Significant Career Lesson From An Associate Marketing Director At NAMM
Luke's most significant career lesson is the importance of "allowing people to save face," avoiding confrontational corrections, and instead finding creative solutions that preserve relationships. This approach, exemplified by subtly guiding colleagues and clients toward desired outcomes without causing embarrassment or forcing retractions, has proven highly effective in navigating the interconnected and often politically sensitive music products industry.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Leadership, Relationship Management
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Luke Walton
Associate Marketing Director
NAMM
USC 2013, SDSU 2020
MBA, SDSU
Fine Arts, Music
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Communication and Marketing
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Allowing people to save face is crucial for maintaining positive relationships and achieving success in business. This approach helps avoid confrontation and enables collaboration, even when correcting errors.
2. In navigating the complexities of business, particularly in consolidated markets, finding creative solutions that allow others to maintain their reputation and dignity is key. This tactful approach can lead to better outcomes than direct confrontation.
3. Prioritizing long-term relationships over short-term gains is a valuable strategy. Focusing on maintaining positive connections and fostering a collaborative environment ultimately leads to more sustainable success, particularly in smaller industries with limited players.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you've learned so far that has proven really significant in your career?
The biggest lesson I've learned applies across sales, both internal and external. It's about allowing people to save face and not holding one over somebody when you discover they're wrong.
See if you can figure out a way to handle it. For example, someone didn't know about pre-sales for apps in the App Store. They were on the IT side. I knew there was a way to find out this information.
Instead of going over that person's head, I waited until after the meeting. I let them talk and then said, "Hey, I was doing some Googling and came across this." This allowed that person to then take that information to the CEO.
They could say, "Hey, actually, this came up." They even ended up getting credit for it. The alternative would have been to interrupt the meeting and say, "I'm smarter than this person." This would have allowed me to save face with the CEO, but instead, I let the other person take the lead.
Our relationship remained intact, and the CEO still found out it was me who turned that around. The same applies to customers. Customers often give reasons why they don't want your product.
If they're a big buyer, and a large part of music products is controlled by a few companies like Amazon, Guitar Center, and Sweetwater, they might make decisions they need to walk back for you to be successful. For instance, they might say, "We're not carrying that line anymore because the profit margins aren't there," or blame a previous marketing manager.
They try to create circumstances where it can be their decision. This makes them feel good, and they don't have to publicly retract what they've already said or admit they were wrong to the industry. This avoids them looking bad, like they're coming back to you with their tail between their legs.
Instead, it's framed as, "Hey, we're working on this thing together," or "There's new management, new products, and new quality control." This makes them feel good about their decision instead of trying to rub their nose in it.
Everyone I've seen try to rub somebody else's nose in it has not succeeded long-term. They might see short-term gains or feel good for a little while. The best thing to do is to keep it steady.
This is a small industry, but I feel like it applies to every other consolidated industry. Allow people to save face and find creative ways to move forward together.