Reputation Management Blueprint: Controlling And Protecting Your Narrative
We live in a world filled with knowledge, data, and information, which levels the playing field and intensifies competition, one crucial factor sets you apart and positions you as the chosen one: your reputation.
As the saying goes: Your reputation is your REP - the reason everyone pays you. It's not just about credibility; it's your currency, influencing how future decision-makers perceive and trust you. As Warren Buffett said: 'It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.' This stark truth should guide our actions differently.
To illustrate the importance of protecting your reputation so you can monetize it long-term, let's look at three real-world scenarios:
Element 1: Online Presence as potential door-opener
We live in a digital-first world where most interactions happen online and without being in the room or on Zoom. The question is: what do potential clients and future decision makers find? How memorable are you with what you want to be known for so if they only had this one opportunity to come on your profile- what would they remember and potentially being able to recommend you for?
And lastly- what perception in terms of your skill set and your seniority / professionalism would they have.
As we know - the halo effect is real and how we perceive one thing, we translate that into another thing.
In the recruitment space, we make a decision very quickly simply because there are so many candidates to consider and the reputation as a recruiter is on the line so you only want to put forward the cream of the cream to your clients.
Having either an outdated LinkedIn profile photo, the last update from 2022 or maybe even an inactive account all together = outdated skill set. Is it true/ Whoknows! Maybe not. Probably not but if there’s nothing else to make a first decision - then this is what we would walk away with.
Same goes for professional speakers, consultants or coaches:
Everyone’s goal is to charge a premium - right so! However, not everyone can actually charge a premium because the perception and the experience that future decision makers have with your online presence, footprint and social proof doesn’t match up with the prices on the proposal.
Element 2: Thought Leadership as a Revenue Driver
I said in the intro that we have access to an abundance of information, data and knowledge so we don’t need more of that.
What we do need however is a shortcut to getting results and that comes from distilling the essence of methods, principles and best practises, coupled with personal experiences and case studies into a repeatable framework that creates results predictably and transparently. That requires a lot of thinking, researching, experimenting, refining and repeating but this is exactly what is the difference between an expert (who’s excellent at their craft) and an authority - someone who’s known, recognised and trusted for their craft).
Plus- being able to use branded language like easy to remember and repeatable statements, quotes, sayings as well as metaphors, similes analogies and of course your own stories is what sticks with people.
A thought leader thinks ahead of others and translates their insights, learnings and findings into an easy to understand but also easy to apply way so others who don’t have the technical; background cannot only understand it but also use themselves.
Connect this with your services you offer, the keynote topics you give or the board roles you want to be appointed for and you have the perfect mix of turning your content into a commercial asset.
Element 3: Experience as a monetisable asset
Last but not least - it comes down again to realising that it’s no longer the knowledge, the information or data that is the valuable and differentiating element to being chosen. It is the experience, aka the feeling people have when they interact with you, across all touch points, channels and engagements.
How hard is it for people to realise what you do to start with? If they think you’re the One for them- how quickly and easily can they get in touch? What happens next? How long will it takes them to get a response? What is the response? Funny, serious, not existent?
It all sounds so trivial but coming back to my first point - your online presence shaping the perception people have of you - every one of those steps along the journey is what builds your brand and reputation.
Let’s say you’re a speaker and you were super easy to engage with and to communicate with in the lead up to getting booked. In the second you got paid, everything changed and it’s nearly impossible to get a response, your speaker sheet reminds people on the 80’s and the promotion of the event you were booked for - not existing. You can bet your last dollar that you will never get booked again because in the second this person got what they wanted, they turned into a horror story and this is exactly what spreads quickly in the industry. Every industry, speaking is just one of them is tiny and people know each other so you want to make sure to create a consistent and pleasant experience for everyone as you never know who knows who and where you may be crossing paths again.
Now, let's discuss three strategies for protecting and monetising your reputation in the offline realm:
Strategy 1: Face-to-Face relationships
Invest time in building strong, face-to-face relationships because being with someone in person fast-tracks the trust and relationship building because we can see and observe how someone behaves, how they act and communicate. Personal connections and positive word-of-mouth play a significant role in attracting paying clients.
However, don’t confuse face-to-face with offline only. Video is the next best thing after being with someone in person and you can use it to send someone a personalised short message, add video to a proposal or shoot a short, 60 sec video that you use for social media where you let people get to know you, personally and professionally.
Plus- as the fear of deep fakes increase, having a strong digital footprint with original content and video footage helps to build and protect your reputation if anything goes pearshaped later!
Strategy 2: Professional associations
When I research for my Trusted Authority framework what it takes to build and boost credibility, I found that there are only 3 ways to do so and I summarised them in the 3-O’s: Own, on the go and others.
Other people’s reputation and credibility is often used to fast-track the trust building because we associate ourselves with someone who’s already established a strong and trustworthy relationship with someone we want to get closer to.
It may be that you join an industry body, that you volunteer at a professional association and become a member in networks where you can not only learn from but also find potential new clients, suppliers, partners or staff.
So brand building by association is a great way to enhance your own credibility and improve your reputation!
Strategy 3: Have A Plan for Conflict Resolution [Before You Need It]
Conflicts, disputes and upset people happen. It’s how we deal with them that makes all the difference.
This is where a solid risk mitigation plan comes in - developed before you need it so the emotion is taken out of the equation and you can think clearly, you can align the language to your brand positioning and you can practice how you approach the situation. Every tough conversation is an opportunity to build stringer relationships when done right, meaning: when both parties can save faith.
