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Analysis Of The Movie ' Glengarry Glen Ross '

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“A-B-C. A-Always, B-Be, C-Closing! Always be closing, always be closing!” This quote, from the film Glengarry Glen Ross, depicts the primary objective for a group of real-estate salespeople employed by the firm Premiere Properties. The salespeople use high-pressure tactics in order to close on their prospective sales from unwitting potential customers, referred to as leads in the film, who often lack the financial stability or desire to invest in real-estate. Unfortunately, while the salespeople know that the “leads are weak,” they are forced to pursue them by the firm and as the film closes, we see how the high-pressure sales tactics can result in frustration and despair for the customer. The mistreatment of customers, one of a business’ most important stakeholder, is unethical and often occurs in the forms of lying, unnecessary upselling and capitalizing on customer vulnerability. One of the most prevalent unethical sales tactics used in business is lying. Customers have the right to know the truth about the products they are purchasing. Chapter four from the book Management Ethics, by Norman E. Bowie and Patricia H. Werhane, argues that salespeople have an obligation to present the necessary information for customers to make informed buying decisions; however, this is not the case in the film, as one salesperson, Shelley “The Machine” Levene, often employees the tactic of lying and deception in order to close potential sales. In one scene, Levene is on the

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