The day I was schooled by an advertiser

John Foust

Aug 1, 2026

On the day of the meeting, we were all seated at a conference table, and — after introductions — I opened the portfolio, turned it so they could see and started talking about my work.
Foust

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of important lessons from prospects and clients. But there was one prospect who provided me with an advanced degree in selling — with just 15 words.

In my early days running a small ad agency, I received a referral to meet with the owner and a few key executives of a regional company that needed someone to do an advertising project. This was in pre-internet days, so my advance preparation consisted of studying as many of their previous ads as possible and assembling a portfolio of samples of my work.

On the day of the meeting, we were all seated at a conference table, and — after introductions — I opened the portfolio, turned it so they could see and started talking about my work. The owner politely put up with that for a couple of minutes, then said, “I don’t care what you’ve done for other people. What can you do for me?” In a split second, I knew that he was right. Why in the world should he or anyone else care what I had done for other advertisers? He wanted to know what was in it for him.

With those 15 words ringing in my ears, I quickly pulled out my legal pad and started asking questions about his marketing goals. Then I shut up and listened.

I won that particular project — and later their account — and handled their advertising until the business was sold over 20 years later. He and I got along famously, and when his son took over from him, the strong relationship with management continued. I particularly enjoyed working with them because I always knew where my ideas stood. They got right to the point.

His 15 words should be displayed in every sales office: “I don’t care what you’ve done for other people. What can you do for me?” If prospects don’t say that out loud, they are certainly thinking it. Any time we think about talking on and on about ourselves and our company, let’s slam on the brakes and change the subject to their interests. Better yet, let’s start our conversations with the focus squarely on them, not us.

Here are a few points that come to mind:

  1. Work to establish an “as is” and a “should be.” They’re talking to you for a reason, and it’s all about them. The objective of the meeting should be to discover where their marketing is now — and where they want it to be.
  2. Discuss possible solutions. This is all part of “what you can do for them.” Demonstrate your qualifications (and past work) in a relevant way — by keeping them at the center of the conversation.
  3. Be flexible. By asking questions, you can control the direction of the conversation. Along the way, if they give signs to keep it moving, be ready to shift gears.

Benefit from the lesson I learned that day. When it comes to learning and growing, school is always in session. © Copyright 2026 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

 

John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training DVDs to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com