6 Honest Selling Secrets From a Dishonest Man

In the 2007 film There Will Be Blood, a man named Daniel Plainview delivers one of the most compelling sales pitches ever committed to screen.

Plainview is far from an ethical character. He‘s a ruthless oilman who lies, cheats, and even commits murder in his lust for money and power. And yet, in just two minutes, he captivates a room full of skeptical townspeople and has them practically begging him to take their money.

What‘s even more remarkable is that Plainview uses good old-fashioned honest selling to do it. Despite his moral deficiencies in other areas, he instinctively grasps some fundamental sales principles that work regardless of the messenger.

As you‘ll see, Plainview employs six secrets of honest selling that are just as relevant and effective today as they were in the film‘s early 1900s setting. While you‘d be wise not to emulate his character, you‘d be foolish not to steal a page from his playbook when it comes to selling with integrity.

Secret #1: Talk to Humans Like a Human

The first thing you notice about Plainview‘s pitch is how natural and unaffected he sounds. There‘s no glad-handing or force enthusiasm. He‘s not trying hard to impress anyone with flashy words or promises.

Instead, he speaks plainly and casually, as if talking to a group of friends. "Ladies and gentlemen," he begins in a relaxed drawl, "I‘ve traveled over half our state to be here tonight…"

No sales-speak, no jargon, no verbal backflips, just a man talking to other humans like a human. It‘s disarming because it‘s the opposite of what we expect from a salesperson.

When selling, it‘s easy to fall into "pitch mode" and come across like a carnival barker. But this puts people on guard. The more you sound like a typical salesperson, the less people will trust you.

Take a cue from Plainview and dial back the razzle-dazzle. Use conversational language. Speak to prospects like you‘d speak to a friend. Not only will they be more receptive, they might even start to like you.

Secret #2: Show, Don‘t Tell

The key to building trust and credibility in sales is to let your results speak for themselves. Anyone can claim to be an expert or make grand promises. Demonstrating that expertise is far more convincing.

Plainview doesn‘t waste breath telling the townspeople how great he is at oil drilling. He shows them:

"I couldn‘t get away sooner because my new well was coming in at Coyote Hills and I had to see about it. That well is now flowing at 2,000 barrels and it‘s paying me an income of $5,000 a week. I have two others drilling and I have 16 producing at Antelope."

The message is clear: This is a man who gets results. He‘s not bragging, just stating the facts. The implication is that he can deliver similar results for the townspeople, but he never says that outright. He doesn‘t have to. By showing rather than telling, he leads his audience to come to that conclusion on their own.

When selling, always look for opportunities to demonstrate your expertise rather than claiming it. Share relevant results you‘ve achieved for other clients. Talk about the problems you‘ve helped them solve. Give them a taste of what it‘s like to work with you.

Remember, the most persuasive case for your ability to get results is the results themselves.

Secret #3: Leverage Tribalism

"Out of all the men that beg for a chance to drill your lots, maybe one in twenty will be oilmen; the rest will be speculators — that‘s men trying to get between you and the oilmen — to get some of the money that ought by rights come to you."

With this single statement, Plainview deftly divides the world into two tribes: oilmen (good guys) and speculators (bad guys). In one fell swoop, he places himself firmly on the side of the angels and casts aspersions on the motives of his competitors.

This us-vs-them framing takes advantage of a quirk in human psychology called the contrast effect. We tend to perceive the difference between two things as greater when they are placed in contrast to each other.

In Plainview‘s formulation, oilmen are hard-working experts who look out for regular folks like the townspeople. Speculators are money-grubbing interlopers out to exploit them. Faced with that contrast, it‘s obvious which group the townspeople would rather do business with.

Whenever possible, define your "tribe" in a way that aligns you with your prospects and positions you as their ally. At the same time, draw a clear distinction between your tribe and others who don‘t have the same values or expertise.

The contrast effect will enhance your tribe‘s positive qualities in the eyes of prospects and make you the obvious choice.

Secret #4: Give Reasons Why

Plainview doesn‘t expect the townspeople to just take his word for it that oilmen are better than speculators. He gives concrete reasons why that‘s the case.

"I do my own drilling, and the men that work for me work for me. I make it my business to be there and to see their work. I don‘t lose my tools in the hole and spend months fishing for them. I don‘t botch the cementing off and let water in the hole and ruin the whole lease."

Speculators, on the other hand, "know nothing about drilling" and will "rush the job through so they can get another contract just as quick as they can."

By giving specific reasons, Plainview makes a compelling logical case for why the townspeople should trust him over the competition. He‘s not just asserting his superiority, he‘s backing it up with evidence.

