Is your reputation bankable?

There is an argument that you can’t put a price on your reputation, but what happens when something happens to dent your reputation?  You don’t want negative feedback on Google or TrustPilot or any other platform – because it influences what people who don’t know you think about you and your business.

It takes time to become known in your local area, build an online network and be able to reach the people who will become customers or recommend you to others, so you definitely want to protect all that hard work building your reputation.

In effect your reputation is based on trust.  Trust isn’t gained overnight; it takes time and effort to build.  Unfortunately, losing it is the work of a moment.  It doesn’t take much to destroy a reputation – one thoughtless post on social media, a rant about a difficult client or even a genuine mistake that is blown out of all proportion by someone else and is outside your control.

The fallout

If your reputation has taken a knock it can definitely have an effect on your bottom line.  While existing clients may forgive you if they know you well and realise that whatever has happened was a mistake – and everyone makes them – potential clients aren’t privileged to know the real you and may simply decide engaging you is too great a risk.

It depends on what the problem is.  If you’ve made an error of judgment publicly then don’t hope it will go away.  The internet doesn’t have a long memory, it has a cache and nothing ever completely goes away.  Rectify the error – be transparent and up front.  Apologise – and mean it.

If the problem stems from someone else’s statement, contact them privately – don’t enter into an online conversation, it never ends well.  Ideally phone them or, better still, invite them for coffee on neutral ground.  Find out what has caused them to say whatever they have.  Try to remain reasonable and understand their point of view, it will make fixing the problem more of a possibility.

Dealing with difficult people

If they’re just being irrational, it may be that they simply don’t want to engage in a conversation about it.  Be willing to listen to them and don’t try to argue or disagree with whatever they say.  Let them get it all off their chests and eventually they will run out of steam.

It’s difficult to refrain from chipping in when they say something you know is wrong or unfair, but bite your tongue and let them run their course. 

Now you can ask questions to ensure you really understand why they’re upset/angry and tell them what you are prepared to do to rectify the situation.  If they accept your offer then treat it as an emergency and do whatever you’ve promised.  If they’re still unwilling to play ball ask them what would make things better for them.

Once you’ve done whatever you’ve promised do follow up.  Find out if they’re happy with it.  Listen to whether they say ‘OK’ or ‘… OK’ – one means ‘Everything is good now,’ the other means “I suppose it will have to do.”  If it’s the latter, you might have to dig a little deeper.

Repairing the damage

If the original dent was made publicly you could ask the person you’ve now satisfied to revisit the post or group and tell them what happened and how they now feel about it.  In most cases someone who has had a problem that has been satisfactorily solved is more loyal than someone who has never experienced a problem with you.

If they’re reluctant to stand up and admit they made a mistake you could tell the story yourself, explaining what you did.  At worst, it shows you’re willing to go the extra mile (don’t you love a good cliché?).

Blog writing for dummies

If you’re not a writer the idea of producing content regularly can be daunting – and prone to slipping off your to do list in favour of other tasks that you feel more comfortable doing!

So what can you do to keep up with producing articles?

Brainstorm your schedule

Spend an hour or two planning for a few months.  Subjects should be your areas of expertise as that’s what you want to show off.  Think about the questions people often ask – those are good subjects.  What tips do you have on each area you’re an expert in?

Keep track

I keep a spreadsheet with the dates I plan to post on, the category each article will be about and the article title.  This keeps me on track and lets me check back on what I’ve covered recently.

Schedule writing time

I have a diary appointment every month to write the articles for the month ahead.  So this article you’re reading is being created during that time that was blocked out.

Don’t reinvent the wheel

An article can be used in many more places than just on your blog.  You can post it on your LinkedIn profile as an article (a post, rather than an update), you can use it as the lead item on your monthly newsletter, you can take quotes out of it for social media, you can turn it into a video or a podcast too.  

If you’re worried that people will think that’s ‘cheating’ - don’t!  Most people will only see/hear one version and if they do happen to have seen your blog AND get your newsletter, for instance, all that happens usually is a validation “Oh yes, that was a good article.”

‘People never consistently do who they aren’t’

This is a quote from Peter Thomson – and, while it’s grammatically incorrect, it’s very true.  The point is if, after trying to write your blogs consistently, you’re still falling by the wayside, it’s time to find a different solution.

• You could dictate them, if writing isn’t something you enjoy, and get them typed up.
• You could delegate them to someone in your team who does write.
• You could talk to a writer who will take your ideas and write them up for you.

If you need some help, our team does this for lots of clients so please give us a call on 01245 473296.  You might find investing in help frees you up to do the things you’re good at.

 

Every book starts with a blank page

Every author has to make a start and each writer has different experiences of getting their book out of their head and into a manuscript.  Even if you find writing easy, organising and developing a whole book can be daunting.  If you have lots of great ideas, but writing isn’t your thing then it’s probably like looking at climbing Everest in trainers and jeans.

I’m a bit of a systems freak – well, quite a lot of one really!  I love a good process and I’ve created a step-by-step process for getting your book out of your head and into MS format.  The system below is aimed at non-fiction authors.  Fiction is a different animal and, while some of these things will help, it’s a somewhat different process.

Step 1 – Allocate time in your diary

If you are serious about writing a book, then allocate time to work on it.  If you don’t and think you’ll do a bit ‘when you have time’, it will either never happen or will take much, much longer than you thought it would.

Block out time for planning – steps 2-6 – and for writing – step 7.  When you’ve completed steps 2-6 and written the first chapter, you should have an idea of how long a chapter takes to write and can adjust your time allocation to ensure you have allowed enough to finish the book.

Step 2 – Who is it for?

If you know exactly who you’re writing the book for you can keep them in mind while you develop it, so the tone and approach are consistent.

Step 3 – What is your overall goal/purpose for the book?

Another key thing to keep in mind to keep you on track.  

NOTE: I recommend writing both these pieces of information down and pinning them up somewhere you can see them while you write.

Step 4 – Create your chapter plan

This is where you identify what each chapter will be about.  At this stage you’re looking at overall subject, rather than the nitty gritty – that will come next.  

NOTE: I find using mind mapping techniques is a useful way to do this – I do one map for the whole book and then one for each chapter.

Step 5 – Develop your chapter recipe

What is a chapter recipe?  It’s a format that you use for every chapter.  For instance, if you start Chapter 1 with a quotation, then every chapter following should also start with a quotation.  If you have a summary at the end of a chapter, then all chapters should also have this.

Why is this important?  Because your reader will subconsciously ‘learn’ your format in chapter 1 and if chapter 2 looks a lot different, some people will stop ‘to get a coffee’ and never pick the book up again!  Your subconscious is a big fan of familiarity and likes things that follow a pattern.

Step 6 – Develop your chapters’ content

Now you’re getting down to the nitty-gritty!  This is where you map out each chapter:

• List all the things you want to cover in relation to that chapter’s main subject matter
• Find the quotations you want to use
• Develop any anecdotes or case studies you’ll be including
• Research or clarify models, charts, graphs, etc.
• Check sources for data

Step 7 – Write your manuscript

With a clear plan for each chapter, putting it together will be much easier than looking at a blank screen and waiting for inspiration.  Writing will take less time because you know where you’re going, effectively you’re just fleshing out the skeleton plan.

Remember that this is not the end of the process – your manuscript will need editing and, eventually, proof-reading before it goes to be published.  However, you will have scaled the first big obstacle, which means you can celebrate!