Commentary

• Identify the Obstacle.

  • It took more than country charm to solve Protege's woes in this episode.  Manhattan merchants proved tough nuts to crack as spring water sales trickled out a case or two at a time.  Neither Omarosa's smooth talk not Amy's alluring numbers persuaded purchasers to think big.  Finally Troy had what he called a 'moment of clarity', and realized that the problem wasn't price or product or marketing . . . the problem was one which was familiar to anyone attempting to rent a New York City apartment:  space.  Customers couldn't take large shipments of water because they simply had nowhere to put it.  All the persuasive selling in the world couldn't add square footage to cramped shops.  Once the real obstacle was identified, Troy could set his inventive intelligence upon it and divine a solution.  "We're missing the boat," he told his teammates.  "We don't have to just do a one-time delivery."  Soon Troy sewed up the deals for just-in-time delivery of small orders over several consecutive weeks.  Versacorp was crushed and Troy's star shone bright in the boardroom.  "Watching him adapt tells me a lot about his personality," said Amy as she sized up a competitor who proved more formidable with every passing task.  "He reads people well and figures out what tactic sells best."  Trump said it best when he said, "Troy's doing a damn fine job."

• Demand Loyalty. 

  • Bill vowed not to forget it after Katrina and Ereka ganged up on him on the last task.  "Dupe me once, shame on you," he said.  "Dupe me twice, shame on me."  When Ereka brought Bill back to the firing line this week, Bill paid her back with interest.  Asked by Trump who should be fired, Bill chose Ereka rather than Nick.  "You sold me out, Bill," Ereka complained as she headed down the elevator.  "No, I didn't," he replied. "You have short-term memory."

• Beware Overconfidence. 

  • Nick brushed off Ereka's order to educate himself about the next day's customers.  The cocky copier salesman thought he knew everything there was to know about closing deals, but New York City merchants proved him dead wrong.  When Versacorp finished behind Protege, Nick had plenty to answer for; his overconfidence had been a killer.  Although Nick self-confidence ultimately saved him in the boardroom, a dose of humility might have kept him from being there in the first place.

• Control Your Emotions. 

  • Trump has often said that passion is essential for success.  But if you're not careful, runaway emotion can be hazardous to your professional health.  Ereka came unglued in this episode, and the task slipped away along with her self-control.  The first sign of trouble came during the planning phase, when she let her personal conflict with Bill prejudice her against his good ideas; she shut him down instead of capitalizing on his experience in building new businesses.  Next she became visibly upset--almost tearful--right in front of Carolyn when the team's paperwork was in shambles at the task's final deadline.  Finally, and fatally, she protected her friend Katrina by sending her up to the suite when everyone, including Trump, knew she belonged in the boardroom.  Ereka's loss of composure lost her the opportunity to become the Apprentice.

Lessons Learned