By Lee Salz, September 2016 IES speaker.

On March 22, 2002, the Wall Street Journal ran an article announcing that United Airlines was changing from Coke to Pepsi on its planes and ending a multi-decade relationship with Coke.

Most people probably didn’t read the article, but the subject is fascinating given what was happening in the United States at that time.

This announcement came approximately six months after 9/11, when airline executives were in a frenzy. People weren’t flying. New regulations were being imposed on airlines. Airline profits were being squeezed. Yet, someone was able to close a soda deal at this time…which is a great story.

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Lee Salz is a sales management strategist and best-selling author of “Hire Right, Higher Profits.” Salz specializes in helping companies build world-class salesforces through effective hiring, onboarding, managing and compensating salespeople. He develops strategies and processes companies need to win more business at the prices they want. Salz is a results-driven sales management consultant and speaker who can be reached at www.SalesArchitects.com, lsalz@salesarchitects.com and 763-416-4321.