Where to start with Reputation Management

Just thinking about your businesses reputation given the ever exploding Customer Review Websites popping up like the dandelions in my yard this spring. Where do you begin? How do you manage the reputation? How do you respond? Who at your business will you place in this position to manage your reputation online? If I need to have someone else handle my reputation, who might that be?

These are just a few of the questions you might ask. I even had a business owner ask me recently how do I get these bad reviews removed from Google? My response was you don’t.

What I would suggest is taking a look at your current business. Is it in your DNA as a business to give your customers exceptional service? Do you have the personnel in your organization that are dedicated to exceptional customer service? If you do have people in your organization dedicated to exceptional customer service, ask yourself, are they able to make decisions to solve customer issues without going through road blocks?

Obviously exceptional customer service isn’t easy, but if you make it a way of doing business in your organization. It sure will make it a lot easier when it comes to your reputation.

In the old days if a customer had a bad experience they might tell a few of their relatives, friends and neighbors. Now these customers are turning to those Customer Review Sites and not only telling those same people but broadcasting their displeasure with you company to the masses. With Google crawling all over the web these reviews make their way to where 80% or more of your shoppers are going when they begin their shopping.

My first suggestion in reputation management might be: The “Golden Rule”

Make it a part of you business from top to bottom to provide exceptional service and those bad reviews that I was asked earlier will become less and less.

What Is Your Vision For Today?

Do I have a vision for today?

On your ride into work today what were your thoughts?

Did you think about what you needed to accomplish today?

Did you lay out your plan in your mind?

What was your vision of the day?

I’ve heard that some of the top professional golfers before they start a round of golf visualize every hole and see every shot.

Ask yourself, do I have a vision for today?

Best Use of Your Time

In trying to be the best, Time Management is a crucial component.  A recent discussion I had with my Mentor turned me on to a book that he felt would help me in understanding time.  The book he recommended was “The 80/20 Principle” by Richard Koch.  Of course one of the lessons I learned years ago from Zig Ziglar was Automobile University.  Maximizing my idle time spent in my 2010 Ford Taurus SHO traveling back and forth from my job here in Dearborn or wherever I might be traveling to as much as possible.  I listen to many books and then pick-up the hardback if I feel I need to have this in my library for future reference, maybe this is not being economical but I see it as the “Best” use of my time.

This morning Mr. Koch spoke about what are the, “Worst uses of time”, those things that are unproductive and need to be eliminated from your daily activity and the, “Best uses of time”, those that will return you the most and greatest benefit with least amount of effort.  Here is the list of the top 10 “Worst uses of time”: 

1)       Thing other people want you to do.

2)       Things that have always been done this way.

3)       Things you’re not usually good at doing.

4)       Things you don’t enjoy doing.

5)       Things that are always interrupted

6)       Things that few people are interested in.

7)       Things that have already taken up twice as much time as you originally expected.

8)       Things where your associates are unreliable or of low quality.

9)       Things that have a predictable cycle.

10)    Answering the telephone.

As you read through the list, did any of these hit home.  Many of them sent off the spark in my head.  If you are able to take this list and think of ways you might eliminate just some of these things, you will see an improvement in your time.  Just don’t do things because someone asks.  Time that can be spent on the “Best uses of time”, the time that will benefit you the most and have the greatest return on you investment, “Time”.  Here is the list of the Top 10 Best uses of time”:

1)       Things that advance your overall purpose in life.

2)       Things you have always wanted to do.

3)       Things that are already in the 20/80 principle of results. (What do you do that takes 20% of the time and results in 80% of the return.)

4)       Innovative ways that slash the time required to and or multiply the quality of results.

5)       Things other people tell you can’t be done.

6)       Things other people have done successfully in another arena.

7)       Things that use your own creativity.

8)       Things you can get other people to do for you with little effort on your part.

9)       Things where your associates have already used the 20/80 principle and that you can use effectively.

10)    Things that are Now or Never.

Listening to this list of 10, one that stands out in my mind is a rule that I have always lived by and that is “To not reinvent the wheel”, or what I think he is saying in number 9.  As you’ve read in a previous post I am a follower of Anthony Robbins and he I believe would subscribe to the point in number 9.  Koch speaks of being ruthless in your pursuit to follow these guidelines listed above. 

I hope that this list helps you to better think about your time.  I would recommend reading, or listening to this book to you.  It is not a Time Management how to book.  He really speaks to thinking about what are those actions through your continuum of time that result in the least return or the highest return.

 Take care and have a terrific day.

Journey To Be The Best

In reading my quotes from my Zig Ziglar Zingers today I came across one which I think says a lot about becoming the best.  It says, “He who will not learn from anyone but himself has a fool for a teacher”.   

In order to become the best my belief is that I must learn from others who have gotten there and that are the best at what they do.  Anthony Robbins is a huge proponent of studying those that are the best at what they do and then replicate what they do to be the best.  I’m a true believer in this philosophy. 

Zig’s quote says it all.  From the day we are born we begin to mimic and follow others.  Choose wise those that you follow.  Think about what you want to accomplish.  Do you have your goals documented?  If so, then pull them out today and review where you are going.  From there think about those around you who can help you reach those goals.  

I hope that this helps you in thinking about reaching to be the best and developing your plan.

Remember written goals without acting on those goals are just words.

Driving Yourself To Be The Best

As new to blogging, I look to drive myself to be the best.  The Best Husband, The Best Father, The Best Friend and the Best Person I can be.  I’m driven to be the best.  I strive to learn about being the best.  I hope that during these post I can not only strive to be the best that I can be, but hopefully help others to be the best they can be at what ever they want to be.

The first decision is to act on being the best.  I’ve found over the past few years that I continue to make goals be it personal and professionally, but I need to act on those goals.  I need to decide to act on those goals.  Yes, I have acted on some of those goals and yes I am achieving, but at the speed I’d like?  Not sure.  Do you question if you are getting there?  I do.   

I dedicate my first Blog to acting on my goals.  Make a choice to act today on more of my goals.  I ask that my readers drive me to be accountable to my goals.

Thank you for reading my first Blog.  I hope that in the days, weeks and years to come that this Blog not only affects my life in a very positive way, but that you the reader will also be positively affected by my post.

Choose Today To Be The Best You Can Be!

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