Comments on: The Sales Apprentice: Sales training tips from the hit TV show, part X

By: Andy Smith

Andy Smith — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 09:09:55 +0000

With regard to Michael, I think we’ve all been on the receiving end at one time or another of the kind of sales person (or possibly ’sales person’ as I doubt they sell much like that) who won’t take ‘no’ for an anwswer, as Michael was doing when he followed that poor bloke half way down the street.

If you’re a sales person and you’ve ever wondered why your profession isn’t as highly regarded as it should be, that’s why! You get tarred with the same brush as people like Michael whose emotional radar is on the blink, so they don’t pick up the signals from a prospect who really isn’t interested.

The most interesting thing about this week’s task was Michael’s motivation – where did it go? He boasted in previous weeks that he could fake interest in anything and anyone to make a sale. Not this week he couldn’t. I’m not exactly Jeremy Clarkson (as Gavin will tell you – he’s seen what I drive) but I think I could have mustered a bit of enthusiasm for the amazing machines they had to sell this week.

A more serious point is about values – the things that are important to us, which provide both our motivation and our moral compass that tells us when things are right or wrong.

If the only thing that is important is making the sale, and we don’t have any genuine enthusiasm for anything else, then our motivation can disappear at inconvenient moments and we don’t have anything in the reserve tank to get us through the tough times – when we’re knackered, or there’s trouble outside work, or we’ve had a setback. By contrast, look how invigorated Lee was!

Also, if nothing much is important to us, we won’t be getting strong interior signals about what’s right and wrong in any given situation – hence, I think, the various ethical scrapes that Michael and one or two of the other candidates (now departed, thankfully) have found themselves in at various times during the series.

By: S-Proprietor.com

S-Proprietor.com — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:37:17 +0000

Carnival of the Entrepreneur – June 9, 2008…

Welcome to the June 9, 2008 edition of the Carnival of the Entrepreneur. At the Carnival of the Entrepreneur you will find articles submitted by authors from all over the internet relating to anything associated with being an entrepreneur. Topics range…

By: Stephen ODonnell

Stephen ODonnell — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:39:14 +0000

Michael was a character, but is now the last of the dead wood to go. I do believe that the remaining 5 do have skills of some sort. It doesn’t really matter that he should have gone 2 weeks ago, although I do feel Raef could have excelled selling swanky cars to city boys.

Only Claire, Lee and Alex have more than one dimension.

Helen(e) and Lucinda have skills, but are flawed, and do not fit the profile in any way.

On tonights task, I don’t think any tactic with the other vehicles would have outshone the £11,000 in sales for the Zonda. Picking, and selling, the Zonda was the the decision that won the task.

PS. I met a guy last week, who knows Helene well, and that she doesn’t make the final. He also used to employ Syed from 2 seasons ago. There’s a high proportion of recruitment consultants on The Apprentice.