Context

This line is spoken by Blake, played by Alec Baldwin, in the film Glengarry Glen Ross, directed by James Foley (1992).

It's harsh advice, Shmoopers, but it sticks with you. The "Always Be Closing" scene pops up at the beginning of the movie, which is fitting since it's actually the framing device for the entire story. Alec Baldwin strolls into this sales office and spends nearly ten minutes ruthlessly berating the men who work there for not being able to close deals. He calls them names, screams at them, and basically makes them feel like total losers. He also mentions that, at the end of the week, half of them are gonna lose their jobs. Good times.

Blake's whole speech is basically about the importance of closing a deal. If you've got someone who's looking to buy something, you sell it to them—end of story. And these guys need to focus on doing just that. Always be closing. Blake doesn't want excuses. He doesn't want complaints. He wants results. That's the only thing that matters. He doesn't care if you're a nice guy or a good father. If you can't sell stuff, you're not cut out to be a salesman. (He throws in a whole lot more curse words and slurs to make his point, though.)

It's worth noting that this scene never appears in David Mamet's original play. He actually added it to convince Alec Baldwin to appear in the movie. It's based on the epigraph for the play—"Always be closing"—and it actually speaks to those themes and sets the tone for the entire movie pretty well. These guys need to start closing deals or else. So, what are they willing to do to keep their jobs? What lengths will they go to in order to make a sale? Oh, we don't like the looks of this.

Get sold with this clip. (Naughty word alert: this clip's got plenty to spare.)

Where you've heard it

You'll sometimes hear this phrase in a business setting, since some folks still think it's pretty sound advice. "Always be closing" just means you need to get people to buy what you're selling in order to make money. It's true, even if it can lead to some overly aggressive sales tactics.

Additional Notable References

• The Boiler Room has a scene that's pretty darn similar to this one. All that's missing are the clever acronyms. (Warning to tender ears: there's some rough language in here.)
• On 30 Rock, Liz Lemon tells Jack Donaghy (who also happens to be played by Alec Baldwin) to "always be talking" when they're at a corporate retreat.
• This Saturday Night Live parody features Alec Baldwin as an elf from the home office sent to "motivate" Santa's elves and remind them to "always be cobbling."
• This spoof of Glengarry Glen Ross—"Always Be Clicking"—updates this rant for the digital age.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

It kind of depends on how you say it. Say it among friends with a touch of irony and you're sure to get a laugh. But, if you stroll in from downtown and try laying this on a group of salespeople, you're gonna get some heavy duty eye-rolls.