If you have a product or an idea that you want to bring to life, I am sure you dream of being grilled by the sharks on ABC’s "Shark Tank". Being accepted onto the show represents a huge potential to broadcast your product into millions of homes, not to mention, the potential of investment dollars and mentorship.

Well, it was no wonder that when the sharks planned a visit to Atlanta, GA I jumped at the chance to audition. One thing I did wrong was I did not research the process of auditioning. If I had I would have realized the best practices below some of which I guessed right and prepared for and others I did not.

1. Arrive early

Typically, the producers of 'the Tank' start handing out bands at 8 AM the morning for the auditions, with auditions starting at 10 AM. In my case, my husband arrived the night before and queued all night in the hopes of ensuring that I got a band. It worked! I was number 16 in line and was able to audition early on.

2. You get to deliver a 1-minute pitch to wow and dazzle the producers

I recommend you come well prepared. I recommend you keep it simple. Your pitch should be easy to understand. The producers want to know in as simple a language as possible, what the product is, why it will make money and how much you want from the sharks. Below is my pitch:

“Since the beginning of time women have adorned themselves with beautiful pieces of jewelry, earrings necklaces bracelets and rings there really is a reason why diamonds are girls' best friend. Because they make you feel amazing beautiful powerful and love. And you want to have that feeling each and every time you put on that special piece of jewelry. You might even want to pass on those feelings to the next generation. But that same piece of jewelry can make you feel angry frustrated and annoyed because they can get tangled even when they’re just being stored or while traveling well no more because there’s my product, Kinkless.

Kinkless is the first in its kind packaging specifically designed with jewelry lovers in mind. When you go Kinkless, you are using a product made by people who understand how important it is to keep those precious jewels pristine. No tangling, no tarnishing, and an easy and convenient way to package and store those precious jewels. And it works as easy as 1, 2 and 3.”

3. Be prepared for the next steps

When I auditioned, I was fortunate enough to be called to the next round of auditions but I was prepared for it. The next round involved shooting a video within a week and sending it off to the producers. I was not ready and while I am quite happy with the video I produced, I know I could have done better. Here it is for your viewing.

Watch : The Kinkless Shark Tank Audition

4. Last but by no means least, know the basics

Part of the next round includes a 20-page questionnaire. You are asked for information, from where you have lived, your social security, and all other sorts of information. But most importantly they ask in-depth questions about your business. Financial questions, projects and so much more. So be prepared. Especially when they require this information in a short period of time, it can be quite daunting, responding.

All in all, even though I did not make it past round two. I have every intention of auditioning again. And as I become more and more adept at running a business, I am so excited to see where we can go with this business and this product. Thanks for reading!

– Nina Lewis – Kinkless Founder –

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