No, not that posture. Although I can offer you a couple of tips there: Back straight, head held high, chest proud with shoulders rolled back and down towards the spine. Try it right now.
There. Didn’t that make you feel better? More confident?
I write this post today to address a different kind of posture: The one you exude with your business and clients. I am often surprised at how we women, especially, seem to be very prone to devaluing ourselves in the marketplace. We’re not resolute enough to expect and charge what we are worth because we’re willing to sacrifice that to get clients. At times, we may even hesitate to assert our expertise. Case in point: We propose to a client, they say our price is too high, and rather than ask a thought provoking question such as “Compared to what?” we capitulate and counter with a lower price. Another example: A client requests a task that falls within our service set, but we feel it is not in their best interest. We do it anyway because they want it and we want to please them. Ever find yourself doing either of these things?
If I accomplish nothing else in this post, I want to convince you of two things: First, don’t ever hesitate to charge, what your careful research has determined, is your worth. Your successful competitors do, because they’ve demonstrated value to clients who are willing and able to pay them. Those clients are out there, even in the current economy. Your challenge is to identify the market that can and will pay for your services, and pursue those clients only. And, at the risk of getting pummeled, I implore you to wipe the phrase “I help clients….” out of your vocabulary and marketing materials. I promise, it’s too vague and you’ll give too much away thinking that way. Your mindset must be that you provide, for a competitive fee, a highly valued and well defined service which your clients need and want that’s worth their money. Period. Help your friends move if you must, but don’t just “help” your clients. Got it?
The second thing you must do is assert your expertise with your clients. Always. You are the expert in the services they have entrusted you to provide, or they’d do it themselves. This does not mean posing as a know-it-all, not listening to their ideas and desires, or being unwilling to admit when you’ve made a mistake or don’t have all the answers. It means having the integrity to say “No” when needed, or formulating an alternate approach. It means articulating clearly and convincingly why and how they can, and should, trust that you are acting in their best interest. In fact, I believe if you determine that a client does not trust you to do what’s best for them – especially in the face of a crisis – you should probably sever the relationship.
So, what do you think? Have you fallen into the either of the traps I’ve mentioned? What did you learn? How is your posture?
This post is for the staff of the Cooper River Bridge Run, and everyone who participated this past weekend. Or wished they could. Or avoided any travels downtown because of it. You get the idea. I’m disappointed in the PR from the Bridge Run since, and I have a compelling discovery to share about their social media that I’ve not seen addressed anywhere else – yet.
If you have any connection to our Bridge Run, you no doubt heard about the delayed start of the race this year. While unfortunate, this iconic Charleston event has gone off without a hitch since inception in 1978. Correct me if I am wrong, but this is the first year I know of that there has ever been a significant problem. That’s an awesome track record considering how large it has become, and the meticulous planning and execution that must be in place for everything to coalesce so well year after year. I think we can trust the fine people who make the event happen to determine exactly what occurred, and take steps to prevent a repeat.
My first beef is with the apology letter. I know they’re worried about decreased participation in future races, but it was too long and a bit pompous. It also included what seemed like a slap at all the news and social media outlets reporting on what caused the delay by saying that these reports were “all speculation and rumor.” Really? They didn’t need to go there. A lot of people were helping them get the word out with information present at the time. The main thing being reported that I saw was that there were delays in transporting people to the starting line – something the letter itself confirms as true. No explanation was offered beyond that – just a promise to figure it out to help ensure it would not happen again. Fair enough, but I think it would make more sense to wait until there is a complete explanation and offer it along with a brief apology – all at one time and one time only.
Now for my discovery: It would appear that the Bridge Run has disabled their Facebook Page and made both it and their Twitter presences harder to find by disabling the links to them from their website. Do a Facebook search and click the website links, and you’ll see what I mean. These links now direct you to their YouTube channel. I know they worked correctly prior to the race, as I used them. Making the sites hard to find means less complaints to deal with, and handling that would be quite a task. But, it also makes it much harder to offer online support there as well. I actually discovered this when I tried to go to the Facebook Page to say something along the lines of: “It’s OK, we’re all human. After 34 great races and one misstep, we know you’ll address whatever went wrong.”
I understand that big mistakes happen and that the fallout can be tough to handle. I understand the desire to apologize and make amends. I don’t understand PR which includes a letter that apologizes on the one hand and accuses on the other. I don’t understand making it harder for the very people you’ve apologized to to find and communicate with you on your own social sites afterwards, except for the obvious reason of not wanting to deal with it. But they should be willing to deal with it as a consequence for the inconvenience caused to so many, shouldn’t they?
I’m really hoping someone from the Bridge Run will hear about my little post today, and care enough to respond right here, as well as have the wisdom and courage to restore former access to their social presences.
What do you think of their response to this situation?
A recurring theme for all of us is the desire to change some aspect of our lives. Change where we live. Vary our surroundings. Alter our routines. Change our relationships. Change jobs.
