And so we reach the programme in the series that I probably love watching the most perhaps because of its total absurdity,or maybe because of it’s lack of credibility or is it just because of it’s total divorce from any sense or connection with the real world? This programme should come with a health warning…

If you choose to run your business and interview applicants this way then you may well end up in court…

Week 11, 5 remain and just the interviews stand between our remaining Apprentices and the final where they have a chance of securing a £100k job with Sir Alan…

The Interviews.

In the firing line… Chris, Jamie, Stella, Joanna & Liz… sorry Stuart. You know, I am not going to catalogue tonight’s episode, you’ll get the picture from the Tweets that I sent during the show…

Claude Littner’s interview techniques should come with a don’t try this at home warning #Apprentice

Let’s be honest… what genuine 100k per year candidate would put up with Claude in interview? #Apprentice

And would Claude interview that way if the candidate was worth it and in demand? I think not. #Apprentice

You don’t know where you’re going, you don’t what you’re doing, you’re a quitter #Apprentice (about Chris)

I thought Margaret was bigger than this… Interviews missing Karen Brady’s somewhat more balanced approach. #Apprentice

Jamie has a perma smile! #Apprentice

“In my head, even as I speak, I have hundreds of ideas in my head,” Stuart. Get focused man. #Apprentice

“If your cat was in Bermuda”… like, on it’s holidays (Stuart)? #Apprentice

Claude vs Stuart, round 1. “You’re not a big fish, you’re not a fish!” Difficult to say who comes off looking more ridiculous… #Apprentice

To Stella, “You’re just a very good PA” #Apprentice

Nice to see Joanna did her prep… errr, not! Same mistake from Apprentices year after year after year #Apprentice

Has Stuart been caught in the act here? I think he might cry. Why do they think that making up your CV is ok? #Apprentice

I think Liz interviewed the best… #Apprentice

Sir Alan on motivation… “Never mind the pat on the head… it’s the kick up the arse you should be worried about.” #Motivation #Apprentice

Sir Alan doubting his sacking of Liz… bizarre… everyone else in the country thought he was mad last week #Apprentice

@practicaleq Praise from @Lord_Sugar has real scarcity value – I think It helped Joanna #Apprentice

@practicaleq Ravishing shots of London at night #Apprentice

As usual someone lied on their CV, someone tried to be flippant, we discovered some of the media-friendly soundbites that they wrote on their CVs, individuals were shown to have exaggerated, omitted important facts and downright lied and the interviewers were… well, awful really.

So what did we learn tonight? Frankly, not much about how to do things right but here are a few lessons that we can learn from tonight’s disasters…

Tips for Interviewees…

• Preparation! Preparation! Preparation! Preparation is key to a successful interview.
• Know the organization that you are interviewing for. There is no excuse… it’s all on the worldwide web!
• Find out about the individuals who are interviewing you. Check them out on Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.
• Be honest and open. No-one wants to hire a liar or a con artist.
• Think about answers to likely interview questions and be ready with examples.
• Have evidence to support your answers.
• Know how you can add value for the company and support this with facts not platitudes (e.g. not like, “I am a cog in a wheel”… Yawn!).
• Stay cool, don’t be defensive and don’t be overly matey!

Tips for Interviewers…

• Pick up references.
• Check CVs and check credentials. Would you want to be in week 11 of an interview to find out that the whole CV that you based the last 11 weeks on was a fabrication? Err, no? Me neither.
• Be prepared.
• Create a decent interview environment.
• Plan your questions.
• Have a structure. How can you compare candidates if you don’t have a consistent interview approach?
• Ask structured, competency based interview questions.
• Ask for examples and case studies.
• Check their knowledge.
• Know what you can ask. You don’t want to find yourself in court defending discrimination, bullying or unfair practise claims.

In the Boardroom…

Sir Alan sent Stuart home first. He suspects that he is full of BS. Quite how this took him 11 weeks and the firing of one of the most credible candidates (Liz) to come to this conclusion is beyond me (and the rest of the country). We had this figured out as the credits rolled in week 1 and Stuart declared himself Baggs the Brand…

Next to go was Joanna. She cried as he gave her kind words and told her to walk out with her head held high and go and focus on her business. I lambasted her in week 1 but she has made the most improvement and I would have had her in the final in the absence of Liz. At least she learns, has dignity and doesn’t think she is the second coming…

But Stella is through to the final. Her performance early on when taking charge of the boys and the total lack of any competition whatsoever had carried her through to the final against…

Jamie or Chris?

