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When Corcoran demanded Simone fire the secretary , he reminded her that he owned 51 % of the company and wouldn ’ t do that . One year later , Corcoran marched into Simone ’ s office and announced that their partnership was over . She demanded they split the company in half because she was starting her own firm . Corcoran had no idea where she was going to go . She had no office , no tools and no leads . She just knew she was done at Corcoran-Simone .
Corcoran called the landlord leasing their current building and asked if he had any available spaces for a new office and crew . He did — three floors above Corcoran-Simone . She leaped at the chance , satisfied to know that she could be just floors above the man who had sparked her determination .
As Corcoran left the office , Simone stopped her .
“[ He ] was rightfully very surprised I had ended a business [ relationship ] with no notice ,” Corcoran recalled . “ And he said , ‘ You know , Barbara , you ’ ll never succeed without me .’”
Corcoran merely smiled . She would be damned if that was going to be true , and unbeknownst to him , Simone only pushed her to do more . She was going to succeed , and when recessions hit , Simone ’ s words rang in her head , giving her strength .
She was determined to succeed because he had labeled her a failure . The nuns at her school had labeled her a failure too . Later , the real estate boys ’ club in New York would label her a failure .
Yet , Corcoran rose to success . It all started with marketing advice from her mom , an insult from the man who pulled her from the diner and the persistence inside of her that would not let her quit .
“ INSULT THEM ... THEN SHUT YOUR MOUTH ”
Finding the right salespeople has been at the forefront of Corcoran ’ s success , and she ’ s become a magnet for the best . However , she didn ’ t build a $ 66-million company by only recruiting from top business schools or other firms . She considered everyone for her firm . Coffee shops , social gatherings and shopping visits became job interviews for Corcoran .
The best salesperson Corcoran ever had was plucked from her job as an airline attendant at American Airlines . Corcoran ’ s business partner , Esther Kaplan , was never meant for sales , yet she ensured that Corcoran ’ s spending habits and ability to “ throw anything ” she could at the wall didn ’ t sink the company .
It wasn ’ t always this easy . Corcoran ’ s rise took time , mistakes and some wrong hires on the path to finding the right formula . Corcoran soon learned that the people with all the right credentials weren ’ t always the ones propelling sales forward and becoming top agents . Instead , it was those who could sell themselves straight to Corcoran , even as she was flinging insults their way .
“ I studied my salespeople my whole life ,” Corcoran said . “ I discovered a method . It ’ s called ‘ insult them .’ Tell them that you don ’ t think they have what it takes and here ’ s why , and then shut your mouth up and see what they do with that .”
What the candidate would say next became very important to Corcoran , and she listened with her gut . Some would come out of the gate , claiming to have grit and a belief in themselves that they could sell . But it never meshed , Corcoran explained . Others took the insult personally and twisted it back around onto Corcoran . They proved to her that they not only had the determination she was looking for but that they also couldn ’ t believe what she was saying . Those were the salespeople she hired and the superstars who pushed Corcoran Group to its success . In them , Corcoran could see someone who wouldn ’ t quit , even when they were knocked down .
Says Corcoran : “ I found when they take a hit — sales is a lot about taking a hit — they simply felt sorry for themselves , but they took less time to feel sorry for themselves . It ’ s almost as if their IQ was low enough where they got back up . Intelligence would say lay low and lick your wounds .”
For Corcoran , a great sales force is told through numbers , but the qualities that make up that force can be found in the failures . Much like the insult hurled at her decades ago , Corcoran believes that times of adversity are when salespeople should show up the most , and finding the right people for that job goes beyond schooling and experience . It ’ s a feeling found deep in the moment of crisis .
Today , Corcoran uses that same philosophy with the entrepreneurs she supports and funds through “ Shark Tank .”
Says Corcoran : “ I wait until they get their first bad hit , and I want to be on the line to hear what they do . The minute I hear , ‘ It wasn ’ t my fault . That guy promised me … ’ Anything that smells like that — I have all my entrepreneurs hanging on a matted frame on my wall — and I walk over and turn them upside down . I remind myself to never spend any more time with them . They ’ re not going to make it .”
Building a successful business — one that can withstand mergers , acquisitions , recessions and even insults — doesn ’ t require employees who are prestigiously educated or have worked as salespeople their entire lives . Businesses require much more fundamental support through employees that can think with their gut , move on quickly and build strong foundations .
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