Out with the old, in with the new. Or something like that.
I’ve often wondered: Why do we grow restless with some things remaining the same, and perfectly content with other things never changing? We crave change, but at the same time we fear it. I’m reminded of a saying from Walt Whitman: “Do I contradict myself? Very well then, I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.”
My motto is that change is good, even though I don’t always like it. It’s the only constant in our lives. Even changes that hurt bring positives when we let them. When. We. Let. Them. Ponder that for a moment. This mindset is key to successful adaptation. I guarantee the more resistant you are to change, the more frustrating your life will be on every level. Still, it is human nature to resist change because it often requires that we retrain our brains in how we think and what we do. It takes work. Who wants more of that?
Now I’d like to hear from you: What is one change you’ve endured that you absolutely hated at first, but it wound up being one of the best changes of your life?
Business owners tell me daily that one of their biggest objections to having a social presence is that it gives unhappy customers a place to complain online for all to see. Do you worry about this as well?
It’s a valid concern – you are indeed giving customers a way to do that when you “go social.” The important point to remember, however, is they can do it already. Google Reviews, Yelp and CitySearch are but three places that customers can go to either praise or condemn you. There are many more that cater to certain industries, such as Urban Spoon for restaurants and Dealer Rater for car dealerships. Chances are, your customers are already talking about you online. The real question is: Do you know what they’re saying?
It’s beneficial to listen to customers online so that you can both protect and enhance your reputation there. One easy way to do this is with Google Alerts. Once it’s activated, you’ll be notified by email any time your brand is mentioned. A second way is to determine which review sites are widely used, and which are most often used for your industry. Check them regularly in the event that something falls below Google’s radar. Respond to every comment, good and bad. You can also encourage customers to go to these sites and give good reviews, building a bank of positive online press for all to see.
While a negative comment out in cyberspace may not be as daunting as one on your own branded Facebook Page or Blog, you should consider complaints on any of your sites a gift, as they provide an opportunity to address whatever problem has arisen. Just as people will see the negative, your rapid, thoughtful response also shows them you’re willing to address it. The important thing is to leave such comments intact so people don’t feel censored, while at the same time employing a strategy to get any issues off the page to avoid a lengthy back and forth. Offer to contact them personally or give your contact information for them to contact you. I suggest a phone call or in person visit to personalize the exchange even more.
Remember, your social presences are a resource for your customers. In part this means allowing them to voice both the positive and the negative, and handling each in a manner that strengthens your relationship with them.
Have you gotten complaints online? How do you handle them?
There’s been a lot of buzz lately here in South Carolina over our Governor, Nikki Haley, and the deletion of posts and banning of posters under the guise of eliminating “Hate Speech” on her Facebook Page. Some have defended her with the argument that since it is her page, she has a right to do as she pleases. Others have scorned her, contending that due to the transparent nature of social media, she shouldn’t have deleted less-than-favorable posts. Since many of you have asked for my take, I’d like to offer my thoughts on the presence as a whole, as well as this issue in particular.
First, everyone in public life who creates a fan page should first develop a social media policy to govern both the content they post, as well as what is acceptable for others to post. This holds true for businesses as well. These terms can be stated on the page’s info section. A Haley Spokesperson is reported as saying that the Haley Administration has no social media policy to guide them. That’s mistake number one – not having guidelines in place. She reportedly does her own updates, and mixes personal vignettes with tidbits on state news – primarily what she considers accomplishments under her leadership. There’s the occasional somber post – completely appropriate when there is sad news, or to commemorate a sober holiday such as Memorial Day. Fair enough – can’t find fault with this approach in and of itself. The tone of posts is friendly and conversational. In many ways, the page has the hallmarks of a good and engaging presence. Her fan base is quite large – we can attribute that to her position, obviously.
Where, then, has Haley gone wrong? Part of the fault lies in the broad brush with which she seems to be defining “hate speech.” As I’ve said here before, there are instances when deleting comments is warranted; those which are profane and serve no other purpose than to threaten, demean, defame or debase can certainly be deleted. Trouble is, some of the comments in question were merely critical of how Haley is doing her job, or questioning her priorities. Some of these comments have been deleted, some completely ignored. Criticism is part of the landscape in politics whether it occurs on a Facebook Page or in other mediums. What’s missing here is a thoughtful, objective, and nuanced approach in responding to criticism. If Haley is unable or unwilling to respond herself, she should have someone do it for her. This person could provide clarification, resources, and even a sounding board where needed. While you can’t please everyone and there will always be trolls to contend with, I think Haley is missing a golden opportunity to build a bridge with at least some of her critics. Sanitizing her page to the degree that she has makes her appear childish and thin-skinned. There’s a better way, and she needs to embrace it. Now.
Well, that’s my take. Have I missed anything? I’d love your feedback and thoughts. What would you do in this situation?
Social Media Management