Not much of a choice really. How I hoped the door would open and Liz would get a magical reprieve but she’s probably too busy speaking to Kate Walsh about how to do a 180 from serious business person to media babe or maybe just planning her wedding to Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Wayne Henderson…

Jamie, you’re out of here. You’re Mr. Platitude and I have no choice but to take Chris Bates to the final…

I’d like to say that it might prove to be exciting but I cannot see how someone with Chris’s lack of experience, charisma or entrepreneurial flair can possibly compete with Stella no matter how “corporate” she may be. In any case, perhaps a bit of corporate is exactly what Sir Alan needs… she can begin by putting together a better interview process for starters…

Related posts:

1. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 6
2. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 1
3. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 9

Week 9 of the Sales Apprentice and tonight was supposedly all about “negotiation.” Now, before we carry on, let’s make things clear, this task tonight was not about negotiation. If it was about anything, it was about preparation and personality. Let’s have a look at what the Oxford Compact English Dictionary has to say about negotiation…

Negotiate v. confer in order to reach an agreement / arrange or bring about /     find a way over, through etc / transfer to another for consideration / convert into money
~ Oxford Compact English Dictionary

This had little to do with what went on tonight which was far more about personality and push than anything else. Now, don’t get me wrong here, personality is important for success in all walks of life. Indeed, I would rather be on the side in a debating contest arguing for personality and potential. But the personality required to succeed in today’s task was more about Sir Alan’s barrow-boy tendencies than it was modern-day negotiator.

Tonight’s task was to source, negotiate and buy a list of 10 mundane and bizarre objects for as little cash as possible. Failure to buy an item would incur a fine of the recommended cost of the item plus £50. The team spending the least money (including fines) would be the winner.

So before we recover a few sales and business tips and strategies from this mess I want to point out that this task had far more to do with door to door hustling than business. And it certainly brought out some traits that you would not want to see in any reputable business.

Team leaders this week were Liz and Jamie although this made so little difference to the task that I had barely worked out who was leading the girls’ team until the board room! At the start of the task, the boys and the girls opted to approach things with very different strategies… the girls opting to cover as much ground as possible on the phone before venturing out onto the mean streets of London and the boys opting instead to race, seemingly aimlessly, from place to place looking for goodies.

Sales training tip: Planning and preparation are critical for sales success. As someone somewhat cheesy probably says in your office on a regular basis, when you fail to prepare you prepare to fail. As a sales and business person you can end up spending an awful amount of time wasting your time. There’s always something fruitless to do if you don’t watch out. I firmly believe in Pareto’s Law which states that 80% of your sales results will come from 20% of your efforts… but which 20%? That’s the smart question and the only way that you will know the answer is through effective planning and preparation.

In this the girls had the boys beaten hands down and if it had not been for their radically different personalities from the boys they would have won the task. Because of their lack of preparation the boys spent an inordinate amount of time searching for products and, in some cases, trying to work out what they even were. This resulted in them only finding 7 out of 10 products compared to the girls who found all 10.

What were these objects you ask? Hey, no promises that I can even remember them all but I will try… some specialist truffles, the blue book, plain single tikka, a specific Singer sowing machine (like my Nana used to have!), tartan, laptop memory, wooden kitchen worktop, chicken feet, plates… yep, one missing…

“It’s not a complex task, infact it’s very simple,” said Sir Alan. He was right. This test proved to be more of a test of who would ask for the biggest discount. Not a bad trait I agree and it is true that many sales and business people do have limiting beliefs about what they can sell things for, what they can buy things for and indeed just money in general… but if business was as simple as, “I’m sorry, I am just not paying more than £50,” then many people would be a lot richer / poorer than they are!

The boys did get two things very right however. The first was that they thought about what the cost price might be on articles and had a strategy for asking for discount. This in turn made them bolder in what they were asking for than the girls who tended to approach the negotiations with a more, “Could you possibly?”, “Would it be alright if?” approach than anything else. This was summed up by the somewhat pathetic Stella telling a man selling tartan that she would only buy it for a £1 off when he steadfastly refused to haggle with her. What was the point of that Stella? Negotiate or don’t negotiate but have some pride. Give him the darn quid and pay full whack rather than that meaningless gesture!!

Sales training tip: Have a strategy prior to negotiations. In the heat of the moment, emotions will often take hold and you are likely to be more effective if you have a strategy.

The other thing that the boys did well was to produce a back story as to why they needed a discount. This may not have been pure negotiation but it was a good old haggle and a good story or reason for the discount works. Cialdini explains this in his excellent book “Influence the Psychology of Persuasion” when he talks about the use of the word “because”…

“A well-known principle of human behavior says that when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason. People simply like to have reasons for what they do.”

Unfortunately, I was not okay with the way that they did this lying and making up tales about their Grandmother, their brothers, lost books and eaten homework. They may have thought this was funny or smart but it did little to improve the standing of salespeople in the eyes of the British public! And before you say, “lighten up Gavin” I am smiling ( see!) but I am also being slightly serious in that you and I may know this is not the way we behave but the general (non-selling) public have few other references to draw on.

Karen was amused at their successes saying that she might not have done it the same way but that it had worked. Please bear in mind that unless you are selling door to door in one off sales this is not a good way to behave. The word “worked” is open to debate here. Relationships are built on trust and destroying it in this way is a sure fire route to the sales wilderness. What works in one battle could well lose you the war.

