A Lesson Well Learned

I went into a client's business on Friday and immediately had my ass handed to me on a platter. I made a critical error when it comes to meeting with a large client for the first time. I didn't do my homework. I had a huge proposal lined up with an opportunity for that client to own our airwaves for most of the winter months. All we wanted was something in trade. Granted, it was large, but the proposal I submiuted was large on our end too. She was busy and only had time for a minute. Uh oh, first bad sign. I laid out my promotion and was immediately handed my tush on a platter. "What in the hell made you think you could waltz in here and tell me how my business is when I have never met you before? You look and smell like some California hustler in here to take my money and I don't appreciate it. Where are you from? St. Louis! Let me tell you something city slicker, you'll never get anywhere in this town with an attitude like that. St. Louis, huh? I'll just bet that you're going to vote for that Muslim son of a bitch who's the anti-Christ too, huh? If he gets elected, my business and half the businesses in this town will shut down because he wants to tax us even more. He's worse than the boy governor of this state and that's saying something..." Anyway, this went on for a while and I explained I used to be a rider and was maybe looking to get back on a bike again; that I had never even been to Califonia, I grew up on a farm in one of the most conservative parts of the country and I was somewhat offened by that remark. All I was guilty of was coming in there with a proposal that was too ambitious for her or her business. That's a huge mistake in my business. I didn't know my client well enough and just thought the proposal was too good to pass up. ERRRR, wrong answer. Things calmed down and I left with the opportunity to earn her trust and respect and through all that, I got a nice Tshirt. Situation went downhill fast when I got there, but just at the right time, I pulled the plane from a nose dive and landed at the nearest airport. A negative was turned into a somewhat positive situation.

All I could do was laugh about it when I got back to the office. We'll hit it all again on Monday.