Honesty is the Best Policy
Tue, 09/07/2010 - 4:27pm | by monicadear
Your customers, clients, and associates want to know the "real" you. They want to know if they can trust you.
They want to know if your book will truly help them with their needs, or if your product will help them succeed, or if your service will answer their questions, or if your consulting will provide guidance.
People want to know how you entertain, educate, or inform them. They want to know if you provide quality, and they look to your public persona to "suss out" if you're trustworthy or not.
Your readers want the truth. They want transparency and they require honest answers to their questions. There have been many cases of authors, companies, and organizations "getting it wrong" by dissembling, squashing criticism, or posting fake information. You want to make sure you "get it right" the first time.
Imagine that your fans and followers are your biggest supporters. Imagine readers who are loyal and true to every article you post. Imagine a community of clients who buy every book, CD, or DVD that you release. Imagine customers who refer your service and product to their friends and family. How do you attain this? By being honest.
-
Provide clarity by coming up with a policy that specifies what you will and will not post on your own website and on other discussion forums.
-
Engage with your readers and associates and encourage them with guidelines on what is acceptable to share about you in the social networking sphere and what is not acceptable. Be clear about the topics on which you're willing to share information.
-
For example, personal details about your children may be off-limits, but your consulting company, your corporate customers, your partners, or the products you endorse may be fair game.
- Commit to being as honest as possible.
If you hide, dissemble, or deny the truth, it eventually will come out and you'll do double the duty to win back your reputation. Be honest in your dealings and do the right thing in real-time. If there is sensitive information than cannot be shared, at least mention that you are aware of the privacy and security issue.
Post frequently. Your community of clients wants to know that you are available. They may not want an e-mail newsletter every week, but if they visit your Facebook Fans page or Twitter profile, they want something available, like a new article, an image, a video, a behind-the-scenes story, or a coupon.
You have many people available to help your public reputation.
Express gratitude when you receive that help, and always be honest.
Monica S. Flores @monicadear, a web developer since 1999, works with multicultural women entrepreneurs and fair trade, organic, holistic, sustainable, and green businesses. She blogs about how to create websites that build community and foster a feeling of connectedness. Author and editor of the "A Successful Woman's Handbook" series, find her at http://www.asuccessfulwoman.com.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Send to friendVisionboard #10: Trust the Universe
Mon, 02/06/2012 - 2:26am | by monicadearOne of my favorite meditations is the idea that each of us are simply manifestations of the Universe, and so every experience that we go through, no matter how difficult and terrifying, is still a way for us to learn, expand, grow, and increase our self-knowledge.
This visionboard item is one of my ways to remind myself to place my trust that everything is part of a greater plan, or at least, I can put everything into place and know that there is unity and harmony within all the different chaotic strings and threads of experience and activity.
Tags:
7 Tips to Prevent Bullying
Mon, 02/06/2012 - 1:30am | by monicadear
If you're a mom, mentor, or involved in the classroom, you know the importance of maintaining a decent, respectful, positive, safe, and supportive environment for all students. Bullying can happen to children, teens, and young adults who do not get along well with others, who are "less popular", or who have few to no friends in the school. Also at risk for being bullied are youths with depression or anxiety, and those who have low self esteem. Those especially at risk are LGBT and questioning youth: in one study by Laura Sessions Stepp, "four out of five gay and lesbian students say they don't know one supportive adult at school."
Don't Just Settle - Make it Meaningful, Happy, and Deeply Satisfying
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 2:18pm | by monicadear
I am always a proponent of upgrading your lifestyle in as many ways as possible. I believe that for the sake of mental health, sanity, and security, we each deserve to follow our intuition, treat ourselves well, and look after our own best interests. If we focus on continuous improvement and do this naturally every day, with the mindset of being grateful and expressing deep respect for the gift of life, we can incrementally change our living situation.
7 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for the Woman Business Owner in your Life
Sun, 01/15/2012 - 2:48pm | by monicadear
1) Pay for her website domain and hosting
Most small business owners don't think of this precious detail, and if your special lady is in business, this is one of a myriad of other details. Do her a favor and prepay for the next 2-3 years of domain and hosting. You'll get a chance to reassess her existing website details (username and password) and inventory the current situation.
2) Get her Quickbooks Online
Evaluating your Savings Needs
Thu, 01/12/2012 - 7:17pm | by monicadear
With the low interest rates available and the challenge of many women to manage their family finances, their business finances, and the changing needs of family - from children going to college to elderly parents needing care, we're finding a great need for education and self-awareness about personal finance options.
A great place to get started learning about finances is Investopedia. You can also learn about personal journeys through blogs like I Will Teach You to Be Rich, Millionaire Mommy Next Door, or Get Rich Slowly.
The beginning of the year is a great time to get organized and review (or start) your savings plan.
Four Totally "Out-of-the-Box" Predictions
Tue, 01/03/2012 - 4:44pm | by monicadear
I pride myself on being fairly well-educated and tolerant of diversity.
Here are four completely out-of-the-ordinary ideas I've recently been exposed to. I've had a hard time wrapping my head around each of these, but I think that each is a very early indication of different trends in our modern world, and in terms of a business approach, it would be wise to consider ways to integrate these ideas into your existing business model or your marketable job skills: natural remedies, open source mentality, overall collaboration, and green extreme.
Beyond Natural Remedies
Wedding Day Planning: Four Steps to Make it Fabulous
Thu, 12/29/2011 - 8:00pm | by monicadear
The wedding service and vows, your attire, the location of the service and reception, and decorations: if your big day is coming up, start planning for these four items at the very beginning. This will help reduce the stress because, like most brides, you're probably planning a wedding on top of dealing with a full-time job, interacting with family and in-laws, organizing travel arrangements, anticipating special needs for seniors or children, finding ethical rings, deciding on vendors, and fitting everything into your budget.
