To quote Tony Robbins, everyone’s life is either a warning or an example. The new US press secretary Sean Spicer is no exception. At the rate he’s going, Spicer seems to be headed for a swift “You’re fired!” from The Donald. What warnings can the rest of the PR world take from Spicer’s first days on the job?

1) Get your facts straight. Spicer got his facts wrong right out of the gate. Speaking about the crowd gathered at inauguration day, Sean Spicer told the press that it was, “The largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period — both in person and around the globe.” He was called out immediately for his misstep, and media trust for Spicer was compromised as soon as he began. PR is all about relationships, and lies poison relationships. Spicer shouldn’t have tried to spice things up with hyperbole or misrepresentation, especially this early in the game.

2) Avoid friendly fire. The “largest audience ever” issue was exacerbated when Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway told NBC’s Meet the Press that Spicer was offering “alternative facts.” The statement, which was seen as ludicrous and Orwellian by most, made Spicer’s misrepresentation seem intentional and sinister. The whole incident would have blown over more quickly had Conway not inadvertently poured gasoline on the fire (and created a new hashtag: #AlternativeFacts). Spicer should have ensured that all members of the Trump organization were on the same page so that nobody went off message in their exchanges with the media.

3) Don’t antagonize the press. In the new administration’s first official press conference, Spicer spent a significant amount of time critiquing media coverage of his boss. In his curmudgeonly freestyle rant, Spicer created an antagonistic environment with the very press he is meant to court. Before taking the mic, Spicer should have reviewed Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Win Friends and Influence People (hint: it doesn’t say you should criticize their work and whine about how demoralized you feel). Instead of building bridges, Spicer burned them.

4) Say less. Spicer apparently likes to talk. A lot. Every time he opens his mouth, he is increasing the chances that he stumbles and gives the press he has just antagonized a new talking point to make him look bad. By picking two or three main points and sticking to them, Spicer would have more control of his message and increase the likelihood that he would see more of the sorts of coverage he is looking for.

I doubt that Sean Spicer will ever read this, and I doubt that he would change his tune even if he did. Still, I hope that we can learn something from watching him that will make us more effective communicators, and keep us from repeating his mistakes.