"Tell the customer you are so nervous" - Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec's key sales advice for beginners

Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec believes that sales are the driving force of any successful business. For beginners stepping into the business world, the pressure of mastering this critical skill can feel overwhelming. However, Robert has just the advice to help newcomers navigate these challenges.

In a November 14 YouTube video on his channels, Robert recalled an incident where he had to help his long-time employee who was "awful" at sales and lacked confidence.

To address the issue the Shark Tank investor advised him to be honest with the customer and tell them he was nervous because it was his first sales call. The employee followed this advice, and the customer responded positively, eager to support him as he was just starting.

"So we're going out on the sales call. Here's what I said to him; "When we go on this call, when the meeting starts, tell the customer you are so nervous, this is your very first sales call," Robert recalled.

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"Authenticity is impossible to replicate" - Shark Tank investor Robert Herjavec advises to be honest with the customer

In a November 14 YouTube video titled "20 Questions Billionaires Get Asked Every Day," Shark Tank star Robert Herjavec emphasized the importance of sales and called it the "lifeblood of every business."

Robert shared that he often encounters engineers, accountants, and professionals from various fields who aspire to start their businesses. However, many hesitate because they feel inadequate when it comes to sales.

To those individuals, Robert offers a piece of simple yet profound advice: "Authenticity is impossible to replicate."

"They always say to me, "Oh my gosh, I'm so scared of business". I say why? And they say, "Well, I'm not very good at sales". So we say to them, "Look, there's a playbook on how to do sales, lots of sales books, but let me give you a piece of advice that's not in any of those books: Authenticity is impossible to replicate," he shared.

To explain his advice, Robert recalled a time when he had a guy who worked for him years ago who was "awful in sales". The Shark Tank investor explained why was his employee awful at sales, he wasn't very confident. Furthermore, he didn't know how to talk to people and was "brand new at it".

Robert explained that although his employee had a solid understanding of sales fundamentals, he still required some guidance. To address this, Robert took the time to meet with him before his first sales call.

During their conversation, he offered a crucial piece of advice: to start the meeting by being honest with the customer, admitting that he was nervous and that it was his first sales call. The employee took the advice and seeing his honesty the customer was willing to help him.

"We go there, he does that and guess what? The customer wants to help him. People are nicer than you think and they want to help you, especially when you're young and you're starting out," the Shark Tank investor said.

However, Robert noted that the advice was so helpful to his employee that he "kept doing this for the next 100 sales calls, and eventually it wasn't authentic". Over time, the employee's skills improved significantly. Robert proudly shared that he has since become "one of the best sales professionals in the world."

"But when you're starting out and you're an engineer or an accountant, just tell people 'I've never done sales. Here's why I believe in the product'. People want to help you," the Shark Tank investor concluded.

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Shark Tank season 16 episodes air every Friday on ABC.