I work hard to conduct myself in a manner of business that requires grace, dignity and integrity. It has served me well as my reputation as Eric Greenstein the individual is golden. So is my reputation as a partner in Greenstein-Shannon Talent Management.
Below is a bit of information that might help those who are concerned about their "rep" as they start out in business or decide to start paying attention.
In "Hollywood", as in most industries, a reputation of a person or business is truly important. This is a small town of 10,000,000 or so. It's amazing how fast bad information spreads accross various channels and before you know it, you can't walk into an office, boardroom, studio lot or Peets Coffee without the pessimistic stares of those who have heard the bad news.
While it's impossible to completely defend yourself from negative word of mouth, there are some strategies to stop it before it gets too big. Three ways to do it:
1> Ask for feedback
2> Get fans involved early
3> Be prepared to apologize
1> Ask for feedback
2> Get fans involved early
3> Be prepared to apologize
1> Ask for feedback
One of the easiest ways to avoid negative word of mouth is to open yourself up to feedback. It could be as simple as a comment box near the register or an online forum for customers to share ideas and suggestions. Either way, without a place to share feedback, the only option a customer has is to vent directly to friends or in reviews on Yelp and Amazon.
2> Get fans involved early
Build a base of fans willing to defend your creations by getting them involved early. Let them test it, point out problems, and offer suggestions. You'll get a bunch of great ideas and you'll help fans develop a little ownership in what you're building.
3> Be prepared to apologize
At some point -- no matter who you are or what industry you're in -- something will go wrong, something will break, or something will get mixed up. Nobody is perfect. Avoid overblown negative word of mouth by giving your team an action plan on how to make up for any missteps that may happen along the way.
