Do you know what people are saying about you behind your back?

The very first thing I do when I meet someone who wants a client or personal relationship with me is to Google them.  You’d be surprised at the kind of stuff that can come up about you online.  Or how easy it is for one result to lead to another result and another.  In a matter of minutes I can usually find out that someone’s lied to me about their age; where they live, their telephone numbers and all their previous addresses, as well as ex-spouses and relatives; how big their house is and how much it’s worth; and that they’re involved in some strange online community of questionable practices.  And that’s just in the first few minutes. 

If you’re in business, you should know that there are entire web communities built up around people leaving reviews or comments about you and your company.  WWW.Yelp.com, anyone?

You must, absolutely must, sign up for Google Alerts and set up an alert for your company name, your own name and any other related terms or phrases.  You will receive an email anytime anyone anywhere online posts anything about you.

Don’t get defensive.  If someone posts a negative review or comment, this is your opportunity to make it right.  Maybe there’s a way for you to fix it.  Offer them something for free, if they come back.   Leave a comment, explaining, apologizing and offering to make it better.  Use the opportunity the Internet provides for instant feedback and instant rectification.