Sales training tip: Use stories to support your sales and negotiations. Have reasons to support your arguments. Use the word “because” to be more influential.

Meanwhile the boys were soundly beating the girls in seemingly every negotiation. One of their core tactics along with stories and strategies was starting low. On being quoted a price the boys’ initial opening gambit was always significantly lower than those of the girls and they were far less willing to negotiate upwards, on one occasion with the Tartan actually going down part way through the negotiation!

In the Boardroom…

Jamie got 2 of 5 products, Chris and Stuart got 5 out of 5 making a total of 7. Sir Alan asked what they got and Stuart started to recite a list saying it was “like The Generation Game.” Sir Alan growled and made it clear that he does the jokes in his boardroom.

The girl’s meanwhile got fined for being late back but did at least bring all 10 products to the table.

The scores were in… including fines…

Apollo (the girls) had spent £1094.40.
Synergy (the boys) had spent £1020.50.

A silly task really but that’s what they’d signed up for so the boys had won and one of the girls would have to go…

Back in the Boardroom…

Liz elected to bring back Stella and Laura… probably because Joanna has been looking good the last couple of weeks and in a sales / negotiation task was probably the stronger of the girls. With these three it was not a difficult choice with Laura clearly the weakest despite Stella having been sliding inexorably backwards week on week and Liz having royally messed up by not thinking about prices.

Laura played her only card letting the big guns battle it out perhaps hoping that an all out nuclear war might leave her able to negotiate peace and align herself with the winner. She opted for Liz, backing her against Stella but Sir Alan wasn’t going to let Stella or Liz go yet despite his reservations about Stella being “too corporate”.

It was adios Laura and then there were 6… Stuart, Jamie, Chris, Stella, Joanna, Liz.

Related posts:

1. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 1
2. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 6
3. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 2

Week 8 of The Sales Apprentice and 8 contestants remain. This week their task, should they choose to accept it, was to create new flavours of crisps, produce samples and, representing two small UK crisp companies, travel to Hamburg in Germany and attempt to secure orders. The team with the most orders would be the winner.

The line up this week was Stella leading Laura, Joanna and Stuart (who, after last week, was “too tired” to put himself up as project manager!) versus Chris leading Christopher, Jamie and Liz. You had to respect Chris’s reasoning for stepping up, “I would rather have my destiny in my own hands,” and having been on the losing team for the last 5 weeks this was probably a wise decision.

Sales training tip: Step up. Go for it! No-one succeeds if they are not prepared to stick their neck out sometimes! Winners take action. Where in your business or your life could you step up and take action?

First task tonight was to decide on potential crisp flavours. On this the two teams immediately departed in different directions, Stella’s team opting to focus on traditional British flavours and Chris’s preferring to rely upon more traditional German ones. Both teams split into two and sent two Apprentices to Germany to do “market research”. I really don’t understand the point of this as they rarely pay any attention to the results! In Germany, both teams concluded that curry, sausages and paprika were BIG which reinforced Chris’s team’s decision but was totally ignored by Stella when Joanna rang to tell her…

Appointment generation…

Several of the sales meetings that the teams were to attend had been set up by Sir Alan but there was also plenty of time for them to set up their own sales meetings. This task seemed to fall to the two Apprentices from each team who were in Germany early which basically meant that it was Jamie and Christopher versus Stuart and Joanna.

First up were Stuart and Joanna, a very unlikely team and one for which I use the word “team” very loosely. That said, they secured more sales appointments than Jamie and Christopher and yet again Joanna showed her prowess at cold calling and drumming up new business appointments.

Sales training tip: The ability to walk the street, pick up the phone or attend a networking event and generate new business leads is seen by many as archaic, ineffective and old-fashioned. They are wrong. I am the first to utilize new technologies and new lead generation methods in my business but a healthy business and a strong sales pipeline is one that employs multiple routes to market. If you can knock on doors and pick up phones and create business from nothing then you will always be in demand.

Not only were Jamie and Christopher beaten in the setting up meetings stakes but they also made some schoolboy errors perhaps most inexplicably rescheduling an appointment set with the Marriott at 9am to 1pm leaving their diaries empty next day until 1030am. This was bizarre and may well haunt them as the decision that lost them the task.

7am, next day in Hamburg…

The teams set off on their sales meetings. In the first meeting Stella sat back and let Joanna take the limelight. Despite her direct style, Joanna appeared to have rapport, spoke at a good speed and landed a deal. She suggested a 6-month contract to which the client responded with a suggestion of 3-months. Her renegotiation? A smiley, just-about-as-pushy-as-you-would-have-wanted-and-no–more, suggestion of 12-months. The client agreed to 6. Nice!

