Just move on. Be honest with the interviewee. If you don t have a good quote, don t use it. You don t HAVE to quote anyone at all. You really can t be a reporter without getting out of the office.
Photographers end up with a better sense of the subject because they ve been there.
Shun catchy ledes that have nothing to do with the story. Readers are hooked by the great lede, yet they end up disappointed because the story doesn t deliver. Identify the offer. Eliminate the clutter. Stop thinking like a newspaper.