Here’s the situation: three participants volunteered to step up and present before the JB Sales Shark Tank, with John Barrows, James Buckley, and Brian Burkhart, founder of SquarePlanet Presentations & Strategy.

Each participant roleplayed as one of three finalists for a contract with the customer, played by the panel. They were given enough information about the company, and had just a few minutes to pitch the panel about why their solution should be the winner. And each will learn from the velvet hammer approach: honest, no-nonsense critiques designed to elevate positively, not humiliate negatively.