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In the boardroom
Carolyn asked what minimum price they had set for the lease.
Kwame said $35,000 to $40,000 - to which
Donald
responded,
"That was stupid." He said that even if they had gotten their maximum price,
they still would have lost. Next, Trump asked some hard questions. He asked
Kwame who, between
Bill and
Troy, he would rather have at his side. Without hesitation,
Kwame said
Troy, which threw
Bill a little. But both
Bill and
Kwame
had
some reservations about
Troy. Neither would hire
Troy as their Chief Financial Officer. Trump then turned to the subject
of education.
Bill had a degree from a school that Trump respected,
Kwame had an MBA from Harvard and
Troy had only a high school diploma.
Troy added that he learned a lot from Trump's first book, "The Art of
the Deal," but that didn't seem to do too much for
Donald. It was time for
Troy to choose. He decided to face the firing with
Kwame, a move that really surprised Trump.
Troy said that business is business and friends are friends. So,
Bill went up to the suite and
Troy and
Kwame waited outside.
Donald
asked his two advisors for their opinions. Carolyn wondered if
Kwame had enough real business experience to compliment his strong
education. Bernie said that, while
Troy has good instincts, he's just too much of a loose cannon and he
needs time and experience to mellow.
Donald called
Troy an
Kwame
back
in. As soon as they entered,
Donald told
Kwame, "Your friend screwed you."
Kwame said no, he didn't, and that business was business. Trump asked
Troy why he picked
Kwame.
Troy said that, while
Kwame had been a "Steady Eddie," he never really shined. Trump agreed,
saying that despite
Kwame being a Project Manager three times, he never really got out there
and led. Finally, Trump said, "This is the toughest choice I've had to
make." He explained the reality that the person who ultimately becomes his
apprentice may deal with multibillion-dollar businesses and
Troy just isn't ready for that. So,
Donald fired
Troy.
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Commentary
-
Know When to
Shoot for the Moon.
-
Bill, Kwame, and Troy did their homework
and opened negotiations with interested customers at a figure that
matched what the space had fetched in the past. But they'd
underestimated the appeal of "Trump luxury". On the other
team, Nick threw out the rule book and named an outrageously high
figure. He knew that he was offering a totally unique product
that could not easily be compared to any other; the customer's
desire would determine its value. Nick got his price, and a
trip to Mar-a-Lago with Amy, while Bill, Kwame, and Troy packed
their bags for the boardroom.
-
Sometimes it's
a Mistake to Do the Hustle.
-
A second bidder is a salesman's greatest boon.
Troy appeared to be sitting pretty when a new customer materialized
just as he was about to close a deal for the penthouse. But
Troy squandered the opportunity when he pushed too hard too fast to
ignite a bidding war. The new arrival felt that he was being
hustled and withdrew his offer. If Troy had instead found a
way to soothe the bidder's jitters, he might not have been bounced
from the boardroom the next day.
-
It's not
Personal, It's Business.
-
Three of the toughest competitors met an
unexpected defeat when Amy and Nick found a deep-pocketed bidder at
the last moment. Forced to choose between his good friend
Kwame and a man with whom he'd had a prickly
relationship--Bill--project manager Troy took the former into the
boardroom with him. The Donald was surprised. Not only
had Troy chosen his friend, but Kwame didn't seem to mind. The
pair had healthy boundaries when it came to their personal and
professional affairs. As Troy put it: "Business is
business. Friends are friends. Don't use them in the
same sentence." Although Kwame eventually bested his buddy in
boardroom combat, Troy gave himself a fighting chance by setting
friendship aside and choosing the more vulnerable opponent.
Lessons Learned
Negotiate for Success
"Your manners are always under examination, and by committees little
suspected, awarding or denying you very high prizes when you least think
it." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
- Keep your attire simple, clean, and pressed.
- Practice good posture.
- First impressions count.
- Introduce yourself.
- The normal rules of etiquette apply in business--only more so.
- Mingle successfully.
- Be a good conversationalist, and always try to communicate at the
$100,000 vocabulary level.
- Be aware of your hand gestures.
Gold Stars:
***
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| The Report Card |
Protege:
- Effort --
- Performance --
- Creativity --
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Versacorp:
- Effort --
- Performance --
- Creativity --
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