Kevin Harrington discusses how founders can plan customer acquisition and scale distribution. He shares advice on pitching, brand growth, fair deals and choosing investment opportunities.
Guest views are their own.
About the guest
Kevin Harrington. Kevin Harrington is described as an original Shark on Shark Tank, the inventor of the infomercial, and a pioneer of the As Seen on TV brand. He says he has launched more than 500 products and built 20 businesses to over $100 million each; the introduction video says those products generated over $5 billion in sales across more than 100 countries.
Key takeaways
- Plan customer acquisition before spending all the capital raised. Harrington says founders need to know how they will bring customers in and scale the business.
- Measure customer lifetime value alongside acquisition cost. He gives the example of a skincare offer that turned a $39 sale into an average of eight purchases.
- For Celsius, Harrington credits branding and distribution, including influencer marketing, with helping the company grow from a small startup into a much larger business.
- Use customer testimonials and before-and-after stories to show a product's transformation. Harrington says this approach can help sell products in video and digital channels.
- Structure a one-minute pitch video around three steps: tease a problem, please viewers with demonstrations and benefits, then seize the sale with an irresistible offer.
- Use a concise, compelling video to explain a business to investors. Harrington says it can communicate the story faster than a long deck.
- Make deals that feel fair to both sides. Harrington says fair terms helped bring repeat business and new opportunities from partners.
- In a difficult negotiation, qualify whether the other party is the right partner instead of treating the meeting only as a chance to close a sale.
- Increase the number and quality of opportunities you see by building visibility through activities such as writing books, speaking and appearing at events.
- Harrington says changes to his health routine, including stopping drinking and smoking cigars, gave him more energy and clearer thinking.
Best quotes
"So, too often there's not a total game plan to launch the business. Meaning, well, you know, I want to know are you do you have a customer acquisition strategy?"
"So it was not a $39 sale. It was a $300 sale. So they now could spend they were spending a hundred$150 maybe who knows how much to get a customer"
"And so, with that, the the distribution came, but this is the amazing thing that happened. And I I say that the they they actually ended up this company with exponential sales as opposed to geometric"
"Branding is the secret sauce."
"You tease. You You got to solve a problem. So, solve a problem, but tease tease it up front with something attention getting."
"And then if you don't have the C's, which is create an irresistible offer, you're not going to make the sale."
Educational only. Nothing on this site is investment, tax, legal, accounting or other professional advice, or a recommendation on any security, manager, structure or allocation. Speak with qualified professionals before acting.