Originally Posted by Monkseal:
“I think that's an overstatement - I can't think of any series which was won by the best pure salesperson, and indeed a couple of winners I thought were notably poor at it. What matters is trying, not sulking around shuffling your feet all day like Lindsay did. It doesn't matter how good or bad you are at sales, if you haven't given up, you can shift more than one candle. Sarah managed it, and her entire sales technique on this task was apocalyptic.
I'd argue that the first few tasks are really set up as a camera test - if you don't speak up enough, or are noticably not articulate on-screen, you get cut, for "not contributing" or if you decide yourself (as Lindsay did) doing the show isn't for you once you're on it, you quit. It might be a bit harsh, but they are making a tv show at the end of the day. If it wasn't for type A self-promoters making the show entertaining, the money available to start a business wouldn't on the table to start with.”
You're right, it was an overstatement. There are definitely some tasks that test other skills and not all the winners have been great salespeople.
What I wanted to say (and said very badly) is that the format of the show isn't appropriate for finding the best business partner. Most tasks find out which team is best at making the most profit where there is no pressure to provide quality, to give good customer service, to build a good client base, to gain trust and to establish a good reputation. That's not a realistic reflection of the business world and it doesn't tell you anything about the winning team and their ability to be a good business partner.
