Page 120 - How To Get Rich

Weisselberg, Charlie Reiss, Norma Foerderer, and Tom Downing also
made appearances, and Bernie Diamond appears four times. Whenever I
make a big hiring decision, these people are involved, so it was only
natural for me to include them in choosing the apprentice.

The only person I had to coax into appearing was my vice president
and personal assistant, Norma Foerderer. She prefers being the power
behind the throne and didn’t want to be in the limelight, but I finally
convinced her.
I’ve been asked how much the success ofThe Apprentice will mean to
my business. My pay per episode, while substantial, does not, for me,
mean very much. It is nowhere near what the stars ofFriends rake in. The

real value is in the free advertising and publicity The Trump Organization
has been receiving. I can’t put a monetary value on that. BeforeThe
Apprentice, the use of my name on a building was worth untold millions
of dollars. That value sure has not gone down. I’m told thatThe Apprentice
is the highest-rated show featuring a nonacting businessman in the history
of television. When TV viewers think of business in America, a lot of

them are going to be thinking about The Trump Organization.
We’re already at work on the second season, to premiere in the fall of
2004. For those of you interested in applying and winning, here are the
four essential qualities I’m looking for in an apprentice:
1.
An outstanding personality.Someone who makes everyone feel
comfortable. No matter what you’re doing in business—selling, buying,

negotiating, analyzing, or managing—this may be the most essential trait.
You’ve got to be able to connect with the people you encounter, every
hour, every day.
2.
Brains.Not book brains alone, but street smarts as well. That

combination, properly used, is a winner.
3.
Creativity.The ability to see beyond the obvious, to think unpredictably
and imaginatively, to make connections others might not envision. This is
perhaps the hardest quality to develop—you’ve either got it or you don’t.
But you can be creative in different ways. Jeff Zucker is a creative TV
executive. Derek Jeter is a creative shortstop. If they switched jobs, they
might not be as creative in their various fields.