It comes down to being clear how you want to be remembered which again, is a ‘side effect’ of having a strong brand strategy in place because every action and interaction is based on that.
Now let’s address the elephant in the room which everyone is afraid of but is also often the reason why people don’t want to extend themselves and put themselves out there, may it by through content creation on social media, through applying for more senior roles or by keeping it safe and avoid innovation.
I thought it might be easier with case studies as all of the ones I’m covering are real life examples and happen more often than you may think so it’s good to know how to handle them if you were to get into this situation:
Certainly, reputation damage can be challenging, but there are proactive ways to address it. Here are three strategies for dealing with reputation damage in different scenarios:
Internal Gossiping:
Office politics is a bit%4
Internal gossiping and office politics have always been an issue and no matter who I’m talking to, they have either experienced it before or they are in the midst of it. Working remotely and distributed has alleviated the issue a little bit but it hasn’t completely gone away. It might be because of insecurities of people who are trying to put others down so they are not exposed as not performers or because of intentions to play one person against another to get ahead. There are many reasons why gossip and politics happen and if it’s escalated, your reputation is on the line.
So the question is- how do you address it and protect your reputation?
Address the Issue Directly: If you become aware of internal gossip affecting your reputation, consider addressing the issue directly with the individuals involved.
Another way to go about it is to find a trusted ally who’s familiar with the situation or people involved and ask them for insights and advice on how they would handle it but also to point out any blind spots that you may don’t see but could harm you. As we know- we usually can’t see the forest for trees and when we are so caught up in the situation and emotions, it’s often hard to see clear.
Another key consideration is to establish a strong support system both within and outside the organisation because facing these challenges alone can be difficult. When dealing with gossip or office politics, having a group of advocates can be a game-changer. They not only help counter negative stories but also ensure a more accurate reflection of your character and work.
Criticism on Social Media:
Think (or approve) before you post: Sounds trivial but it all starts here. Whether it’s your own content that you wrote or if you are outsourcing your thought leadership content to someone like us - you always want to ensure it’s your brand tone and voice, your take on the topic and the angle doesn’t conflict any internal policies or could cause troubles with clients. What we do with our clients is to develop their brand style guide which captures not only their tone and voice as well as approved emojis but also their content pillars so we stay on brand whilst having variety but still stay consistent with the brand messaging. This is also where we capture possible replies if there are push backs.
Leverage positive testimonials and build your social proof: In the second your audience and with that, your impact and influence gets bigger, also your potential risk of coping negative comments increase. You take the good with the bad, right? A preventative action is to build your social proof and reputational currency by building your testimonial pool and endorsements from satisfied clients or colleagues. Share success stories, client testimonials, or positive experiences that showcase your professionalism and expertise. I usually also don’t advise my clients, nor do I do dit myself to delete negative comments as people can see how you handle it which also is pne of the touch points that form their opinion about you. You can’t please everyone and sometimes I take a very strong stance on a topic or take an angle that isn’t very popular but I know it’s true and needs to be said. With that in mind, I stay clear off politics, religion, vaccinations, etc as a) it’s outside my professional expertise, b) has nothing to do with the topics I want to be known and recognised for and c) doesn’t contribute positively in curating a conversation that actually leads to anything I do, offer or stand for. So think about the topics that you may be interested in, potentially even very passionate about but that shouldn’t be broadcasted on social media. Your reputation is on the line and as we know- what happens on social, stays on google.
Engage in online reputation management: Actively manage your online presence through regular monitoring of social media platforms. You can use software like Google Alerts for it
Fallout at an Important Meeting:
Initiate post-meeting communication: Fall outs in meetings happen, especially when 2 people are very passionate about the outcome but have either different agendas, views or experiences with the topic on hand. Be the adult and initiate a post-meeting with the relevant key stakeholders where you summarise what happened, where things have gone wrong and how you want to move forward. Focus on finding common ground and addressing concerns. Maybe someone simply misunderstood your point so it’s also an opportunity to clear the air with a different way of explaining your take on.
Seek constructive feedback: Every event where things didn’t go to plan is an opportunity to learn so don’t let a crisis go to waste. Reaching out and seeking proactive feedback shows willingness to learn and improve and also demonstrates your humbleness.
Implement corrective actions: As Alex Hormozi always says: when you have consumed content and learned something new but apply the same behaviour to the same situation, you’re stupid. Same goes here - use this opportunity and incorporate the feedback you received to refine your communication style, learn how to address specific concerns before they become an issue or commit to having a more documented approach to meetings including pre-meeting catch ups.
Remember, rebuilding a damaged reputation takes time and consistent effort. By addressing issues directly, staying true to your values, and actively managing your online and offline presence, you can take positive steps toward restoring trust and credibility.
In the knowledge and wisdom economy we are in, your reputation is not just your credibility; it's a monetisable asset that determines your level of [future] success.
By actively managing your online presence, curating thoughtful content, and prioritising ethical conduct, you are influencing how people perceive you and associate with you. Don’t leave it to chance, be pro-active with it - your future self will thank you for it!
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Want to become the Trusted Authority in your field by building and monetising your expertise?
Here are a few ways you can get started with my resources:
1.) Get your copy of my my book - Trusted Authority - From Technical Expert To Trusted Authority
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Check out all show notes and further resources over at https://www.impaccct.com