This made me smile and reminded me of one of my first sales managers who told me that the response to the question, “Is this negotiable?” should always be, “Yes, how much more would you like to pay?” It’s a tongue-in-cheek line I know and only suitable for light-hearted negotiations where there is oodles of rapport and where you know it will work but there is a serious point here and that is that Joanna did not buckle under at the first knock-back. Indeed, this action could well have been the action that made the difference and won the task.

Meanwhile, Stuart was in a cab moaning about Joanna to Laura saying how she spoke to fast and did not build rapport with German clients. If he was worried about Joanna he was worrying about the wrong person… Laura nodded in that yes-I-know-everything way that she seems to have mastered better than anything else and they headed into their meeting to be met by a rather stern looking German business man. Stuart kicked off in German. The client smiled, “Oh my God! You are speaking in German.”

Sales training tip: Rapport can be built in many ways and in this simplest of simple examples Stuart built rapport with the client by making the effort to learn a few lines of German and then using them. This wasn’t a lot but it was a lot more than most would do and the client appreciated it.

Unfortunately for Stuart, if he had opened the door, Laura was going to slam it shut, lock it and throw away the key by speaking so fast that even I could not understand her let alone the prospect. What’s worse was that Laura was totally and utterly oblivious and even when told afterwards by Stuart that she had spoken too fast simply said, “I don’t think I did,” and sulked.

Personal development tip: The only way to develop and improve is to take feedback and to be open to personal and professional development. If you want to be the best, or even just good, at anything then you need to accept that you don’t know everything. Unfortunately, so many people in this world are just not open to the possibility that they can improve…

But even this reaction was nothing compared to her reaction to Stella getting to the Hyatt before her and Stuart to take the sales meeting that they were on their way to… “I don’t give a shit anymore,” she bleated. Even Stuart was getting peeved with her, “Well I do,” he replied.

Over on the other team, Liz and Chris tried to land a deal with the Marriott client but were told that he had signed with another client that morning… Errm, that would be the other meeting with the other team that Jamie and Chris could have had but bounced out for no sensible reason. As Sir Alan said later on in the boardroom, “The early bird catches the worm!” and this worm was well-digested by now!

Big things in sales and in life often occur as the result of lots and lots of small decisions. Many of these decisions, at the time, don’t seem that important… but in culmination they make a huge difference.

Moving that meeting to 1pm for no reason may well have been one of those small decisions that seal a much larger fate…

On the other team Laura, who would have surely gone tonight had they lost, was still moaning, “I really can’t walk on these cobbles. I thought I was doing corporate pitches not walking around cafes.” I don’t know if Sir Alan watches the tasks on video but I cannot imagine him putting up with two seconds of her moaning and whining in the real world.

And if moaning weren’t bad enough, her speed talking medal came back to haunt her as Liz and Chris landed a deal with the client who rejected her and Stuart because he “could not understand” her.

In the Boardroom…

Apollo and Stella had made 135 + 7,455 Euros from the arranged meetings and 11,737 Euros from the door to door sales ones making a total of 19,327 Euros.

Chris and Synergy had made 68 + 14,289 Euros from the arranged meetings and 3,638 Euros from the door to door sales making a total of 17,995 Euros.

Despite carrying Laura and therefore effectively Stuart, Stella’s team had won and down to, in no small part, the persistence and focus of Joanna. Even Nick was impressed saying that Joanna’s perseverance paid off and that by the end of it she was really firing on all cylinders…

Back in the Boardroom…

Chris elected to bring back Jamie and Christopher. This was a good decision. Chris wasn’t awesome but he didn’t do anything glaringly wrong. Stella hadn’t really won the task nor had he really lost it but Joanna had trounced Jamie and Christopher making them look like rank amateurs.

Sir Alan thought Christopher was a hard-worker. “You’re a doer,” he said. The writing was on the wall… we’ve been here before. Jamie was using his patter, “From the moment I arrived I have been making strong decisions,” he said. Sir Alan wasn’t impressed and neither was I.

In fairness, this was a difficult call. I have had Jamie and Christopher in my top four for some time now and not Chris but Jamie does seem to have a rather over-inflated opinion of himself and has failed to impress recently and Christopher has always been vulnerable to the “doer” card in Sir Alan’s eyes. On balance, and I know many of you won’t agree, I’d let Jamie go tonight… He has a sales background and he underperformed… but I couldn’t see it going down that way.

Chris held his breath. Surely it was all over for him. Nobody could be on the losing team 6 weeks running and survive… surely not… “Christopher and Jamie… I don’t think on this task that you were very well organized… Chris what can I say about someone who has been on a losing team so many times… facts are facts… Jamie in the early stage I was getting some good messages from Nick and Karen about you but you are sliding downwards in my estimation… however, Christopher you do work hard… you do get on with people… my concern is that you don’t have that spark of entrepreneurial genius I am looking for…”

And Christopher was gone. Wouldn’t have been my call but then it wasn’t, was it?

Quote of the week…

“Get an extinguisher and put me out. I am burning hot,” Christopher. Unfortunately for him, Sir Alan did.

