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Why I Love To Watch "Shark Tank"

Anyone who has read my book knows we're all in sales in some form or fashion. And the first rule of sales is that before we sell our product or service we have to sell ourselves.

When you see someone on "Shark Tank" pitching the investors, the successful entrepreneurs are the ones who sell themselves first. Before the sharks make a offer they usually say something like, "I like you guys!" or "You girls have a great work ethic!" The lesson is that you can have a great idea or a million dollar product, but it doesn't matter if people don't think they can work with you.

The one exception is Kevin "Mr. Wonderful" O'Leary. This shark claims to only look at the bottom line and is a "disciplined investor". His brutally honest remarks, like telling someone with a business idea that it's "poo poo on a stick" or that their competitors will "squash you like the cockroach that you are".  O'Leary's blunt talk and attitude usually result in his offers being spurned. No doubt that the people pitching have preconceived notions of having him as an investor.


And as the inventors and business hopefuls are trying to sell themselves, the sharks have to sell themselves as well. There are occasions when sharks bid against each other when an investment looks good, so they sincerely give a rundown of their own accomplishments. "You know I'm the queen of QVC," says Lori Greiner as she tries to out deal her fellow sharks.

The show is one big sales job and you can take away all kinds of valuable lessons from it. You can learn how to present your product, how to react to criticism, having the information you need to answer questions and many more techniques which are easily transferable to the sales profession. The investors are being "sold" a piece of someone's company, but the person behind the company is where the sale begins.


Chris Castanes is a professional speaker who helps sales people succeed through workshops and humorous presentations. For booking information, click here. He's also the president of Surf Financial Brokers selling life and disability insurance in several states

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