For Me, TV Is Dying.

This post isn't about business per se, but it does have long term ramifications for the marketplace in general, so bear with me. Last night, I realized I REALLY HATE commercials. Despise - Abhor - Loathe - Detest . . . You get my drift. I know, we all hate commercials — but they have become irrelevant to my viewing habits. They're just a nuisance.

My wife and I were watching 'Fear The Walking Dead' on AMC. We made the decision to record it on our DVR and then watch it with FF capability at 10 PM. At 10 PM, we started the recording and it seemed like there were 8-10 commercials during each break during the show (the show runs 43 minutes).

We really wanted to measure the span of the episode vs. the accumulated time of the commercials — we were almost sure they were the same. Here's the interesting part — we even hated commercials that we had to FF through. Why?

We've moved on. We have Netflix and Amazon on our TV (Roku), we watch them also on our iPads and MacBooks. Guess what? No commercials. In fact, my wife and I have been binge-watching The Good Wife (never saw it before) and are very comfortable flying through episodes with no breaks, commercials, or advertising. All for a small Amazon Prime payment each month.

We also use our DVR for almost all of our TV viewing habits. We record the shows and FLY through the commercials. So we don't even see them anymore — just fast moving pictures flashing on our screen — an annoyance for 5-10 seconds.

Here's the kicker — we're in our early 50's. I know that all generations after us, GenX, GenY, Millenials, etc., have even more fleeting TV viewing habits. In fact, most kids I know don't even watch TV anymore — they get all their entertainment from their iPhones, iPads, PC's, Twitch, YouTube and gaming consoles. Families rarely gather in front of the TV to watch shows together.

There's going to be a tipping point soon where advertisers quickly realize no one is watching their commercials. The rating systems are antiquated and really don't produce true viewer habits (read this and this and this). The viewing public is slowing moving away from conventional TV viewing and quickly abandoning any type of commercial exposure.

What will happen to TV and shows like The Good Wife, Arrow, and Fear The Walking Dead? I don't know — each episode probably runs the network millions of dollars to produce and the money needs to come from somewhere. Maybe the Netflix/Amazon model will take over (see what happened to Longmire). I love watching House of Cards and Daredevil — I wouldn't even mind paying more for Netflix/Amazon Prime if they substantially increased the amount of shows they release.

In the end, commercials are irrelevant to me. If things keep going the way they are, the only generation who will care about commercials are the people who care about the "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercials. Again, I understand commercials 'pay' for my show — but I really DON'T CARE.

If you're a business who advertises on TV, and you haven't started already, you better start anticipating major changes soon. This will greatly affect all aspects of TV as we know it — so if you're a network, you probably see the writing on the wall.

"Come gather 'round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You'll be drenched to the bone. If your time to you Is worth savin' Then you better start swimmin' Or you'll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin'"

The Times They Are A-Changin'  — Bob Dylan

Are You Good Enough For Shark Tank?

Ever watch the Shark Tank? It's a reality-based TV show which features a panel of entrepreneurs and business executives called "Sharks" who consider offers from other entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's hokey, but in the end. 7 million viewers don't realize major business learnings are occurring right in front of them.

The premise is simple — the entrepreneur has approximately 3-5 minutes to present their business opportunity/invention and the 'investors' then have the opportunity to bid on it (and hopefully make it a raging success!).

Let's look at what you should be taking away from each episode:

Be Prepared

You can immediately tell who has their pitch down and who doesn't. Who are the fakers and who are the 'real' businesspeople.

It's amazing how many people I meet who don't have their act together when it comes to their business or career. It seems like they are drifting through life, allowing the river to pull them along — no paddling, no rudder — and they might be heading for the rocks . . . or the waterfall.

Talk On Your Feet

In Shark Tank, you only have 3-5 minutes to present your product. You have to give the best and most critical information quickly and in a way where your audience immediately understands what you do and what the opportunity is. Many presenters don't have solid pitches and the ability to answer easy follow-up questions.

Handle Obstacles With Aplomb

It's funny when you see the presenter finish their pitch and are aghast when the investors ask penetrating and direct questions. Many presenters stumble, some are defensive, and only a few have the gravitas to handle the pressure and perform.

Face it — you will hit obstacles EVERY DAY of your life and it's how you deal with those obstacles which define each of us for greatness. That's why they call it 'work'. If you are giving a status update to your board or pitching your services to a new prospect — make the assumption that they will ask hard questions. If they do, it means they are really interested!

Be Able To Sell Yourself Anytime

It's so funny when I bump into someone or I meet them at a networking event and they are definitely not prepared to speak with me about what they do. They obfuscate, they skitter, or they quickly skip over their most important deliverable. Guess what? I've lost interest.

How about saying something like — "When people are stuck, I get them moving forward - fast." or "It's hard to fully trust someone today - they all have agendas - I'm the one executives call who they can trust." (this is what I say)

Know Your Financials

This is my main pet peeve — entrepreneurs go on the show with some outrageous dollar amount in mind and no way to back it up. The minute the sharks begin to ask questions, the entrepreneurs stumble and pause. Not good.

If you are pitching a client, know EXACTLY what is behind your number and what it is composed of — so if they ask, you have an answer. Also, be prepared for a counter-offer and the full ability to explain your deliverables.

Know When To Close

I've seen too many people not know when to close — they fumble along and wait for their client to 'make their move'. You see it constantly on Shark Tank — they do their presentation and then the sharks either bow out or make an offer.

When you hear the 'buy' signal — go in for the 'kill' and close. Ask for their business, negotiate the offer up or down, and shake their hand!

Smile & Walk Away

There are many Shark Tank contestants who are rebuffed by the entire team of sharks. It's usually because they have a bad business idea or they didn't present or negotiate well with the sharks.

IMPORTANT: Even though you have a stellar idea, you can kill it with a bad presentation or negotiation style.

If things don't go well during a pitch or job interview — close, smile, and walk away. Don't let it get to you — it was never going to happen. The more upbeat you are, the more the client will think that they just let the biggest fish of their career, get away.

P.S. As you can probably tell, I love the Shark Tank and hope everyone who reads my blog runs off to watch it!