Leaders Aren’t Always Right
I don’t know anyone who hasn’t made a mistake. It will happen on a blog, sure as the sun shines.
As mistakes in the workplace, a mistake on a blog is what we make of it. Leaders turn mistakes into opportunities. Leaders aren’t always right, but they do right when they find they’ve been wrong.
What better way to connect with a human face to your customers than to say, “Hey, that last thing I wrote wasn’t quite as it should be. Let me set it straight.” People, customers, don’t expect perfection. We expect respect and honesty in our transactions.
If I can trust you to correct a mistake you’ve made publicly, I can invest in a transaction with you with some security that you’ll back that up too.
People like to do business with other people. We know that other people are human.
Liz Strauss
Blog confidently with Liz.
We Can’t Control What People Say
One issue that comes up when companies start thinking about a blog is control.
When we stand back and consider a blog in the context of conversation, the idea of control falls more into perspective.
Conversations ebb and flow. Each participant has part of the control. No one can direct the conversation completely. When a person takes over control, the “exchange” becomes a presentation to an audience, and loses it’s conversational give-and take. It also loses the input from the side that no longer has a voice in the discussion.
A leader can handle conversation that doesn’t follow a plan.
We’re back to choosing a blogger who loves the company, can represent it well, and wants to be blogging.
Transparency isn’t exposure.
Liz Strauss
Blog confidently with Liz.
Blogging Is about Relationships
In this series, we’re putting context around the issues of trust and control that concern companies as they consider blogging.
Marketing wants to start a blog. Product thinks they should do one. Sales says it’s their territory. How do I choose a company blogger?
Backing up from the question, keep in mind that any blog can have more than one blogger. Look for the people skills that you look for in any customer-facing role.
- An ability to communicate authentically and responsibly with transparent respect for the audience.
- An active listener who is truly interested in the views and ideas of customers.
- Curiosity about the market you’re in and the people who are in all facets of that market.
- A bias toward helpful action, that stays clear of hypeful selling.
- A beginner’s mind that allows the blogger to say “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
- A strong sense of relationships and community.
It’s a good blog that centers around readers and ideas, rather than writing and products. Though we want our message clear and well presented, blogging is more about conversation than disseminating product information.
Information is all over the Internet. It’s the people that make the difference.
Liz Strauss
Put people back in business with Liz.
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.
