Instantly Improve Your Sales Numbers


Sales numbers - improve those dismal sales figures instantly - by Andertoons

I have a thing for sales graphs. There’s an awful lot of visual fun to be had with lines, bars and pies.

This graph cartoon came after looking at one of my previous cartoons sideways on my desk, and noticing that the downward trending line was pointing up when viewed from that angle. After that, the caption sort of wrote itself.

This is one of my earlier cartoons, and one of the few where I swear I actually felt a lightbulb appear momentarily over my head.

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Mark Anderson, professional cartoonist

About the Author: Mark Anderson’s cartoons appear in publications including The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. Anderson is the creator of the popular cartoon website, Andertoons.com, where he licenses his cartoons for presentations, newsletters and other projects. He blogs at Andertoons cartoon blog.

12 Comments ▼

Mark Anderson Mark Anderson's cartoons appear in publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review. His business cartoons are available for licensing at his website, Andertoons.com.

12 Reactions
  1. The “lightbulb over the head” you speak of . . . I can relate and had a similar experience myself. I knew I was onto something at that moment and interestingly enough, I was. The action that I took then was a critical, defining moment and to this day – I am still reaping the benefits of it.

    This is a really cute depiction. Show the value of looking at things from an entirely different perspective 🙂

  2. I guess it really all is in the way you look at things! This cartoon is so funny because it’s also so true. As business owners, we’re always trying to find so kind of positive from something so negative. If we never looked at the bright side, small businesses would never last.

  3. This cartoon reminds me of the CareerBuilder commercial: http://www.rateitall.com/i-888173-come-on-feel-the-noise-careerbuildercom.aspx

    Great cartoon though!

  4. I’ve actually been in meetings such as these and if we would’ve changed our perspective like the folks depicted here did – would’ve been an entirely different experience! Although not very profitable, huh? Gives me a good laugh. . .

  5. This cartoon reminds me of preparing for a board meeting where the president of the company came to check in on us and give us some “pointers” before our presentation. His advice was 1) show us upwardly sloping line graphs in pretty colors. 2) Whatever you do DON’T run into cocktail hour. 🙂

  6. thanks for article good!

  7. Mark, I like expressions and simplicity in your cartoons – not to mention the relevance, brevity and humor.

    Amanda, As small business owners, we are constantly looking for good news in our data. If we don’t find it, we still look for the silver linings – but we don’t get our lessons from it. 🙂 That’s probably why our critiques get the point sooner than we do.

    Ivana, if someone consciously wants to doctor data, I will be careful with them.

  8. I love this cartoon. And Staci, you’re right about changing perspectives. So much in business has to do with how you look at things.

    One person looks at something and sees the glass half empty, and another can’t imagine that anyone would see it other than half full.

    One person looks at a sales chart and sees dismal results, and another sees … oh, um, I guess they had to turn the chart sideways to see positives, but hey. 🙂

  9. Nice cartoon, Mark. It depicted how entrepreneurs would try to find ways to look on a very disgusting sales data positively. However, it taught us a lesson that it’s not good enough to look things always on positive side but it will be better to stick on the real data and do the necessary actions to overcome it positively.

  10. Changing perspective is normal but entrepreneurs shouldn’t forget the real and present data.

  11. Mark:

    What do you say about this cartoon called Blogger’s Cycle? http://www.coxandforkum.com/archives/000119.html

    I often try to see it from the bright side and from different angles. After I have been fooled by a swindler who took plenty of cash from me, I said to myself: “This is a learning experience, and I will use this for my long-range advantage.” I have been pondering about a security system and check and balances in order to prevent future crooks and to help other small business owners. I have shared the experience with other business owners and we are thinking of creating a fund or support organization sometime in the future.

  12. This one made me laugh. I might try this sometime.