I received an email with this title today, and it made me nervous! Did someone post a bad review about our company in yelp? Was it "Ms. Mudslinger" from a linkedin group who is coming back to haunt us? We always provide excellent service, so what could it possibly be?
Then I read the email contents:
COMPROMISING Information Posted About You Online
If these damaging events are true it could hurt your personal reputation.
Information last updated Thursday - 3:30pm. View your file id#6551679565937872543
If this stays up ANY longer, close friends, your loving family, and even individuals you work beside WILL see this unfavorable info. Don't let this happen.
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Time Is Not On Your Side: Do Something About It |
Even though I figured out that this was a spam message, it really made me start thinking about the importance of our online reputation! Have you ever wondered what people are saying about you online? If it’s not what you want it to say, how do you change that?
It's a great time to take a moment and SEARCH for yourself online. Is your online reputation a GOOD one that attracts clients, or a BAD one that scares clients away?
In our course, "Online Credibility and Reputation Management" offered through RealtyPro Academy training, we discuss how to overcome negative online reviews.
How to respond
- Address legitimate complaints
- Apologize for a bad experience
- Offer to correct mistakes
- Be kind and show you are a real person who cares
What to do
- Make people feel good about themselves
- Build trust over time
- Show, don’t tell
- Dispute review with the web provider if possible
What NOT to do
- Do NOT respond to mentally unstable people
- Do NOT be arrogant, egotistical
- Do NOT call names or insult others
- Do NOT spend negative energy on people who don’t matter
Sometimes we get upset and respond too quickly, then our response is viewed as worse than the "flamer" who attacked you. That almost happened to me when I responded to Ms. Mudslinger; but fortunately, I waited a few hours to post my response and by then I was over my initial shock and responded more professionally.
When insulted, have you ever responded too quickly and posted a nasty response to a negative person online?
~ Regina P. Brown
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