Kevin Bacon’s character, Jack Ross, is a benchmark for salespeople to follow in effective selling. The key to an excellent and effective sale is the presentation. The presentation should explain the product in easy-to-follow language. You must answer all the questions of the client and must flow freely until the end.
Closing a sale is the reason you are talking to that customer. To close you must connect and feel comfortable with your client and he with you. This level of connection and comfort is created in the performance. If there is a comfort level, the closing should be a natural flow of the presentation.
The best presentation I’ve seen is Kevin Bacon’s opening statement to the jury in the movie, in character as Jack Ross in “A Few Good Men.” In introducing him, Jack explains his (their product of his) position on him. He explains his product to his clients (the jury). He explains why his product is the only alternative to solve his problem (reach a verdict). He anticipates objections. In his presentation he explains that only he has the evidence that would explain the crime that was committed. Jack does such a masterful job that Tommy Cruise’s character, Danny Kaffee, admits he doesn’t have a real case.
I will briefly explain the plot of the movie. The film takes place in a military setting. A Marine is not performing at the standard level. His commanding officer (Jack Nicholson) decides to “motivate” him with two other Marines. This action is called code red and is not authorized. A rag sticks in the marine’s mouth and he dies, with the two Marías accused.
Let’s take a look at Jack’s masterful presentation to the jury. “The facts in this case are simple. Two Marines killed a third Marine. This case is that simple. .be entertained, you will enjoy it. They (Tom Cruise) will entertain you with words like “code red” (a code red does not officially exist in the Marine Corps.) because they have no evidence to back up their claim. So be careful Once you get past the entertainment and focus on the evidence presented, you will only conclude that the defendants killed this Marine and your only verdict will be guilty.”
What is hapening here? Jack has many “clients” that he is trying to sell. The Marines on trial will be executed if found guilty. Jack is trying to convince them to accept a plea. They don’t want that because they feel like they’re following orders.
Jack is trying to sell the parents of these Marines into accepting the declaration. In the film, Jack’s best friend, Danny Kaffee (Tom Cruise) is being pressured by Demi Moore’s character (Lt. cdr. Jo Ann Galloway), to pursue a code red problem. This is critical because if he charges an officer with this crime, a Navy attorney must have conclusive evidence that this really happened. If this evidence cannot be presented, then the attorney (in this case, Danny Kaffee) can be charged and court-martialed. He is also trying to convince the jury that a murder has been committed.
Jack masterfully tries to sell to all his customers. The presentation is meant to convince all listeners that only the evidence counts. The defendants have no real evidence. Only a confession from Jack Nicholson will exonerate the defendants. A code red can only be proven if Col. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) will confess. There is no chance of this happening.
He wants the jury to be ready. She knows that his good friend Danny can hide them with secondary problems. He masterfully prepares them for this in such a way that anything Danny does won’t move the jury. In the presentation, a closure is reached through a smooth transition.
“A Few Good Men” is a true movie classic. I think the presentation is the central plot point of the entire movie. After the presentation, Danny and his team understand that a confession is the only means by which a verdict of not guilty can be obtained.
The way Danny gets this confession is one of the most riveting scenes I’ve ever seen on film. Tommy Cruise’s courtroom interrogation of Jack Nicholson is riveting and a must see if you haven’t seen the movie yet.