Who will win The Apprentice 2010?

One of the questions that many people are asking right now is, “Who is going to win?” or, “Who is going to make the final?” Despite writing this every week it is always difficult to say because there is so much we do not see and this is TV after all however I thought it might be worth considering who we have left now and thinking a little about their performances and their prospects…

Stella looked strong as project manager in week 1 and looked head and shoulders above the rest. Whilst I would still rank her as a finalist, she has not looked so strong since. Her failure to take control as a team player, a few silly mistakes and her lack of willingness (or even awareness) to stand up to Christopher and his 1950’s interpretation of British family life most certainly have knocked the shine off her.

Liz has looked consistently strong. She is a good presenter, gets on with people well and appears to have good communication skills. She has steered clear of trouble and I’d have her as favourite by a head at the moment and, discounting total mess-ups,she  looks a certainty for the final.

Jamie has the support of many people. I am not so sure. I know that many of you will not agree but he has not particularly impressedme  and I am not sure about his depth of skills. His background involves selling and he messed up royally tonight over setting up the meetings and either wouldn’t or couldn’t see himself as remotely resposible. That said, he is almost definitely a final 4 finalist.

Christopher is ex military. I know he is now gone but I wrote this before the show. He has worked hard, got on with people, played well as part of the team and been a generally “good egg.” He should make the final and I like him, however, I said last week and I say it again, Sir Alan has a habit of sacking contestants who get on with things claiming they have no leadership skills and are just “doers”… think Simon last year. I disagree but it is not the best tactic and although I would have him in the final, he may get ousted if he gets in the firing line.

Chris is kind of sincere and serious and trying hard but seems to be lacking something. I wouldn’t put have put him in the final but with Christopher now gone the route seems clear. It’s like one of those dream runs at the Wimbledon semi-finals where it just all opens up.

Joanna was awful in week 1. She was too loud, too ballsy and too in your face. She took a dressing down from Sir Alan. I’d have fired her… however… perhaps more than any Apprentice ever, she has listened, picked up her game and changed her behaviours. She now seems focused, motivated and up for it. She could easily make the final 4 and on current form would deserve to be there.

Stuart “the brand” Baggs. What can I say? He has been awful although he does make cringeworthy TV which I guess is a good thing or a bad thing depending on your opinion. He did look slightly better tonight and there were a couple of occasions when I actually agreed with what he had to say. I also felt sorry for him saddled with Laura. Ouch! Even writing this I feel a little like Simon Cowell beginning to like Jedward last year on the X-Factor… Uggh! What a horrible thought. He has to go soon.

And finally, Laura. Frankly, I have had enough of her. Tonight she was moaning, whinging, whining, whinging, whining, moaning, moaning, whining, whinging… you get the idea. She really has to go! Anyone who has me nodding in agreement with “the brand” shouldn’t be there! She has to go.

Who would I take on?

Difficult… but, currently probably Liz, although I reserve the right to change my mind .

Who would you recruit if you were hiring The Apprentice?

Related posts:

1. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 6
2. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 1
3. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 7

So we’re into week 6 of The Apprentice and 10 remain…

First tip this week came early on… don’t sleep in! If you haven’t got anything to do in the morning then there is a good chance that Sir Alan is going to knock on the door at the crack of dawn and catch you in your PJs. He always does this about week 5 or 6 so what they were all doing hunkered down in their pits I have no idea…

Anyway, back to more serious business and this week’s task…

To design a new brand of cleaning product, create radio and TV adverts to support the campaign and then pitch the ideas to advertising agencies. The winner of the task was to be at Sir Alan’s discretion but with input from Nick, Karen and the agencies.

First person to offer to be team leader was Alex. Oh, roll on disaster. We might as well stop the show here, if he loses he is history and how can he not? “I am not just another corporate clone,” Alex promised. No, you’re right about that. Aren’t you unemployed? “If I was an apple pie then the apples inside would be orange,” he continued. This was a theme he rolled out across the task… I don’t think it occurred to him that maybe people do not want orange apple pies. “It would be foolish not to go with that experience,” said Chris. I couldn’t make my mind up whether his tongue was firmly in his cheek or whether he had just taken leave of his senses…?

Over on the other team, Christopher stepped up as team leader. Given no-one has looked consistently good so far, Christopher has looked like a top 4 candidate although there is plenty of time yet for him to screw that one up.

Back on Alex’s team, Alex decided to start with a brain-storming sessions. He didn’t really seem to have the hang of the principle behind brainstorming i.e. involvement of multiple peoples’ ideas. Not only that but his method of rejecting their ideas was tantamount to saying, “You’re all shit but thanks for trying!”

Sales Tip 1: If you want to run empowered teams then you need to get people involved. You need to give them a chance to express their opinions. Great sales teams are teams that work together, they are not dictatorships. Empowered teams encourage people to participate and their ideas are valued.

