TURNING A MISTAKE INTO A SALE

Yesterday, I got a call from a publisher asking for my mailing address so they could send blue lines of my chapter so I can approve them for an upcoming book. “Which chapter is this?”, I asked, and ultimately we discovered they had called the wrong Patrick Williams. They meant to call the Patrick Williams who led the 76’ers to victory in the 1983 NBA Championship and is now the Vice-President of the Orlando Magic.

I am also in their contact list as a professional speaker, sales trainer and marketing consultant, so the mistake is understandable.

What I don’t understand is why the publisher’s rep did not immediately turn that call into a sales call.

If I was in her shoes (no jokes about me wearing pumps, okay?), upon hearing that I did not have any material submitted to them for an upcoming book, I would have asked questions like, “why not?”, “are you working on a book?”, “shouldn’t you be working on a book”, and, best of all, “are you aware that every professional speaker’s career explodes when they publish their first book?”

Hey, everyone makes a mistake and contacts the wrong person on occasion. A true professional will take that mistake and attempt to turn it into a sale, an appointment, or at least permission to stay in touch with the prospect.

With every conversation, you have a chance to make a sale or start a conversation that could lead to one. So the next time you make a mistake, have some fun and try turning a mistake into a sale.