This programme contained plastic bugs, beard trimmers and extreme overuse of the word ‘strategy’.
The tans we saw were definitely fake, but the people were all real, although most of the task was set up purely for Lord Sugar’s entertainment.
Week 7 of ‘The Apprentice’ and the remaining ten hopefuls met Lord Sugar at a wholesale warehouse in Essex. The teams were given £150 to spend on wholesale goods which were to be sold locally. As the winning team would be the team that had the most value in assets, the task was all about ‘smelling what’s selling’ and building a business from scratch.
Lord Sugar added Stephen to Team Sterling and Laura to Team Phoenix. Jade, who had never been Project Manager before put herself forward and Team Sterling opted for Nick.
The teams discussed the distance between the venues and the warehouse for replenishing stock. Jade’s team continued to do this for quite a while, leaving them with little time to look for products. Luckily, Tom stepped in and put the wheels back on track.
Both teams had hopes pinned on a collection of mops, mp3 players, hot water bottles, wind-up beetles as well as fake tan, eyelashes and nail wraps.
Azhar from Team Phoenix tried to bring up the need for strategy – an important and valid point – but was duly ignored due to the repetitive and rather annoying way he went about it.
The products were purchased, locations determined and enthusiasm high. Steve and Ricky hit Romford Market to sell mops that they claimed could cure back problems whilst Laura’s bugs scuttled left, right and centre. At a cost of just 60p each and selling for £3, business seemed to be taking off.
Nick called Ricky and Stephen when they were half-way through the stock of tan but due to a traffic jam and no common sense, Nick and the girls were left with no stock at all.
The two best-selling products were those which people could see in action. Whilst fake tan was being applied to the public arms of Essex, the bugs were running around freely for the children to play with.
Jade’s “let’s see what sells and then buy more of it” theory obtained a certain degree of logic backed up by a large degree of risk, but the issue in the end was that Jade didn’t buy more of what they sold. Instead, she bought more of everything in a hasty reaction to low stock.
The tan finally reached Nick at Lakesides and they were off again with immediate sales at the original price of £10. Jade’s team were also now at Lakesides but in a panic decision, Jade decided to slash all prices and began selling the tan at £5 and under.
The day drew to an end and the teams retreated to the boardroom for the results. Jade’s team had earned a respectable £838.21 in assets but Nick’s team had £955.20, a clear win. Team Sterling headed off to a swanky cocktail bar in London to celebrate, whilst Jade, Azhar, Laura and Tom from Team Phoenix were left to defend their fate.
Jade mistakenly called both Tom and Azhar back to the boardroom although it was clear that Tom should not be there – he was duly excused by Lord Sugar. Who would it be? The annoying Azhar who perhaps takes an umbrella before heading out on a summer’s day or Jade who probably has her shoes on the wrong feet?
But despite Lord Sugar acknowledging that Jade had completely lost control of the situation, it was Azhar who was fired. Jade could have won that task but it was her management and leadership skills which let her down.
Apprentice Week 7 – Key Learning – Know, and listen to, your team
When you manage a team you must concentrate on the people within it, it is vital to know what key skills you already have in your team to establish who will excel in which areas.
Nick demonstrated this by recognising that the girls had the knowledge of the product and how to sell it. He also looked at training and developing his team to get the best results. He remained calm throughout and this seemed to eradicate any sort of conflict that could have occurred in a pressured environment.
Feisty and determined Jade on the other hand, had become too immersed in high sales and had not listened to her colleagues’ experiences when they told her which items were selling and which weren’t. Her downfall was panic selling and cutting costs far too early.
Moreover, Jade’s lack of interest and attention to Azhar’s comments and opinions left him demotivated, which then had a knock-on effect when he attempted to sell the products. Lord Sugar made the correct choice in firing Azhar: If his own colleagues wouldn’t listen to him, why would potential customers/clients?
PRODUCT, PROCESS, PROFIT & PEOPLE is key.
- Stephanie Milledge is a business support executive of talent management consultancy, The Chemistry Group.
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