What Dancing With the Stars Can Teach You About Business

In case dancing isn't your thing, Donald Driver, wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, won this year's Dancing With the Stars.

Even if you're not a Green Bay Packers fan, there are a lot of reasons to root for Donald. He's the classic rags-to-riches story: Dad in jail when he was born, family was homeless during much of his childhood. He was a seventh round draft pick of the Packers and ended up becoming one of the most productive receivers in Packer history. (Plus he's just an all-around really nice guy.)

But even though Donald is probably worth having an article devoted to him, that's not why I'm doing it. Why I'm doing it is because the same strengths Donald brought to his career with the Packers is what ultimately was responsible for him winning Dancing with the Stars.

(Something for you to ponder: What strengths caused you to be successful in some other aspect of your life that you can draw upon for your business?)

What's even more interesting is some of these strengths would also translate to the business world. Here are 3 of them:

1. Desire to win. By all accounts Donald is a really great, really nice guy. The first thing he did when he landed his first big contract with the Packers is buy his grandma a house and tell her she would never have to worry about money the rest of her life. He set up a foundation. He's heavily involved in the Wisconsin community and volunteers his time as well as donating money for charity. He's written 3 children's books. His teammates love him.

But make no mistake -- the man is a fierce competitor. That was on display front and center the entire dance competition. He was bound and determined to win and by God that was exactly what he did.

He wasn't the best dancer -- that was Katherine, the Welch Opera singer. If anything he was probably the most improved by the end of the season. But he was the most driven to win and if you could ever see someone will themselves to win something, this was it.

2. Know your strengths and assets and capitalize on them. Donald knew going in he had one GIANT asset -- Green Bay Packer fans. You see, fan voting counts for half of his score. And he knew how loyal Packer fans are, and with no football to watch they would be watching (and voting) for him on Dancing With the Stars.

And speaking of fan voting...

3. Ask for the sale. Of all the dancers, Donald was the ONLY one who would mug for the camera, mouthing about he wanted their vote and making a phone gesture with his hand. It was really cute and very inoffensive how he did it (so yes it IS possible to ask for the sale in an inoffensive and cute way) but the point was made. Vote for Donald.

The other couples would simply stand there and smile for the camera. Donald actively asked for the vote over and over. And it was even bigger than that -- he tweeted about it, he put it all over his website. He worked and worked that asset, and I suspect his efforts also got him some votes from non-Packer fans.

And it was a good thing he did this -- according to people who watch the show more than me, this was the most competitive Dancing with the Stars ever. The 3 couples were virtually tied with the judges' votes. It was up to the fans to make the decision.

And the one they voted for was the one who asked for it.