Best Sales, Marketing, Business movies
The Blog at FeaturePlan.com, a company focused on software for product and marketing management, offered a question: What are the best movies for sales, marketing, business, office culture, advertising, etc.
Here’s my list:
Favorite Hi-Tech Cubical Culture:
Office Space — why do we in hi-tech identify so well with this movie? Is it the crazy managers? Spend thrift parties. Or is it because anything with “Jennifer Aniston” is worth watching at least once, regardless of the plot or cinematic quality?
Favorite Advertising:
Crazy People — absolutely hilarious “real” slogans targeted for the honest buyer.
Favorite Sales:
Tommy Boy — an adventure in face-to-face customer needs anlysis and overcoming sales objections.
Glengarry Glen Ross — multiple viewpoints of what a qualified vs. unqualified lead can produce, a BMW or a Hyundai.
Favorite Business:
Triumph of the Nerds: The Rise of Accidental Empires — for those of us who watched the entrance of software and personal computers, this is the way it “used” to be prior to the science of product marketing introduced by Craig Stull.
Back to Backpack…
I’m back at work. Working on releasing the update to Blackboard Backpack. The new product is Backpack 2.5. This version is so much better that the previous version. We’ve simplified the UI, enhanced peformance as much as 100x, added Blackboard course download wizards, included a Flash overview, enhanced with attractive HTML pages, improved searching, and much more. Should be better for students.
We posted a Preview build that can be downloaded from the Backpack site. Give it a try if you get a minute.
June 19th: The Ledges, the final round of vacation 2006
Today, on the drive home from Scottsdale, Dallen and I played a new course in St. George, Utah that just opened in the spring of 2006. The course is The Ledges.
I liked the course. There was a LOT of grass for a desert course. Felt like the designers were catering to mid-west / Easterners relocating to the desert.
The front nine was okay, but not all that demanding. Payed like a flat-land course with the holes running along side each other.
The back nine is worth all it all. Unbelievable views into Snow Canyon. Great rock formations. Red petrified sandstone mounds on all sides. Placement of tee shots and approach shots were key as they both required precision placement. There were numerous holes that required a desert crossing.
The greens were large and had multiple tiers. Putting the ball in the right place easily made the difference between a long tough two putt or a simple par.
The Ledges is on it’s way to be a private club. If you’re in St. George, give this course a try before you can’t get on.
Matt Keller, the best Real Estate Agent in Scottsdale (IMHO)
If you’re looking for a new home or you are relocating to the North Scottdale area, you’ve got to contact Matt at Keller Willliams High Desert Reality. He’s the best of the best!
Matt sold two homes for me. If I return to Scottsdale, he’ll be the man who gets my business.
Three things that Matt brings to the table — that I wish all my real estate agents had:
- Market knowledge — Matt buys and sells so many home that he truly knows the market value of a home in the North Scottsdale area. Matt does his homework. He knows how to price your home.
- Marketing — Matt marketed my homes. He didn’t just post a listing on the MLS. He held open houses, networked with other agents, contacted a list of buyers and sellers who had bought from Matt before. We had plenty of traffic to allow for the top dollar.
- Sales skills — I spent 5 years working with sales people in the Sales Automation industry. I learned what good salespeople do. Matt controls the sale. He negotiated to my advantage. He communicates and provides insight into how to make a good decision.
We had a great time with Matt, Joni, and their boys tonight. We had a BBQ where Matt grilled some 100% pure organic beef — yummy. We putted on the putting and chipping area. Shot some hoops on the sports court. We even took a few splashes in the pool.
Matt and Joni’s pool and yard
Golf putting, chipping, and practice area
June 16th: SunRidge Canyon and We-Ko-Pa
Great day of 36 holes of golf on two of my favorite golf courses of all time:
- SunRidge Canyon Golf Club, a Suncor Golf course
- We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, rated in Golf Digest’s Top 100 you can play
SunRidge Canyon Golf Club
I’ve always been a huge fan of SunRidge Canyon Golf Club in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Most of my friends love the course but hate to play it because the course is pretty tight, narrow, and demanding. Maybe it’s because my drives are pretty straight, but I always have played SunRidge well. I took 2nd place in a SunCor interclub tourney a few years back with a 74 (minus my handicap of 4 at that time). It was a nice $150 pay out.
