Liz Strauss.com

Some People Just Can Say Anything Nice

In this series, we’re putting context around the issues of trust and control that concern companies as they consider blogging.

If I let my employees blog, I open my company to negative comments from people with bad intent.

If we think a little wider, we realize that we’re already open to those negative comments from those very people . . . the comments will happen with or without the company blog in question. A search on the Internet is sure to find negative comments about any successful product. What a blog offers is an official place to address them.

What is an effective way to address negative comments on the Internet? Look to the people. The response is the same as we might handle it well in person.

• Consider the source and the value of the information. In the extreme case, when they offer no value or are offensive, moderation is an option.
• Be gracious. Acknowledge the comment and the commenter with a respectful “thank you” for the investment of time sharing the opinion. Offer appropriate and authentic apologies if the situation warrants.
• Be thoughtful. Agree to the facts and point out the misunderstandings.
• Be transparent. Add any available information that might offer context or clarity to the situation.
• Be action-oriented. If something is happening in response, say so. If nothing can be done, tactfully explain that too.
• Be confident and non-confrontational. If the commenter cannot be satisfied, agree to disagree, and offer to take the discussion offline. Other readers will thank you.

We all know that a great information source and a great relationship can begin with a negative statement. Sometimes we don’t realize that the way we handle such situations also builds trust in those who are only watching what happens.

Negative comments offer us a chance to show our commitment to all of the people we work with.

Liz Strauss
Put people back in business with Liz.

How Do I Safely Let My Employees Blog?

I think if you’re in a business where talking to your customers is important, blogging is a great way to do that. — Matt Mullenweg, WordCampDallas 2008

At the end of March, I had the honor of being part of the exceptional business blogging panel moderated by John Pozadzides. John brought up fabulous and important questions that businesses raise daily about blogging. In this series, I’ll take those questions and step back to apply them to the larger company culture.

Playing devil’s advocate John said, “I’m scared to let my employees’ blog.”

What a power-packed sentence! A blog is a tool. In this case, it’s a relative unknown, but is the blog the problem?

Look to the people. Isn’t the issue one of trust and control? The employer is concerned about what employees might write on the blog.

We let employees talk to customers daily — answering email, answering phone call, answering questions at exhibits, and answering letters at the office. We trust what they write on behalf of our company. We once worried in the same way about the telephone and email. Still today any of those customer conversations could be shared internationally or in a court of law.

It comes down to hiring and training employees who make good decisions.

If we trust our ability to choose the right employees and to let them know the values that we hold for our company and our customers, the question of whether we should let them blog falls away as an issue.

A blog is a powerful, customer-facing tool. Like a computer, it’s as strong as the people we choose to use it.

Liz Strauss
Liz puts the people back in business.

The Three Questions

I decided to put three questions on the back of my new business card under the heading, Tell Me Your Story.

They are these:

What do you do?

Why should I care?

How will it make my life easier, more meaningful, more fun?

Anything that doesn’t answer those three questions for your key customers is irrelevant.

Is your story relevant? They get to pick.

Liz Strauss
Find out about working with Liz.