After listening to a mother toddler group Chris’s team decided to go with an Octopus theme and call their product Octi-Kleen. Alex’s team, seemingly bereft of any ideas whatsoever, went with Germ-o-nator.

Hmmm…

(Am I the only one that is constantly amazed by the lack of creativity and originality displayed by the Apprentices?)

Chris, Stella and Liz, who had now sailed off on the good ship Octi-Kleen without consultation with the rest of their team rang the others to share their passion. They didn’t like it. Rather than hear their concerns however Chris steam rolled Jo, talked over her and told her to get behind it.

Sales tip 2: You need to get people on board. Steam rolling is not an option. If you want a motivated, passionate and driven team you need to ensure that they are truly behind your ideas. Steam rolling their worries and concerns is not the way to build a happy team!

Back in the office, Alexs’ team were fleshing out the Germ-o-nator idea. They had decided to create a black and red bottle (to stand out against the other products) and use a child in the marketing. Why would they do this or even think this to be a good idea? Cleaning fluids are to be kept away from kids. This was not sensible at all.

Sales tip 3: Know your market and your clients. If cleaning stuff is dangerous for your kids and your target market has kids then you need to understand that they don’t want adverts encouraging their kids to play with dangerous fluids. Simples.

When the products arrived next morning Germ-o-nator looked like something you’d strip wood with, kill rats with or poison weeds with. Alex obviously saw something I didn’t, “To me, that is going to become the iconic cleaner… good use of the black and red.”

OMG! This really is the X-Factor. I can market, really I can. What? Wrong colours? Poor understanding? Me? No, I can market, really I can.

Sales tip 4: Get in touch with reality. I’m sorry if you don’t like this one but I see sales and business people who seem divorced from reality every day. Maybe not as badly as some of these people and maybe not to X-Factor out-take standards but out of touch none the less. If you want to get great results in your business and in your life then you need to get real. It’s the only way to roll.

In the radio studio, Stuart (“Baggs the brand”) was determined to do all of the voices for the advert. Perhaps he secretly thinks he is the next Rory Bremner and he is going to be talent-spotted? Err, no Stuart.

Mind you, Octi-Kleen didn’t have it all right either. In their TV ad they were filming some kind of sexist, 1950’s, wet-dream where the little woman does all of the cleaning whilst the man of the houses sits on the couch and waits to get lucky. What I am struggling to understand here is why Stella and Liz (two of the better candidates this year) went along with this? Surely, surely, surely, they could see this was just wrong…?

Sales tip 5: Know your customers. Sorry, did I say that already? Well, it’s really important and I haven’t said it a lot this year. Patronizing the very people you are selling to is hardly going to endear them to you and your product is it?

The Sales Pitches.

Germ-o-nator were first into the affray. What can I say? The ad execs didn’t look amused. They laughed… but surely at it not with it. One asked, “How funny on a scale of 1-10 do you think your ad is?” They thought that red and black would not appeal to the target audience. All in, not a resounding success for Alex and Co.

And then Octi-Kleen got their turn. From what little we saw, Jamie’s presentation style looked okay and he tried to use research to support his claims. Unfortunately, his research, true or not, did little other than reinforce the outdated (and sexist?) approach… (apparently men would turn down passion if their home was dirty AND mother and baby focus groups agree that modern working women need 8 hands to keep up with the cleaning). Queue more laughing. At them too it seemed. (You know, I would love to take on a third team of kids and see how they performed by comparison…)

In the Boardroom…

Lord Sugar was not impressed with either campaign. Apparently, on this occasion he agreed with the advertising agencies and Chris and Synergy escaped. “I would not say you have won… technically you haven’t lost,” he warned. But a “not lose” is as good as a win on The Apprentice and soon they were hollering and whooping at a karaoke party in celebration of their “victory.”

Back in the Boardroom…

Alex got sacked. Oh, sorry. Not yet. I’m getting over-excited.

Back in the boardroom, Alex seemed determined to ensure his termination and started to explain why he thought they should not have lost the task. Sir Alan was quick to point out that they had and that he was not interested in this line of thinking. Alex elected to bring back Chris and Sandeesh. Chris because the campaign was mostly his idea (even if that was because the others did not seem to have a coherent thought between them) and Sandeesh because… well, if I was cynical, I’d have to say because he thought Sir Alan must be bored of seeing her in the boardroom.

Frankly, Alex, it doesn’t matter who you bring back, I’d have sacked you in week 1 given the chance. Infact, I’d have binned you as soon as you called yourself an Unemployed Head of Communications.

Sir Alan was no more impressed with Alex’ choice than I was and obviously had the same question, “I reject your logic for bringing people back… Last week you heard me say I wasn’t happy with the pair of you (Alex and Sandeesh). I’m wondering if you brought her back today thinking she would be the lacky?”

Chris said Alex was responsible for the failure of the task. Alex said Chris was responsible. Sandeesh said Alex was. Predictable.

