Get Real! How Mark Burnett Sold Reality TV to America

Get Real! How Mark Burnett Sold Reality TV to America

FREDERICKSBURG, Va., May 3 /PRNewswire/ -- "How did he do it?" That's the question everyone asks about Mark Burnett's amazing success story. The May issue of Selling Power follows his meteoric rise from penniless gofer to mastermind of reality TV and creator of the phenomenally popular TV shows Survivor and The Apprentice.

Burnett is a master at marketing and he exudes an almost fanatical optimism. In an exclusive interview with Selling Power, Burnett drives home five steps to success:

1. The most important trait for success -- whether as a reality show
contestant or a business person -- is flexibility. "Flexibility starts
with paying attention to the people around you. In selling, the dumb
salesperson has one way of presenting ... and only one way. He fails
to understand there are different types of people and they all require
a different kind of sales approach ... If you're a one-trick pony,
you'll end up selling a lot less."

2. New ideas are the best ideas -- but they have to be presented right. To
sell any idea, you need two things: enthusiasm and complete product
knowledge.

3. Repetition is the key to retention, so if you want them to remember
you, give them plenty of face time. Never pitch ideas over the
phone. You can always do better in a face-to-face meeting.

4. Don't expect it to always be easy. "My story is as much about
failures," says Burnett, "as it is about success. Successful people
aren't going to close every sale, they aren't going to hear 'yes' every
time they suggest an idea." When faced with failure, the successful
person will "persevere and try not to repeat the same mistake ... You
can almost always learn something from adversity."

5. Surround yourself with the best people possible. "I never go it alone,"
says Burnett. "A leader is only as good as his team. Strong people
surround themselves with other strong people and keep them there."

Read the May Selling Power to get the low-down on how you can become a "Sales Survivor."

Selling Power magazine is available in print by subscription and it is sold through 2,200 newsstands and Barnes & Noble stores. Selling Power also publishes the entire magazine online. For details go to http://www.sellingpower.com/.

Source: Selling Power

CONTACT: Helen Moriarty of Selling Power, +1-540-752-7000, Fax:
+1-540-752-7001, or HelenMoriarty@sellingpower.com

Web site: http://www.sellingpower.com/

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