Former Apprentice candidate Daniel Lassman's boardroom dos and don'ts
After coming third last year, Daniel shares his top tips for success in front of Lord Sugar
“I will out sell them, I will out class them and I will perform the best just by being me," businessman Daniel Lassman enthused as he threw himself into last year's The Apprentice. He finished in third place, earning a "with regret" firing from Lord Sugar, which – as we all know – is one of the good ones.
Lassman, who runs pub quiz company Weekly Quiz and has a regular Saturday show on Time 107.5fm, is the first to admit he had plenty of ups and downs in the boardroom (whatever you do, don't mention the hot tubs). And having come armed with helpful phrases like 'There's no 'i' in team, but there's five in individual brilliance' who better to share his tips on how to do well in front of the boss of the boardroom? As the new series kicks off and the candidates get ready to face not just LS but Claude Littner and Karren Brady too, this is what he recommends...
Dos
1. Put yourself forward to project manage tasks that suit your skills and experiences. Lord Sugar hates people who shy away from responsibility.
2. Make sure you learn from your mistakes. No candidate has ever cruised through the process without making a blunder – or in my case 3,000!
3. Realise mind games are very important. Never show weakness to candidates, Lord Sugar, Claude or Karren, they will smell blood and you will be out of the door early.
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4. Working well in a team is very important. Sometimes I didn't and it actually worked against me. If I had gone into the process with this attitude, who knows? Things may have been very different.
5. Listen to the advice from Lord Sugar, Claude and Karren because, love them or hate them, they talk sense.
Don'ts
1. Don't claim outrageous things. In my case "I'm complete in the world of business". It doesn't go down too well with Lord Sugar.
2. Never accept a role in the team that you cannot execute well. Remember, your head will be on the chopping block if you lose the task. There's working well in a team and then there's being stupid.
3. Don't rely on a candidate to back you up in the boardroom. It becomes like a war zone! Friends become enemies within 30 seconds.
4. Don't squander the opportunity you have been given. You don't get a lot of sleep in the process, but excuses for poor performance will not be accepted.
5. Don't give up if you have been called back into the boardroom. If you are clear with your points and fight until the end, you always have a chance.
The Apprentice returns Wednesday and Thursday at 9:00pm on BBC1
