8/16/2023-Admitting Mistakes

Admitting mistakes will get you closer to your clients versus handing them 50-yard line seats to the Super Bowl. (Even if it comes with the foam finger.) Buyers want honesty above all else.

"Oh snap, I really screwed that one up! I’m in the doghouse now."

Yeah, so what? It happens. Go easy on yourself.

You’re defined more by how you deal with your blunders and errors versus the action itself.

You just might be in the doghouse, but dog ate homework stories didn’t work with your school teachers, and they have no place in business.

Own it, try to fix it, learn from it, and move on. Do the explaining to your dog; only they care.

When you make a mistake today – and you might – follow this blueprint to help you manage the cover-up, err….um, to help you manage the FOLLOW-UP:
1. What damage was created?
2. Who is involved, and when is the best time to approach them? (It may not always be right away.)
3. What are you going to say? Given the weight of the issue, you may need to write a script to help guide you.

The last is the most important…
4. What did you learn from the mistake, and how can you never, ever, EVER make it again? (Yeah, right!)

Atoning for one’s sins is kinda baked into the DNA, right? Some folks instinctively know how to sincerely apologize, others have an "I’m sorry" chip inserted into their brain: they’re sorry for everything.

Everyone operates in this world with different guardrails and boundaries: what’s acceptable behavior for you might be unacceptable to someone else. You might see a seller friend do something you deem egregious, yet they feel totally fine with it.

But there’s rarely a grey area when it comes to making a business mistake. You goofed! Okay, big deal. Your action probably didn’t do irreparable damage, so stand as tall as you can and say, "YES, I made a mistake, and I will stand by it."

If admitting your mistakes and summarizing the learning nugget is not enough for you, consider reciting the Seller’s Apology Manifesto, which has to be recited in one breath:

"I’m gonna bungle a lot of sh%t on my accounts and can’t blame my <manager/client/CEO> for their shameful and inflated reaction. They are small people, and if they could only hear themselves being irate that my mistake cost $1,000,000. I mean, get over yourself."

That oughta help ya.

Sincerity is everything when it comes to apologizing and admitting mistakes.

No excuses.

No dog ate homework stories….just plain ‘ol, fessing up and taking responsibility.

Sometimes it’s helpful to see bad behavior to motivate us to do good. Let John Belushi in this classic Animal House 3-minute scene guide you on the *INsincere" approach.