Sir Alan had made his mind up. “I don’t agree with the reason Sandeesh why you are in this boardroom so you go back to the house now. Alex I’m still lost as to why on this, a task which you are supposed to be expert in went so miserably wrong… Chris, I think that this task is really not the one for you to have taken the helm on… and that is a flaw… it’s really unforgiveable. But I think the positive things that you have done in previous weeks outweigh that…”

And Alex, Unemployed Head of Communications, was fired. A Fired, Unemployed, Head of Communications. Not every day you can say that.

“Nice to meet you, Lord Sugar. Likewise, Karen and Nick,” said Alex politely. On the way out he turned to Chris, “Good luck,” he said. As my Grandpa always said, “Manners cost nothing.” I like that about him.

In the cab, Alex donned his Paddington coat and pulled a marmalade sandwich from under his battered hat, “I think Lord Sugar has made a big mistake. I am successful. I am going to be successful. I am going to found my own businesses. I don’t need him. Now driver, over to Mr. Gruber’s, it’s time for elevenses.”

Quotes of the evening…

“As soon as she mentioned Octopus you were all over it like a tramp on chips.”
- Nick.

“The Titanic won twelve Oscars but it weren’t a good advert for cruise liners were it?”
-  Sir Alan

Related posts:

1. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 1
2. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 3
3. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 2

“From across the country, 16 of Britain’s brightest business prospects have come to London,” Err, ahem!

And with these words, the second week of The Sales Apprentice kicked off. With bad feelings ruling on the boys’ team last week, this week it was the girls’ turn to make the boys look harmonious but they didn’t do it without a helping hand…

Stella was moved over to work with them in the absence of Dan (fired) and Raleigh (retired for personal reasons) and promptly took charge. Her strong but fluid style proved to be the Rennie that they needed to soothe their troubled waters.

This week’s task was to create a new beach product and pitch it to three large retailers. The team getting the most orders would win. So for those not interested in the details here are…

This week’s sales training tips…

Sales training tip 1: There is no “I” in team. Many of these girls (particularly gobby Joanna) seem to only have a first person perspective on everything and seem oblivious to the needs of others. This is not, nor can it ever be, good for group dynamics.

Sales training tip 2: Don’t slap your client down, whatever they do or say. Many people have a problem saying, “No” to their clients and whilst I advocate a, “No” when it is appropriate it is essential that it is done in a respectful way. Watch this episode for a perfect example of how not to do it.

Sales training tip 3: Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Boots offered the girls exclusivity but they threw it back in their faces. Given the circumstances, this would have been a massive task winner. Whoops!

Sales training tip 4: Don’t pitch like R2D2. People buy people.  Everyone says this but you have to understand what it means too. I am sure NASA has robots that could get more of their personalities over in a presentation than Chris did.

Sales training tip 5: Don’t be sexist. What more can I say?

Sales leadership tip of the week: Take a calm cool, look at your team. Be firm but strong. Know your own strengths. Don’t get pulled into arguments. Get people involved and ensure they know what they’re doing. Turn in a stellar performance every time.

After a 530am wake-up call our intrepid teams headed for Heathrow Terminal 5 where they were greeted by Nick and Karen. Despite the early hour the boys were still focused on beating the girls, “We have got to beat those girlies,” one of them parped. Political correctness at its best!

At Heathrow Sir Alan briefed them on their task via video link and Stella was moved over to the boys’ team to make up the dwindling numbers and to “keep them in check”.  ”I’ve been working with men for years…  I have no problem with whipping these boys into shape!”  And she wasn’t wrong. Maybe that is what these boys did need, a firm mother-like-presence to stop them misbehaving? Stella was off to a stellar start and when the boys started to drift during brainstorming she plumped for one of the options and marched them back into line, “I am happy with the decision. We’ve made it. Let’s just move on,” she declared.

The boys had opted for a Cuuli… a sort of towel come drinks cooler come baby food store come safebox… sort of thing. Not something I saw a need for myself but my wife told me, “I like it.” Infact, she seemed to have grasped it better than the boys who seemed as confused as ever when briefing the designers, “The best way to describe it is a towel, a beach towel, with a pillowcase on top.”

Heck man, you’ve sold it to me. I always wanted one of those! Whatever it is!

Meanwhile Jamie, who along with Chris, was every bit as annoying this week as (the strangely quiet) Stuart was last, was talking to the camera. “You have to earn respect,” he stated, clearly meaning that he had it. I was reminded of my “Sir Alan Entrepreneur Theory” (derived from his comments about entrepreneurs last week)…

You shouldn’t have to tell people that you have respect. People should just give it to you!

