He could sell a pen.
But what he really sold… was certainty.
Not in the product. Not in the price. In himself.
And if you’ve ever hesitated before dialing, blanked mid-pitch, or watched a prospect slip away with “I’ll think about it”… You’re about to learn something most reps never do
Here are 3 hard-earned lessons from the Wolf of Wall Street:
1. People buy your voice before your words
Your tonality is the deal before the deal.
Belfort didn’t just talk, he commanded attention.
Confidence, curiosity, and control all baked into every syllable.
It wasn’t what he said… it was how it felt to hear him say it.
Want them leaning in?
Learn to control the room, even if it’s just your voice in their ear.
2. Let Them Sell Themselves
Most reps talk too much.
Belfort listened.
Because the more they speak, the more they reveal.
Pain. Doubt. Desire.
That’s where the real leverage is.
You’re not there to impress, you’re there to uncover.
Ask better. Listen sharper.
Let them sell themselves.
3. Don’t sell the thing. Sell the next step.
Rookies try to close on the first call.
Pros? They sell the meeting.
Belfort’s secret wasn’t in pitching harder, it was in building just enough tension to pull you into the next room.
Because once they say “yes” to time, momentum is on your side.
Action Steps For The Week
✅ Record & Review Your Tonality
Pick a recent cold call (or roleplay one) and record yourself.
Now listen, not to what you said, but how you said it.
Did you sound uncertain? Rushed? Robotic?
Practice saying the same line in 3 different tonalities:
Confident authority
Curious interest
Friendly urgency
Then apply the one that fits your next call's objective.
✅ Rewrite Your Opener Into a Question
Take your usual cold call opener and turn it into a disarming, curiosity-piquing question.
Instead of: “Hey, I help companies with X…”
Try: “Can I ask: what’s your current approach to X?”
Start 5 calls this week with the new version and watch how differently people respond.
✅ Master the "Silent Setup"
Practice asking 3 stacked discovery questions, then shut up.
Count 5 full seconds in your head before speaking again.
The goal: Get your prospect to fill the silence.
That’s where the gold lives... in the unscripted stuff they reveal when you don’t rush in.
Before You Close This Tab...
Most salespeople think they have a “call problem.” But more often, it’s a control problem.
They give up control with weak tonality. They lose it when they talk too much. And they never earn it back, because they try to sell the product… not the process.
Belfort didn’t sell with aggression. He sold with gravity.
So here’s the real test: Can you hold a moment without rushing to fill it? Can you build tension without forcing a close?
Because sometimes, the most powerful thing you say on a cold call... is the thing you don’t have to say.
Sit with that.
Cheers.
— The Sheriff in Town
