After a Huge Screw-Up, How to Handle the Aftermath

Starbucks Gets It Right

Inevitably, you or your company will screw up. Maybe today, maybe next week, maybe six months from now. How you respond will show what you’re made of. When Dr. David Dao was beaten and dragged off a United Express flight last April, United Airlines’ upper management very publicly botched the initial response to the incident. […]

Sales advice: take responsibility

Does the Client Believe It’s Working?

In the advertising sales game, few things are worse than an unexpected cancellation. The agreement was signed with great fanfare a few months ago. The ad looked great, the digital campaign’s performing well, and you’ve settled in for a good, long relationship. Then the email comes out of the blue. “It’s not working. We need […]

sales success isn't magic -- does the client believe?

Please Call Your Voice Mail. Now.

Yes, Your Own Voice Mail

Here are three salespeoples’ outgoing voice mail greetings I encountered on Tuesday, June 13. Names and numbers have been changed to protect people who should know better: “The person you are trying to reach is not available. Please leave a message after the tone.” Delivered by an automated voice.  “You have reached five, oh, three, […]

salespeople should fix their phone greetings

How to Recover From a Massive Screwup

Lessons for Salespeople from the United Airlines Debacle

Something bad is going to happen. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or next week. But if you sell advertising for a significant length of time, somebody will screw up and you’ll have to clean up the mess. The dust has finally settled on the United Airlines “doctor dragged off the plane” affair of April 2017. […]

salespeople have to mop up the mess

How Can You Make It Easier to Buy From You?

Sales Training From Amazon Because of the date of the announcement, it seemed like an April Fools joke. But Amazon was serious… and inspired. Amazon Dash is a pack-of-gum-sized button with an adhesive strip. It connects to your Amazon mobile app, and allows you to order a pre-chosen product in a predetermined quantity, just by […]

Dash is a sales training lesson from Amazon