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When a bad review turns into a big opportunity.
Quick hello from me.
I’m Dom, I run CREATE, a digital agency based at the SiGNAL hub in Tiverton and in Dubai. We do digital growth, web and custom development, branding and AI integration. Twenty-five odd years in and still enjoying it.
Thought I’d introduce myself with something that happened recently because it’s a decent reminder if you’re having a rough week.
An influencer with about two million followers left a scathing comment about a brand I’m invested in. He had a point, the previous owners had gone under owing him money. We explained we were new owners, wanted to move forward and asked if he’d take it down. He said no.
I could’ve argued in the comments. Instead I messaged him privately and just talked to him. A few messages turned into a few calls, and the conversation stopped being about the comment and started being about what he was trying to build.
Skip forward to today. We’re now in conversation about me managing the brand’s growth and he wants his own products manufactured in the UK at our factory. The comment that could’ve hurt us has turned into the biggest opportunity of the year.
What looks bad on the surface often isn’t once you dig in. Most people who kick off just want to be heard.
Some of the best things start out looking like the worst. Even roses grow from manure.
Anyway, that’s me. Plenty of stories like that one, and I’d rather swap them over a coffee than a keyboard.
If you’re in Tiverton, come and say hello. If you’re at the other hub, happy to be introduced and see where it goes.
Good to be here.✌
Rob Fryer, Emma Selby *Flexspace Operator* and 2 others5 Comments-
Hi Dom, Great to meet you virtually. That is such a great story and I have a similar one I’d like to share.
Back in 2007, I worked for Peter Jones’s business Dataselect out of his office in Marlow. In my first week, I asked my sales director Phil Myers (who grew up with sir Alan Sugar) if they had a list of all the clients who said “Don’t ever call me again” to my absolute amazement (This is the absolute truth as it happened) he walked to the top draw of his desk and pulled out a paper spreadsheet with about 150 company names with contacts and numbers, and handed it to me and said “Here you go” LOL
And that became my primary lead list, ultimately leading me to be the top sales guy. Why, because previous clients already know who you are, you don’t have to pitch them, or explain to them who you are and what service you provide, they’ve already bought into you previously, and now don’t for whatever reason.
So I called every single one up and told them I had been specifically hired to deal with previous clients who had had a bad past experience and from today I would rectify that as I had certain powers to ensure past mistakes never happened again, (obviously a total lie lol). It took time, but a couple of these turned into absolute wale of clients when their existing suppliers let them down.
In sales, there is no such thing as no, only maybe shortened.
I hope that story helps someone at some point in business.
Regards
Greg
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@gregory-mullins Thanks Gregory appreciate it. Awesome story too…. just goes to show what can happen when you turn things around and look from another angle…… always a decent outcome, you just have to find it.
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Well done Dom, good skills. – coffee soon!?!
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This is such an important reflection Dom, and great follow on story Greg – let’s hear more stories like this where no is simply a new opportunity waiting to be discovered !!
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Good post and reminder to look for the opportunities in every situation.
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