Salespeople often make claims about what makes their product or service the best choice without bothering to justify those claims. They assume prospects will connect the dots themselves.

In reality, you need to spell out exactly why your offering is the right choice and back it up with reasons. Even somewhat trivial reasons can make your argument more persuasive. We‘re psychologically hardwired to respond to "because."

So don‘t just tell prospects you can help them achieve a certain result — tell them why and how you‘ll do it better than anyone else. Giving reasons makes your argument feel more complete and credible.

Secret #5: Look Out for Your Prospects‘ Interests

Perhaps the most important factor in building trust with prospects is convincing them that you have their best interests at heart. They need to feel that you‘re not just out for yourself.

Plainview conveys this masterfully:

"I‘m a family man," he says. "I run a family business. This is my son and my partner, H.W. We offer you the bond of family that very few oilmen can understand."

With this intimate personal detail, he humanizes himself and forges a sense of kinship with the townspeople. Surely a family man couldn‘t lead them astray.

But he‘s not just tugging at their heartstrings. In his next breath, he reminds them of what‘s at stake:

"Now, you have a great chance here, but bear in mind, you can lose it all if you‘re not careful."

This warning accomplishes two things. First, it shows that Plainview understands the risks involved and isn‘t sugarcoating them. That makes him seem more trustworthy than a salesman who promises nothing but upside.

Second, it sets him up as the townspeople‘s ally in avoiding those risks. The subtext is that by partnering with an experienced oilman like him, they can reap the rewards of drilling while minimizing their chances of getting burned. He‘s looking out for them.

When selling, don‘t shy away from potential downsides. Acknowledging them upfront shows that you‘re not out to pull one over on prospects. More importantly, it gives you a chance to frame yourself as the person best equipped to help them achieve the results they want while sidestepping pitfalls that could cost them dearly.

Let prospects know you have their back and they‘ll be far more inclined to put their trust (and their money) in your hands.

Secret #6: Sell to the Heart, Not the Head

In the end, Plainview seals the deal not with facts and figures but with a simple, emotionally resonant promise:

"I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, no matter what the others promise to do, when it comes to the showdown, they won‘t be there."

There‘s no evidence to support this claim. It‘s purely emotional. But it strikes right at the heart of what the townspeople really want: a partner they can depend on.

All the logical reasons Plainview has given up to this point merely serve to justify the emotional decision that the townspeople have already made. They‘re important, but they‘re not sufficient to close the sale on their own.

Because when it comes down to it, people make buying decisions based on emotion, not logic. Features and benefits are necessary, but they‘re not enough to seal the deal if they don‘t line up with the way the purchase makes the buyer feel.

The most effective sales pitches focus on delivering an emotionally satisfying result first and foremost. Trust, security, a sense of belonging — these are the true currencies of selling.

By all means, give prospects rational reasons to justify choosing you. But never forget that you‘re selling to their heart, not their head. The emotional case is what will ultimately win the day.

The Surprise Ending

And win the day Plainview does. After his pitch, the townspeople are practically tripping over each other in their eagerness to take him up on his offer. Even when he gets up and walks out, they chase him down and beg him to work with them.

Which brings us to one final secret that Plainview saves for last: the power of walking away.

"I don‘t need the lease," he tells them as they plead with him to reconsider. "Too much confusion!"

Then he turns on his heel and declares, "I wouldn‘t take the lease if you gave it to me as a gift."

Far from killing the deal, Plainview‘s willingness to abandon it makes the townspeople want it even more. It‘s a master class in the scarcity principle. We perceive things as more valuable when they are less available.

Suddenly, partnering with Plainview has gone from a fantastic opportunity to a limited-time offer. If the townspeople don‘t act now, they risk losing access to this coveted prize forever.

Plainview‘s rejection flips the script. Instead of chasing them, he makes them chase him. It‘s a power move that paradoxically strengthens his position by making him seem less desperate to close the sale.

Granted, walking away from a deal is a bold tactic that should be used sparingly and only when you‘re certain the buyer is already sold. But deployed correctly, it can be just the thing to push hesitant prospects over the edge.

Honest selling, it turns out, is a matter of mastering certain fundamental principles. Principles that work whether you‘re a paragon of virtue or a scoundrel like Daniel Plainview.

Talk to people like a human. Show, don‘t tell. Give reasons why. Sell to the heart. Look out for your prospects‘ interests. Leverage the power of tribalism and scarcity.

Do those things consistently and you won‘t have to play dirty to win prospects‘ trust and get them to open their wallets. In the end, the most effective way to sell isn‘t to trick people into buying from you.

It‘s to honestly convince them that you‘re the right person to help them get what they really want. Even if you‘re a dishonest man.