Reputation Management
Today we are talking about Reputation Management. (and I don't mean the Christmas party last year...though that could be part of it!) I'm talking about your online reputation management. This is very similar to your reputation, but spreads much quicker.
It used to be the rumor mill in the office. Someone overhears someone else talking about something not so nice about someone. Then they tell two friends and so on and so on and so on... This could take days to reach that person to begin defending themselves.
Today, one wrong statement and the internet is bustling about it. It's a sad thing, gossip. But it happens all the time. Most of the time it is not even true or the facts have been distorted so much that by the time it hits the public, it is way out of hand. Next thing you know, the appointment that this guy was late for has turned into a situation where this guy supposedly stood the client up so he could go golfing!
It's a bad thing.
"To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people."
Titus 3.2
Of course I know I am not perfect. That makes me human. But gossip can hurt not only feelings, but in this case, reputations.
Let's say the lie has now hit the internet and this guy is getting all these people who are talking about what a bad Agent he is because he doesn't care about his clients. That can be detrimental to an occupation that is all about relationships.
As I said before, there isn't much you can do to stop this from happening or to remove it frmo the internet. The internet holds many secrets forever.
So what is this guy supposed to do? Well, luckily he saw the Google Alert immediately and began to take action. The only way to fix online reputation is to make it disappear. The only way to make it disappear is to put better information on top of it.
It's like burying the statements with fresh news that is positive and upbeat. Then add another layer on there by asking everyone you know to start making statements about your professionalism and productivity on the internet. You don't want everyone to do it on the same day, so ask people here and there. Most people are more than happy to write a positive review of who you are and what you have done for them.
Post these reviews on Zillow and Trulia as well as your website and blog. You don't have to say "Listen to what Bob said about me." in those exact words, but you can mention that Bob gave you the nicest compliment when he said that he knew you could sell his house quickly and you did!"
There really is no way to completely remove a bad reputation or bad remarks from the internet.
So the key to managing your reputation online is to Create your own named domain, establish a clear, fleshed-out presence on multiple social networking sites, post to each of them at least once a month and keep monitoring the web for unflattering photos or mentions with Google Alerts. If they come up, do your best to bury them with positive content.
"Business demands faith, compels earnestness, requires courage, is honestly selfish, is penalized for mistakes, and is the essence of life."
William Feather
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