Tell that to the guy I drove to the hospital for a dozen sutures to his chin, but even in that fellows mind, after the surgeon was done with him, if you asked him what happened, he wouldnt quite admit it really happened.

He never spoke of it.

I DIDNT GET INJURED. NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED HERE.

The Glengarry sales manager just wont tolerate anything but victory.

TO BE SURE---theres something to be said for that!