As an internet marketer myself, I firmly believe that the amount of clients/sales we’re generating and our profits highly depend on our reputation. I can say this with confidence because I’ve met reputable people online, and not-so-reputable ones. Comparing the amount of sales that they generate, I can attest that the latter do not produce as much as the former!
I am writing this post because I want to help you — I want you to avoid ruining your reputation, while it is still possible. You see, once you “kill” your reputation, it’s dead. I doubt that you can ever get back what you lost. Well… maybe some can, but it would prove to be very difficult!
Just How Important Is Reputation?
I know, some people don’t see reputation as an important factor in internet marketing success. They take it for granted. Hence, I am going to give a situation which will serve as a concrete example that reputation is a determining factor to achieve success in IM.
Let’s have “Person A” and “Person B”. Both of them run competing web design companies. Person A is highly respected, and a lot of people recommend his service. Person B, on the other hand, has a habit of bad-mouthing his clients. As a result, his ex-clients warn others that Person B’s company is not recommendable.
Supposing that they both have the same skills and pricing structure, who would get more client work, and, in the end, more profit? Surely, it’s Person A!
Now you see how important reputation is. I want to delve deeper into this topic by talking about my experiences on people who (seemingly) are murdering their reputation unconsciously.
Unconscious Murder of Our Own Reputation?
What Things Usually Happen…
There are times when people do things just for fun, not knowing that those things could possibly hurt their “perfect” reputation! Fake bids. Swearing at clients. Not honoring bids/not sending payments promptly. Do those phrases sound familiar? Well, unfortunately, a lot of people do those acts. What’s more unfortunate about this is, they’re killing their reputation by doing so.
A Brief Yet Interesting Experience
Allow me to share an anecdote. 🙂 Last week, I was on the Digital Point Forums and I recently sold a small website there. The bid was $165 and it was a private bid. I was told that I would be receiving the payment last Tuesday, but then up until now I see no signs of any payments made. I am not whining or whatever. Besides, it’s not the money, it’s the principle of keeping your word. It’s the principle of speaking with honor!
So, what does this experience tell me about the bidder? He’s a liar, he doesn’t honor his bids, and he’s not worth my time. To be honest, I gave him an allowance of four days already. He had been reading my private messages (I know this because I was asking for read receipts through vBulletin’s system.), yet he didn’t even have the courage to tell me ANYTHING at all! At least now I know that I MUST avoid him/not accept his bids, should I sell any more sites on Digital Point.
Well, I pity him because he’s not getting any more business from me, nor from my entire network.
How to Prevent This from Happening
Always think before you act! This is a very important rule that everyone should follow. Don’t be tactless; always use your head before doing anything! Before promising a client something, make sure that it’s possible for you to do it. For example, don’t tell your client that you can come up with a marketing plan in an hour after he pays you if you really can’t.
Speak with honor… all the time. I hate it when people say something with full confidence, and then take it back in the end when they know they’ve said something unfavorable to them. If you say something, then be sure that you can back it up, and defend it until the end!
Act professionally. Shame that there are a lot of bad-mouthed, morally impaired, and ethically challenged people who call themselves professionals. In this world of business, we should all act professionally so as to avoid pointless arguments and loss of heaps of revenue. Don’t resort to using cuss words just to get your point across. Don’t disrespect anyone you’re dealing with. Just be polite and remember that having a great reputation depends on how well you know your values.
Summary
People tend to kill their reputation unconsciously. Whether it’s through scamming, not honoring their words, or even cussing at clients, it’s still a riotous act that could ruin your reputation for your entire life. To prevent this from happening, always see to it that you’re acting professionally, and you hold true to your word. A great rule to remember is, “ALWAYS think before you act.”