Over on the girls’ team, inspiration was lacking. I am always amazed by the lack of creativity and inspiration the Apprentices seem to have. Perhaps it is the pressure, maybe it’s the situation, perhaps they don’t want to put themselves forward (sorry! scratch that!), perhaps they’re too busy talking… Whatever! The girls were struggling to come up with any kind of product at all…

Eventually, they settled for a sort of half-a-hula-hoop type thing with a hankie hanging between to hold a book. Who am I to criticize when Boots said that they liked it but it looked like total tat to me? They called it Book Eeze which I thought was a pretty good name.

Over on Stella’s team the boys were showing their maturity (not!) and my wife was having a fit. They were discussing Stella modelling a bikini for them for the photo shoot. Chris thought that she should, “… take one for the team.” He even repeated the same to her, laughing, “Go on mate, take one for the team.”  Watching this, I did have some sympathy for Dan last week however Stella did handle it pretty well. This didn’t stop the boys mumbling amongst themselves at her refusal, “I think that’s a wrong decision,” said one, “It’s a cowgirl look… it’s very in,” said another.

Yes boys, maybe in Spearmint Rhino. Meanwhile Stella had slightlyabandoned her principles and was going to do a toned down version of the poster.  “If it means our poster is going to be better, I will do things that mean we’re going to win,” quipped Stella. I was reminded of the girls selling kisses for cash in a previous series… not a high point I felt.

Back over on the girls’ team Laura was having control issues. Talking to the camera she said that it was impossible to facilitate / control such “strong” women. I’m not sure Laura… strong? More like awkward, egotistical, pig-headed, full of themselves… I guess it is something of a point of definition though.

Pitching the Prospects….

Practising the pitch Chris was about as natural as a robot from some blockbusting 1970’s sci-fi epic. To be successful in sales pitches you have to find your own natural voice and persona. If this is his, then he has a lot to worry about. Stella pointed this out to him and he was very ungracious. Nick Hewer thinks he should have been more light-hearted as he was not selling nuclear submarines. Frankly, I think that nuclear submarine commanders would torpedo him rather than listen to him drone on. But don’t worry, any fear that he might have been upset by any of this feedback was well cushioned by his massive ego when he declared he did not care what Stella thought anyway.

Great way to develop buddy. Glad you came into this with an open mind.

Over on the girls’ team Melissa was doing little better at presenting despite having told us several times what a sales superstar she is. Joanna (annoying, annoying, annoying) pulled no punches in alienating her and everyone else with her forthright opinions.

The pitches to Boots, Fit2Kit and Duty Free looked pretty dire. Chris’s attempts to paint a picture were , if anything, worse than his ramblings, “He’s looking cool… He looks stylish on the way to the beach.” Woman from Boots, “He just looks like a man with a towel to me.” Priceless.

On the girls’ team things were going little better until Boots wanted to talk exclusivity. I don’t want to get into when, why and if you should accept exclusivity deals right now but I do want to talk about the way Laura handled it. It was a total masterclass… in upsetting your client.

Whatever you are going to say, when you communicate with a client or prospect you need to keep the lines of communication open. This does not mean rolling over for their every whim but it does mean not offending, annoying or rudely rejecting them.

I suppose there is always next week, Laura.

In the Boardroom…

The boys smiled when they thought of Stella and the results were in…

The boys made a poor 100 sales to Kit2Fit.
The girls had set a new record and sold… wait for it… nothing.

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nul point.

Sir Alan was not chuffed.

Indeed, I was so busy looking at his disgruntled face that I never even heard what the prize was for Stella and the boys for their stellar performance… I’m sure someone will tell me…

Laura selected Joanna as the first to come back and Joanna did something I have never seen happen before – she argued about it. And then WWIII broke out amongst the girls. Sir Alan was not impressed. Karen reminded them of their duty to set an example and looked embarrassed to be a woman. Nick had an air of resignation and was clearly wondering why he had not joined Margaret on the beach in Margate sipping Sherry or wherever she is.

Back in the Boardroom…

Laura brought back Joanna and Joy.  Joanna because she is so aggressive and Joy because she is exactly the kind of person who is there to be sacked in the early rounds so why wouldn’t you bring her back?

Sir Alan told Laura she had failed miserably and that she would go down in this boardroom as the person who came back with absolutely zero sales… He told Joy that there are people that come into the process thinking that they can just step back and do  nothing… He told Joanna that she really wound people up. But in the end, despite saying that it was a hard decision, there was only one decision…

Laura wasn’t all bad considering. Joanna is too good TV. So it was Joy No Joy who had to go, “Joy, I haven’t seen anything from you to be honest. Neither have my two colleagues. Joy, you’re fired.”

And much like Bart, she put her head in her hands and exclaimed, “Oh man!” Back in the house, Joanna told the waiting Apprentices that  Sir Alan had said that he “is feeling is that I am a bit of a gobshite!”

Yes, Joanna. That is exactly what he said…

Related posts:

1. The Sales Apprentice 2010: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Week 1
2. The Sales Apprentice 2008: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Part III
3. The Sales Apprentice: Sales Training Tips From The Hit TV Show, Part III