We are PR crisis managers. Here’s how we do damage control when we say something stupid.

In the world of public relations, crisis communications firms are tasked with doing the dirty work: when a client gets caught in a public scandal or says something really stupid—that’s what happens a lot of On social media—these PR professionals are responsible for helping people save face, jobs, and endorsement deals.

Given the nature of their jobs, we figured they must be pretty good at handling their occasional verbal lapses, so we decided to ask them about it personally What to do when they say something embarrassing.

As expected, they had some great suggestions. Please read below.

Evan Nierman is the founder and CEO of global public relations firm Red Banyan. It rarely happens, but when he does put his foot in his mouth or make a mistake, he knows the quickest way to recover from it is to admit it immediately: not tomorrow, not next week, but before the stupid words come out of his mouth after.

“What you have to do is admit your mistakes, take responsibility, correct any misinformation and bring the conversation back to something positive,” he told The Huffington Post.

Timing is everything, Neeleman said. “The quicker you resolve the dispute, the quicker you can move on and make substantive changes in your behavior.”

The most important thing to remember when you say the wrong thing is not to make it worse: If you call your new coworker Rhonda “Sharon,” which is the name of your other coworkers, just say, “Oops, I meant Rhonda!”

Really, keep it simple. Without going into detail Rhonda and Sharon’s mash-up is probably because they both have the same Karen hairstyle.

“When I say something that I regret, I don’t make a fuss about it because it just brings more attention to it,” said Stephanie King, managing director of BlueSky PR. “It may even encourage the person you’re talking to to learn more about the topic, or ask more questions.”

If what you say is factually incorrect, correct it, but King said to act quickly.

Let’s say you say something that might be considered offensive. In this case, a quality apology comes down to addressing three things, says Amy Levy, president of her own public relations firm.

First, she says, explain why what you’re saying is wrong. Second, acknowledge who may have been offended and how short-sighted the comment was.

Third, she said, “Assume that you will put yourself in the shoes of those who have been harmed by this behavior and admit that you feel bad and make an effort to get more education in the future.”

Not everyone is responsive and has excellent communication skills. Let’s say you ignored the embarrassing comment for a moment out of nervousness or being speechless. Is it also worth doing damage control after the fact, in person the next time you see someone, or over the phone or via text?

“If what you said may have been offensive, an honest, direct call can help,” says crisis communications expert Nicole Rodrigues, CEO and founder of NRPR Group. “Human beings are Human beings, appreciate transparency and honesty.”

That is, Rodriguez tried to avoid using text that could be misinterpreted. (What if you put your foot in your mouth again? Now you have the receipt.)

“The text may be taken out of context,” she said. “An old-fashioned telephone works wonders.”

Neeleman agrees: It’s never too late to apologize, and damage control can be quick and painless.

“Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, focus on moving forward with confidence and demonstrating that you’re ready to take the next step,” he said.

This approach not only mitigates damage but also demonstrates responsibility and resilience.

“People may not forget a mistake, but they will definitely remember how you handled it,” he said.