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Sara fired from The Apprentice for 'bludgeoning' sales

15/05/2008

Trained barrister Sara Dhada was fired from The Apprentice after her sales technique failed in a wedding-related task.

The 25-year-old car saleswoman was accused of using a "bludgeoning" sales approach as her team attempted to sell wedding products at a bridal fair in Birmingham.

Dhada was joined in the boardroom by Michael Sophocles - for the second week running - and Helene Speight, whose team had been beaten to the tune of nearly £4,000 by Lucinda Ledgerwood's team.

Speight's decision as team leader to sell mid-range wedding dresses at the Birmingham event had proved costly with Ledgerwood's team making some £5,752.99 profit through their successful sales of high-end dresses and lingerie.

And though Sophocles was again criticised by Sir Alan Sugar on the BBC1 reality show, it was Dhada who got the boot, with the Amstrad boss accusing her of "alienating" brides-to-be with her sales tactics.

"If I had been one of those recipients of your sales pitch I would've got your head and pushed it in the bloody cake," he told her.

"You go off like a machine gun. You have a tendency of transmitting and not receiving. You talk, talk, talk but don't listen," he added.

Dhada, from Leicester, said her experience on the fourth series of the show had taught her that she needs "to defend herself".

"I need to say 'you can't speak to me like that'," she continued.

"I didn't defend myself properly. I was so tired. I was thinking just let Sir Alan say what he's got to say, get it over and done with."