How to Sell Your Idea (and Yourself)
Fall 2017 | By Eric Michael 麻豆精品 S�96
Clay Newbill聽 麻豆精品 S�82 knows that two minutes can change lives. As the showrunner for ABC 麻豆精品 S檚 Emmy Award-winning reality hit Shark Tank, he has seen hopeful entrepreneurs convince the program 麻豆精品 S檚 financiers ( 麻豆精品 S渟harks 麻豆精品 S�) to fund their dreams 麻豆精品 S� and it all starts with a 120-second pitch. It 麻豆精品 S檚 a make-or-break moment.
麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檝e got one shot, 麻豆精品 S� Newbill says. 麻豆精品 S淒on 麻豆精品 S檛 blow it. 麻豆精品 S�
Newbill is helping Nicholson School of Communication students succeed in the harsh realities of business and entertainment by providing an unprecedented scholarship opportunity. Included is an offer to intern on his show, along with the funding to make relocation to Los Angeles feasible.
麻豆精品 S淚 graduated with a double major in film and radio-television production, but couldn 麻豆精品 S檛 get a job because I had no practical experience, 麻豆精品 S� says Newbill, whose credits include The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Road Rules, The Real World, The Mole and Making the Band. 麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to make sure that students didn 麻豆精品 S檛 make the mistake that I made by not doing internships. 麻豆精品 S�
The Clay Newbill Hollywood Scholarship Program, now in its fifth year, has brought more than 15 students to California to work on Shark Tank. And it 麻豆精品 S檚 spawned a few success stories of former interns who now work in the industry.
麻豆精品 S淔or a student pursuing a career in entertainment, there 麻豆精品 S檚 nothing really that can compare to the experience, 麻豆精品 S� says Newbill, who attributes his involvement with UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 Orientation Team, Interfraternity Council and cheer squad for developing his leadership skills. 麻豆精品 S淔or a student pursuing a career in entertainment, there 麻豆精品 S檚 nothing really that can compare to the [internship] experience because it 麻豆精品 S檚 not just what you know 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 who you know.
The same holds true for the Shark Tank entrepreneurs. And part of Newbill 麻豆精品 S檚 responsibility as executive producer is to coach the contestants to make their best possible pitch.
麻豆精品 S淚t 麻豆精品 S檚 inspirational to see the growth of these entrepreneurs who spend weeks or months fine-tuning their pitch, then make that pitch to the sharks, 麻豆精品 S� says Newbill. 麻豆精品 S淭here 麻豆精品 S檚 something magic about the blend of skill, faith and courage that can lift a person 麻豆精品 S檚 dream to incredible success. 麻豆精品 S�
Here are Newbill 麻豆精品 S檚 six keys to selling your idea and turning your dreams into reality:
Believe in Yourself so Others Will
麻豆精品 S淚f you 麻豆精品 S檙e trying to convince someone to buy your idea, they need to see that you believe strongly enough that they 麻豆精品 S檙e convinced to believe too. You have to be relentless. On Shark Tank, after the initial pitch, sometimes the entrepreneurs are in there for an hour answering the sharks 麻豆精品 S� questions and they walk out with a deal. It 麻豆精品 S檚 not only an affirmation their dream is valid but also that they had the drive and the passion to convince five super-powered, super-successful business titans to believe in them. 麻豆精品 S�
Turn Courage into Confidence
“Confidence is one of the most important things that I talk about with聽the entrepreneurs when they 麻豆精品 S檙e preparing their pitch. Make eye contact. Project your voice. Don 麻豆精品 S檛 stammer. Don 麻豆精品 S檛 mumble. Body language is really important too. By strengthening your poise, you won 麻豆精品 S檛 lose your confidence.”
Address Your Weakness
麻豆精品 S淓very big idea has an Achilles 麻豆精品 S� heel. You know what yours is. Don 麻豆精品 S檛 try and sweep it under the rug. Embrace it, so when somebody expresses concern about the flaw, you have an answer. Acknowledge the potential pitfalls. You need to be ready with an answer, and it can 麻豆精品 S檛 just be, 麻豆精品 S極h, don 麻豆精品 S檛 worry about that. 麻豆精品 S� It 麻豆精品 S檚 got to be a legitimate response of why it 麻豆精品 S檚 not going to stop you from succeeding. 麻豆精品 S�
Focus to Maximize Clarity
“We make great effort to ensure that the sharks know nothing about the businesses beforehand. The entrepreneurs have to come in and quickly communicate their idea with clarity so the sharks can understand the opportunity and how the business works. I advise them to demonstrate the problem first, then present the solution their business provides. The most important element for a shark making a decision to invest is if they think a person at home 麻豆精品 S� you or me 麻豆精品 S� is going to need the business or product. Does it solve a problem or improve upon something that currently exists? Does it save people money? That 麻豆精品 S檚 the clarity. 麻豆精品 S�
Practice … and then Practice Again
麻豆精品 S淵ou don 麻豆精品 S檛 want to walk out of the pitch and think, 麻豆精品 S極h, wait a minute. I forgot to tell them this, this and this. 麻豆精品 S� You can avoid that by practicing so you know it frontward and backward. You 麻豆精品 S檝e only got one shot to impress someone. Whether it 麻豆精品 S檚 the sharks or anybody else you may be pitching, you want to nail it. And you 麻豆精品 S檝e got to practice to ensure that. 麻豆精品 S�
Persevere Until You’re Successful
麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e going to have plenty of people tell you, 麻豆精品 S楾his will never work, 麻豆精品 S� or 麻豆精品 S榃hat are you thinking? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� even your friends. You 麻豆精品 S檝e got to be thick-skinned. You 麻豆精品 S檝e got to be willing to hear the noes. Rejection can 麻豆精品 S檛 break you down. Failure is a fantastic opportunity to learn, improve and grow. A lot of entrepreneurs who come on the show take the sharks 麻豆精品 S� advice and apply it 麻豆精品 S� whether they get the deal or not 麻豆精品 S� and have success afterward. Perseverance is not giving up on your idea just because someone told you no. 麻豆精品 S