What’s in a name and reputation for a business?
The very moment you decided on the name for your business you created a brand. With a brand comes an expectation of a promise, hopefully molded by you. Delivering on the promise, creates your reputation. Having a positive reputation brings repeat business and people who are willing to give you a try. The better your reputation, the
lower the cost of getting new a customer.
People choose their purchase (and even job choice) based on reputation, more than an ad or promotion. A negative review will cause hesitation and more likely, send prospects running.
What steps can a business take to protect its reputation and grow it?
A business protects their reputation by making sure all staff understand the importance of meeting or exceeding a customer’s expectations. All businesses need to know and deliver the company’s brand promise and how critical it is to the customer experience.
Another step is to Google your business often and set up a Google Alert so you can follow when your name is mentioned over the Internet. These are great steps toward knowing what is being said.
To grow your reputation, proactively ask for reviews and send links to your satisfied customers. Make it easy for them to create a positive post on your behalf.
What are the best strategies for reputation management?
Eighteenth-century writer Samuel Johnson said, “Man alone is born crying, lives complaining, and dies disappointed.” People have been hard to please since the start of time. When they are not happy, the first thing they do is complain, and in the 21st century, they complain through poor reviews and on social media. Complainers and those who like to sit as judge, will pull down your reputation.
One of the best ways to build a positive impression is to deliver your product or service correctly the first time. But because we are all human, that is virtually impossible.
The second-best strategy is to ask for customers to let you be the first to know, so you can make it right. With all due respect, if you’d like those opportunities, let’s be sure to give them to others.
After these two strategies, you are no longer in an offensive position. You will need to employ your defensive strategies.
What are the key components for reputation management?
Key defensive strategies that help manage your reputation are to proactively ask for reviews, grow your social media followers, and create company programs designed to build good will and gain repeat business. Focus on creating and maintaining customer relationships. Each of us likes to feel special, and when you use a name and know what they prefer, it sure goes a long way when you have a bad day.
What are the top challenges in reputation management?
Imagine just not knowing when someone puts out a poor review or not having enough time to respond. Letting bad reviews go unanswered will erode your company.
Letting bad experiences go, without taking corrective action will also erode your company. Own the poor performances, find out what it takes to make it right and do it, even it’s at a loss. You will gain in the long run.
What are strategies to overcome these challenges?
You should follow online reviews, set up Google alerts, and respond to social media comments.
Being a good corporate citizen also goes a long way. You will build positive impressions in people’s minds by connecting yourself to good initiatives, like participating with a charity.
Sending out press releases, posting about the good you do in social media, and making sure your corporate personality is evident on your website. Don’t talk at people, talk to them in a way that connects.
If you are a local small business like we are, being involved in business groups, like the Chambers and Rotaries, allows people to gain trust because they get to know you. It comes down to relationships.
What are some areas of opportunities in reputation management, perhaps that are typically overlooked?
An overlooked opportunity of reputation building is the way your employees talk about where they work. They should speak with pride about where they work, the people, and its products and services.
