Forgotten Reputation

With a hat tip to Paul Williams, I’d like to remind everyone not to forget reputation. 

• Brand = Reputation
• Image = Reputation
• Survival = Reputation

In the sink or swim world we live in, reputation is everything.  Sure, you can get by for a little while skating around like an elephant on an April ice sheet, but sooner or later you’ll crash through into the hypothermia-inducing water (i.e. have to go out of business).  If not go out of business, you’ll have to run and hide.  Or change your name and move to a non-extradition country with lax laws regarding entry.

In order to get repeat business–or even stay in business at all–you’ll have to manage your reputation.  And with a bad experience spreading on the Internet faster than a virus in a 90 minute horror movie, you have to regularly stay on top of what’s being said about you–and who’s saying it.

Nobody has the luxury of enough time to constantly monitor their mentions online by going from site to site haphazardly.  That’s why you can setup a Google Alert for your name, company, product, or anything.  Google with its minions spiders all over the ‘net will let you know when your alert word is mentioned.

Your survival in business and your professional survival is all about your reputation.  As Paul points out, many people lose touch with what a “brand” is.  What people think of when they hear, “Mac”, “F150″, or “Coach purse” is reputation.  I’ve never owned a Mac, F150, or a Coach purse, but because of their reputation I have an opinion of those brands.

• Do you monitor your brands, products, or person online?
• What products/brands do you want based on reputation only?
• What products/brands do you want nothing to do with based on reputation only?

Corporate Rock Stars Speak

Quite frequently, people have bad experiences as a customer and reach out to a company looking for help. So many times, as I’m sure you’ve experienced, you’ll end up on the line at a customer service center in Bangladesh with a nice guy named, Phil. Phil will listen to your problem and offer advice in broken English. I actually use the name “Phil” as an inside joke to myself, but I have experience with emailing a “guy” named “Phil” who seems to work 24/7 and always signs his name followed by a “T” and a double digit number. For example, an email will say,

“Your request have been forwarded. Thank you, Phil. T38”

Unfortunately, the “Phil”s of the world aren’t always able to solve problems. This leads to many blogging about their experience or performing an “executive email carpet bomb.” Surprisingly enough, some CEOs and high-level executives are reading blogs. They must have been smart enough to setup a Google Alert with their company’s name.

Even more surprising, some of these higher ups, are even responding to blogs. I had Chris Baggott, from Compendium Blogware, comment here. And I was recently reading a post where Zappos’ CEO Tony Hsieh commented. Though, I’ve not bought from Zappos (I’ve tried buying footwear online and so far it hasn’t worked out), I have heard from many people that Zappos’ customer service is excellent. (One of my workers’ brothers actually works there—I believe they have a location near Louisville, Kentucky.) So when Tony Hsieh from Zappos or Chris Baggott from Compendium or any big time business person comments on blogs it adds a more personal face to the company.

I read many prominent national bloggers on the Daily Fix and Penelope Trunk’s Brazen Careerist; and for the star-struck bloggers like myself, reading a comment by a CEO is like being in the same room as one. I don’t have any of them giving me advice or meeting me for a drink, but it’s pretty cool nonetheless. While Slash, Willie Mays, or Sean Connery would be awesome to meet, I’d actually rather meet a successful business person like Warren Buffett or the aforementioned CEOs. I’ll never have the talent of Slash, Willie Mays, or Sean Connery, but who knows, I could be a successful business person someday. And if any successful business people have advice, I’d be more than happy to listen to the corporate rock stars speak. I probably just have to be a majority shareholder in their company to get noticed…

4 Great Ways To Make Your Business Cards Stand Out

In the professional world, particularly in commission-based sales, business cards are important. They have the obvious function of holding your name and contact information, but a good business card—or a bad one—tells more about you than just how you can be reached. Spending a little more money on a better business card will come back to you. So here are four great ways to make your business cards—and you—stand out.

1. Hire a graphic artist: Chances are you’re not an artist, and even if you are, you’re probably not a production artist. If you don’t use registration marks (or even know what they are), do yourself the favor of hiring a professional.
2. Leave room on the back for notes: A business card is worth much more if it has information that is unique, and therefore valuable, to the recipient. By leaving room to write on the card, you can give a client your “secret” cell phone number, the price and model number they’re interested in, or special discount by contacting you again. Just remember if you leave a spot for notes: matte finish, not glossy.
3. Focus on your message: Your message is to convey who you are, what you do, how well you do it or why you do it better than the next guy, and how to get a hold of you. Instead of listing your title, why not list a concise version of your job description. Better than “John Wood. Mowley Construction. 317-012-3456,” is “John Wood. Mowley Construction. 2-time five-star award winner for superior service. Specializing in upscale kitchen remodeling and outdoor kitchens. 317-012-3456.”
4. Use a unique medium: Paper cards seem too boring? There are lots of other options out there. PVC business cards are flexible, durable, and colorful, plus they can have grooves and ridges giving a tactile experience to your card. I recently came across a card that allows you to include various rewards with your card: mp3s, ringtones, dvds, even pizza. Less traditional cards can be paper coasters, mini mouse pads (also great as coasters), or any promotional product.

Do you have any other suggestions? I’d love to know what they are, so feel free to share them.