My parents are pretty wise. Didn’t know it when I was a kid – just thought they were toughies. For example, if we were caught in wrong behavior we were required to make an apology. But this wasn’t an ordinary apology – we didn’t get away with the “sorry” flippantly tossed in the direction of the victim of our behavior. We were taught that kind of “sorry,” only meant “I’m sorry I got caught.” Here’s what it might have looked like:
“I’m sorry for calling you a name. I was wrong to do that and I’m sure it hurt your feelings. Would you please forgive me?”
And then of course, the apology needed to be accepted, hugs given, etc.
In the business world, nothing, I repeat, nothing will defuse a situation faster than a heartfelt apology. Sincere and genuine ownership of a mistake coupled with a real attempt to correct the wrong in whatever way possible is a good way… no, the ONLY way to respond when you’re at fault. People tend to get very defensive of their behaviors, right or wrong, and when you are able to offer the humility of ownership of your actions – relationships can be restored.
In sponsorship, there are times when things don’t go the way we expected them to. Perhaps someone doesn’t activate the way they were supposed to, something got left out. Maybe your intern was in charge of stocking the drinks (from the sponsors) offered in the VIP tent (of their most elite target audience) and it didn’t get done. In fact, you found her sunbathing on the deck of the VIP yacht instead… completely unaware of the misunderstanding… interesting story I heard at a meeting once. Those sponsors were paying for a partnership that didn’t get leveraged the way all parties had agreed upon. Truth is, we can all work pretty hard to cover our bases, set up overlapping accountability, check points, double check points, but in all reality, if you’re in sponsorship activation for any real length of time, you have to allow for a little human error. This side of Heaven, we’re not perfect yet.
So what do you do when that time comes and you miss the mark?
Own it; but as with anything, respond intentionally.
- Acknowledge the error without making excuses or pointing fingers. People don’t like to play games; they like direct and they like honest. And it’s going to be accepted better when it comes from you vs. someone else.
- Offer a solution – being direct and honest is appreciated, but a solution oriented response is respected. What steps have you put into place to ensure it won’t happen again? It’s really wise to capitalize on this (carefully). If the issue comes up in a renewal conversation, you can really paint a picture for how things went well in the previous effort and how it’s going to be even better in the next effort. What were the opportunities you’re going to take and run with in the next activation effort? Showing how things can go from good to great will offer incentive to stick around.
- Do something extra. Whenever you can do something above and beyond for a sponsor, it’s always a good idea. When you miss the mark in some way, this is a great way to show them you’re willing to do whatever you can to make it right, since going back in time is out.
- Don’t overdramatize it. It’s dangerous to ignore a mistake, but it’s just as bad to blow it out of the water. You want to maintain your respectability as a partner, so your reaction should match the result of the mistake. When you do this, you risk losing your sponsor’s confidence in you (hard to have confidence in someone unsure of themselves); which ultimately risks their loyalty. Appropriate remorse and solution oriented responses are the way to go.
Any interesting stories on impressively handled “situations?” Or perhaps the opposite? What have you learned in your sponsorship activation efforts?