Robert Herjavec is arguably one of the well-liked Sharks on the show. He might not have the means to show benevolence like Mark Cuban, but his heart is in the right place most times. If the Sharks were The Beatles, he’d be the George Harrison of the group, given his demeanor (The Quiet One).
But it takes a lot more to be a successful business mogul.
Skills Are Not Enough to Close a Deal
There is a story that goes back years. It adds to the making of Herjavec of what he is today.
Robert Herjavec had introduced a new sales hire onto his team. The guy had brains, carried himself well and put real effort into understanding every detail of what the company offered.
Even with all that, he struggled when it came to actually getting customers to sign on the dotted line.
The sales manager instructed Herjavec that the kid wasn’t worth keeping around. Herjavec wasn’t convinced just yet, so he sat in on a few of the new hire’s calls.
It did not take him long to notice the problem. The kid wasn’t messing up, but he also wasn’t building any real bond with the people he was trying to sell to.
Robert went on to give the kid another chance to prove himself. He gave him some advice. He told him, “On your next sales call, I want you to walk in, sit down, and don’t say anything for like a minute. Then look the client in the eye and say, ‘I’m so thankful for you taking this meeting. But I have to be honest, I am so nervous. This is my first sales call.”
The change showed up right away. He suddenly started locking in large deals and turning heads across the team. He broke the story people had built about him, and that move fits in with one of Herjavec’s favorite sales moves.
Sales Strategy From Shark Tank’s Robert Herjavec
Robert Herjavec points out a common issue. In many work settings, people walk in believing they already know what the interaction will feel like. They’re bracing for something routine and predictable, which puts them on autopilot before you even get started.
Robert shared his wisdom, saying, “People don’t really wanna listen to you. When you go on a sales call and you sit down and you’re so excited, the client is thinking: How the hell do I get this person to leave?”
People show up with a fixed idea of how everything will play out. To grab their attention, you need to shake that idea loose with something real and unexpected so they stop and take you in with fresh eyes.
With the young salesman, the approach tapped into what the clients cared about on a personal level. Robert elucidated his approach, saying, “We are selling to middle-aged men, typically in IT. As soon as that young salesman said he was nervous, our clients all started thinking: ‘He’s like my son. I want to help him.’”
Power of Breaking Patterns
When you want to break through the noise, take a moment to look at the box you might be sitting in. A simple way to do that is to ask yourself two questions. What do people think I’m going to do, and what can I do that steps outside that pattern?
This approach ends up being the secret formula to sales in an uncanny yet human way, tapping into our intrinsic thoughts and emotions.
Think about the suggestion Herjavec gave the new rep in question. The advice sounded terrible on paper. Sales is seen as a game of bold energy and confidence, so admitting you’re uneasy feels like the last thing you’d ever do.
Separating The Memorable From The Forgettable
When something is just good and nice, it fades from memory. That is the bare minimum. If you play it safe, you blend in with the long line of lookalikes. When people can already guess what you will deliver, the impact drops fast.
Real traction comes from stepping past the comfort zone and giving people a moment that feels alive and original. Real presence is created when you push past the default setting of the masses.
