Lessons from the Shark Tank: Secondary Characters Have Their Own Role to Play

 

The people who go on Shark Tank to pitch an investment come in all shapes and sizes. That’s also true of those secondary characters in fiction who have more than a walk-on role. When developing secondary characters, it can be helpful to draw from the personalities that predominate on Shark Tank.

Here are some of the common types.

• Patronizing. These are the participants who think they are smarter than the sharks. They ignore the sharks’ advice and keep arguing even after the sharks have made their position clear. One example is two women with bedding sets who wanted the money for an infomercial and refused to listen when all five sharks said that wasn’t the right sales approach for their product. Although they said they agreed, their comments on leaving the tank were that the infomercial was the right approach and they were determined to do it.

In fiction, this is the person who won’t listen to anyone’s advice, even if he or she has asked for it.

• Clueless. These are people who believe in their products so much that they have unrealistic expectations about how much the business will grow and/or are blind to the fact that the business is headed toward bankruptcy. Or they may be so in love with the product or the marketing plan that they can’t see the flaws.

In fiction, this is the naïve or impractical character who expects unrealistic outcomes.

• Snake-oil salesman/scammer. This is the stereotypical salesperson who makes outrageous claims with no scientific research or consumer trials to back them up. On Shark Tank, it may be someone with a diet pill or an electro-magnetic watch that is supposed to cure all the wearer’s ills.

In fiction, this is a charismatic person who will lead others down the wrong path.

• Inventor. Some participants come on the show to pitch their second or third or even tenth invention but aren’t enthusiastic about the business side of the enterprise. They may get a deal if they have a patented invention and are willing to license it. But if they want to be the ones to sell it, they walk away empty-handed.

In fiction, these are people who jump from one idea to another or refuse to give up control of their grand brainchildren.

• Waffler. These people can’t make up their minds. When offered a deal, they take forever to consider it or shop around among the other sharks even when told they must decide immediately. The shark who has offered a deal often rescinds it, leaving the waffler with nothing.

In fiction, the person who can’t make up his or her mind often loses out on opportunities and ends up with nothing.

• Teachable. This person is inexperienced or not terribly strong on the business side but is eager to learn. If he or she has a good product, one or more of the sharks may be willing to mentor the participant.

In fiction, this is actually a good characteristic for a protagonist to have since it will add realism to his or her internal journey.

• Entrepreneur. The true entrepreneur has an interesting product, a realistic understanding of its market potential, and good business sense. This person is almost guaranteed to walk away with a deal.

In fiction, this is James Bond. Sometimes this is the least interesting of the characters because there are no flaws for the reader to identify with. However, if dressed up properly (similar to having an interesting product in the Shark Tank), the reader will buy into the character anyway.

On Shark Tank, the participant’s personality may be the main determinant of whether he or she gets a deal. Even if the business opportunity is fantastic, most sharks won’t work with someone who will be hard to get along with.

That can create great tension in your fiction.

So make it work for you.