The Apprentice, Donald Trump and his NBC TV show contestants teach us a lot about business in real life. With business advice columns, commentary, humor, and recaps. en-us http://www.theapprenticerules.com Copyright 2004 by The Apprentice Rules editor@theapprenticerules.com web-dept@theapprenticerules.com http://www.theapprenticerules.com/data-feeds/logo-apprentice-142x46.jpg http://www.theapprenticerules.com 142 46 http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-63.html There's a saying in the sales world that everyone's favorite radio station is WII FM, "What's in it for me?" Whatever kind of negotiation you're doing, letting the other guy know how he'll benefit from the deal is a sure way to get them interested... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-62.html ...The most telling advice this week came from the Laker who explained that a team comes together when they cover for each other's weaknesses...Using your strengths to bolster a teammate's weakness will encourage the group to pitch in when you need help... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-61.html ...When your staff is on, they should be on. And when they are off, they should be off. Driving your staff non-stop is not only hard on them, it's simply bad business... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-60.html You never get a second chance at making a first impression. Make the wrong first impression, and your second one is likely to be explaining why you're not really like that... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-59.html ...The new project managers relied heavily on their personal relationships for their hiring choices. A natural enough response, but maybe not the smartest way to assemble an effective business team... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-58.html ...One way Gold Rush could have communicated the importance of prompt delivery would have been to build some monetary incentives into the deal. Gold Rush could have promised their vendor a bonus if the floor and ceiling were delivered by midnight... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-57.html ...On this task, claiming the best sales territory was critical. Gold Rush staked out the line for the ferry to Ellis Island. What could be better than a captive audience of people waiting to visit the landmark the booklet commemorates?... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-56.html ...Whether your judge is your client or your boss—or anyone else you're seeking to please, for that matter—you've got to know what they want, before you can deliver... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-55.html ...You don't have to be good at every aspect of a project to create a successful campaign. You don't have to be a graphic artist to create a brilliant print ad, and you don't have to be mechanically adept to keep your car running smoothly—but you do have to know when to hire a pro... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-54.html The challenge of advertising is to attract attention, tell a story, and sell a product. Whether the medium is a television spot, a radio commercial, a print ad, or a billboard, that's a lot to do. Pack in too many elements and you lose your audience. It's a tough balancing act—and that's why there are so many bad ads out there... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-53.html Anyone who's had to get a project to Federal Express before the end of the day knows that "Beat the Clock" isn't just a defunct TV game show—it's an every-day business reality... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-52.html ...Summer's prematurely giving up made her a target for criticism. Yet notice that, although her teammates said they didn't understand why Summer didn't make more calls, none of her colleagues stepped in to take over...Why didn't anyone else step up to the plate to make the calls? Because cold calling is hard work... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-51.html ...Just because Yahoo! deemed overt solicitation inappropriate didn't mean the fundraising efforts had to be relegated to putting envelopes in the gift bags requesting a contribution. What Capital Edge needed was a way to collect donations that night without having to directly ask for them, so that their results could be calculated immediately... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-50.html ...The special events that Rebecca and Randal are planning this week are truly nerve-wracking. The organizers get only one shot at getting it right. There is no opportunity to benefit from past experience and no second chance to show how much they improved. It's the definition of "sink or swim"... http://www.theapprenticerules.com/business-rules/memo-49.html ...As the old saying goes: people buy the sizzle, not the steak. It's the benefits of a product that people buy, not the features of the product...