Shark Tank Analysis – Tips For Startups

Shark Tank, a very popular American entrepreneurial show, has recently made its debut in India. The show involves new and upcoming businesses pitching for investment in front of a panel of five successful entrepreneurs. While the show has certainly gained popularity for its ‘sharks,’ our eyes were on the pitchers. The sheer passion and dedication shown by them are what swayed the investors as well as the audience. We have done a body language analysis to understand what about them, and not the product, made these ‘sharks’ give them their money.

If you are someone like me then you have certainly binged all the episodes. One thing that was seen repeatedly is the investors telling the pitchers that it is them who have made an impression on them and not their business. Many times, even when the business or product didn’t seem very investable, the sharks just couldn’t say no to them simply because of how passionate they were.

One of the biggest and most viral examples of passion is ‘Jugaadu Kamlesh.’ A humble boy from an agricultural background belonging to a small village in India. The way Kamlesh presented himself is what won the heart of Peyush Bansal, co-founder and CEO of LensKart. Kamlesh, when talking about his product, had a very firm body language. He kept using his hands, occupying the space around him, making himself look large, which showed his confidence. Along with that, every time he tried to highlight any important feature of his product, he would raise his eyebrows. And of course, his unforgettable smile. His entire body language was in sync and screaming confidence key factors for career advancement and success.

Along with your facial and hand gestures, your movements also play an important role in depicting confidence and passion. We could see this very visibly in Priyam Singh of PawsIndia. While talking, along with keeping her pace slightly faster than normal, she would always turn her body towards the investor she was engaging with. During her pitch, when Anupam Mittal began his questions, we could see her take a slight step towards him. This showed her excitement and interest toward him. She made it very clear from her body language that he had her entire attention a subtle but powerful form of communication.

One of the things that stood out was the play of action shown by Manas Madhu of Beyond Snacks. When talking about his Kerala made banana chips, the way this particular entrepreneur used his body language to show actions of sweat, and grease, it helped him make his presentation more impactful. Along with this, to make his product and himself stand out he showed the judges a very small trick. The way of biting. Biting with front teeth indicates softness of the material as opposed to using your canines. This move allowed him to show off his quality of the product without having to go over it verbally. Such attention to nonverbal communication can help build confidence and stand out, traits vital for achieving success.

In businesses that have more than one founder, verbal disagreements are common. But if your body language shows conflict and tension between one another, then that is a reflection on the relationship between the two. This is what we expected when Chahat & Sanskar of Farda Clothing appeared. However, the synchrony and understanding shown by them really took us by surprise. Both the co-founders were completely comfortable with each other. Their body language reflected the equal partnership they shared. Even though questions were thrown at them both together, they each knew very comfortably who was going to answer and what. It’s their in-sync partnership that won the deal a clear example of how teamwork and strong communication can drive career success.

While body language is certainly important in creating an impression, your verbal capabilities also hold an equal weightage. We could see this in Pratik Gadia’s pitch. This owner of Yarn Bazar not only possessed all of the above written qualities but also was mindful, calm and composed. His passion was visible through his answer. Everytime he was confronted with a tough question, he first thanked the judges for asking that question and then maintaining his composure would answer it.