Again, Matt Keller arranged the day and met me early the morning of the 16th. I played well. I struggled at times with putting. Somehow I was able to pull off a 76 (+4) at SunRidge. My good feelings for SunRidge will continue.
We-Ko-Pa is my absolute favorite golf course in Scottsdale/Phoenix metro. I love the layout. The course is playable desert golf with conditions as good if not better than most country clubs. The course is located in Fountain Hills on the Indian Reservation (off Beeline Highway) and is a main attraction along with a casino.
I played better at We-Ko-Pa than I’ve played anywhere this year. I was hitting the ball long and straight. I was on the green in regulation. And I made putts. Even with a blow-up 7 on a par 4, I managed to shoot a 75 (+3). Great memories of this day. An old friend Rod Roberts joined us.
We-Ko-Pa Golf Club
June 14th: Grayhawk — Raptor Course
Dallen had one comment about Grayhawk: Bunkers from Heck.
I love Grayhawk. I prefer the Raptor course. Raptor has been home to the World Match Play, Tommy Bahama Challenge, the first Tiger Woods Foundation and Target World challenge event , and many others.
I drove the ball well, a key to playing Raptor well. My approach shots were hit and miss. Played the par threes well, except for #16. I had a great time giving Dallen a few pointers and some example shots from deep sand traps.
June 13th: Dove Valley & Legend Trail
Today was a 36 hole day w/ my friend Matt Keller. Matt scheduled times at Dove Valley and Legend Trail.
First tee time was 6:45 AM at Dove Valley Ranch Golf Club, a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course. We were joined by a gentleman from Minnesota looking at real estate upon retirement. He’d worked in the finance industry for most of his life and spent a bit of time working in South America in the Carter Adminstration. Started slow but finished strong — could have been the early start time for a boy on vacation. We finished at around 10:00 AM.
Next up, Legend Trail Golf Club, one of my old favorites in North Scottsdale. Formerly a course managed by Troon Golf, Legend Trail became know for it’s immaculate conditioning and absolutely pure greens. Management changes have come to Legend Trail. The course is still awesome, but the greens weren’t as good as I remembered them in the past. I didn’t play as well as I wanted. I racked up a number of penalty strokes after not judging my driving distance on layup holes and hitting through fairways into desert. There is no way you can’t agree that the modern equipment (I’m using a Titleist 905R driver) and newer golf balls (Pro-V1) haven’t changed the game.
June 10th: Coral Canyon, a SunCor Golf facility
Great time this afternoon in St. George with Dallen and Jed. Jed decided to throw his clubs on and take them along to AZ. It was great to have Jed join us.
We all enjoyed the day with a round of golf at Coral Canyon Golf Club. Coral Canyon is a spectacular course. The architect leverages the natural layout of the red-rock landscape and adds to it sprinkles of green patches that leap out and grab your attention. Coral Canyon is managed by SunCor Golf. My home course in Scottsdale, Santuary Golf Club at Westworld, is also managed by SunCor.
Conditions: Sunny / Hot (96ish)
Wind: North 10-15 MPH
Off to Scottsdale with essentials…
Dallen and I will be sneaking in a few rounds of golf over the next 8 or 9 days. Tomorrow it’s Coral Canyon in St. George.
I’m planning to play at my favorite course We Ko Pa. Since I’ll be on-site of the Faldo and Palmer course at the Desert Ridge JW Marriott, I hop to play the Palmer-designed Wildfire course. Others on the “hope-to-play” list includes: Troon North, Sun Ridge Canyon, Grayhawk (Raptor course), Eagle Mountain, Legend Trail, Sanctuary (will probably play since used to live on this course). Fantasy-to-play list includes: Whisper Rock.
Dallen and Brad’s clubs are packed.
Another Presidential MisSpeak
Presidential MisSpeak
“I love to get out amongst the people and talk about big issues.”
Louisville, Kentucky
March 10, 2005