Summary: Click here to Subscribe to the ‘New Business Podcast’ via iTunes! One of the most powerful tools we have in our arsenal as entrepreneurs is the ability to pitch our ideas and our companies. Here to share with us this fine art is a man well acquainted with the pitch: Mr. Kevin Harrington. Kevin is one of the original sharks on the television show Shark Tank, he's also the creator of the infomercial, was named as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the world by Entrepreneur magazine and has been an extremely successful business owner for several decades. Although he doesn't believe entrepreneurs are necessarily born, it does help to help come from a successful entrepreneurial heritage. And that's what he did: his father was an entrepreneur and business man so Kevin got his start by working in his father's various businesses. He was a bar back, an assistant chef and several other roles all at the tender age of 11! He says he worked 40 hours a week then, and he loved it. He goes on to say it was one of the best ways to learn: under the watchful eye of someone who's been a success in the business world, they can teach you things faster, and easier than learning them on your own. His big break came when he sold one of his businesses that he had started while in college. After that success, he began exploring what was next for him. He looked at other businesses that were up for sale, but none peaked his interest. Instead he realized he wanted to be a business broker: he wanted to know everything about every company available for sale, he knew he could learn an incredible amount in the process. He took the necessary training, licensing, etc and then opened his own firm in 1980. In this episode, you’ll learn about: How Kevin got started in the infomercial business on TV. Becoming a key person of influence: what was Kevin's plan? The types of pitches that never get aired on Shark Tank. How Kevin successfully pitched Donald Trump while walking through a convention center. Why and how to test before you invest. What advice he Kevin would give his 11-year old self today. Much, much more! Share the Tweetable: "Simply put... You need to promote yourself!" Spread the knowledge of Kevin Harrington - [Tweet This!] Items mentioned in this episode: Kevin's Website Kevin's infomercial products web site Follow Kevin on Twitter Act Now! - Kevin's bestselling book. Put a Shark in Your Tank - Kevin's latest book. Tropical Think Tank (Just a few tickets left!) This Episode's Sponsor - 99Designs I get asked all the time where the best place is to find graphic designers. My answer has been, and will always be the same - go to 99Designs! There is no real reason for the majority of entrepreneurs to hire a full-time person for their graphic needs. 99Designs is all you need to get your logos, websites, landing pages, business cards and much more designed professionally, at a great price! Click THIS LINK to launch your design contest with an exclusive $99 Power Pack Upgrade! Being the shrewd businessman he is a few years later he leased an entire office building floor and brought in companies he had been referring his clients to: accountants, marketers, finance people, insurance people, and the like. His clients had been asking him for referrals and he was happy to connect them; he simply found a way to profit from the referrals by putting them all in one place. That was one of the first of many more successes Kevin experienced over the last few decades, and we touch on several of them in this episode. We also talk about some practical suggestions he has for successfully nailing your pitches. He has a ten step process, which he sums up in just a few steps: tease, please and seize. And then finish your pitch by proving it. To tease you must find a way to grab the attention of your audience, then after you do please them by describing what you and your company will do for them,
