If you're going to build something from nothing, you've got to know what really works.

I took a thousand dollar loan and built a five billion dollar business, and now I make smart investments in new businesses on Shark Tank. This is Barbara

Corcoran and you're listening to Business Unusual. This week on Business Unusual

I'm going to be answering all of the great questions you guys keep sending me in. on business,

on unusual, I'm going to be answering all of the great questions you guys keep sending me in

on business, life, how to move forward, how to jump over obstacles.

Come on, I'm good at it and I want to share my advice.

But first, you may think your idea is good enough to sell itself

but without the right pitch, you're smoking dope. You'll not get the cash or the customers to make

your dream come true. Believe you me.

I've been here in business pitches my whole life and I continue to hear them every week

on Shark Tank and I can tell you that successful pitches all have the same important parts.

Here they are. Number one, they have a good hook to draw attention

a reason for people to really want to listen.

A short while ago I invested in a company named the Comfy, which is kind of a

smart cross between a blanket and a sweatshirt. And the two entrepreneurs from

the Comfy Company open their pitch singing a disarming jingle that got me on their side right from the get-go.

It was so stupid the jingle, but so endearing that all the sharks on set were leaning in and paying

attention to the words. Well I say that's called a good hook. You don't have to sing, but you need something that hooks attention. That's why it's called a hook.

Number two, you need to make your point short and clear. Say what your business is, what it does, and why it's a good idea. That's it. If you

can say it in one line only, great. If it takes two line, that's good too. But don't ever

use more than two lines to describe your

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