If your company was completely transparent with customers would they still love you? I mean what if you could just be up front and honest with everyone. Most companies will say they are honest, but if you dig deeper you’ll find lies. Lies in the marketing claims, lies in the selling tactics, lies in their customer support, lies through out.
That may be a harsh statement when I say “most companies”, but just look around and you’ll see what I mean. So how do you counteract those lies in your business? With honesty and transparency. The general public is sick of the current state of affairs when it comes to businesses as usual. The companies that embrace an open dialogue with their customers, a willingness to admit mistakes and a relentless desire to tell their customers the truth are going to succeed. Those that don’t, won’t. Your customer has too many choices to put up with the same old lies of years past.
Transparent Life = Transparent Business
So how can you do this in your business. First, live a transparent life and your business will follow. This is probably the hardest part to get entrepreneurs and executives to buy into. They want to “manufacture” the publics perception of them and their company. The problem is your company as well as your life is already transparent, just search in Google. The conversation about you is going on. You have a false sense of control when it comes to your companies perception, the reality is that a perception is out there already. You can contribute to it, ignore it or worst of all, try and control it.
Be Proactive
Several months ago I made a video for our company Lazzara Yachts. In it I talk about the several rumors making their rounds in our industry. Now many would say given that situation you should one of two things a) ignore it or b) address it with a “press release”. I choose to do neither and made a video (I did it myself) talking about the facts of the situation and that we indeed had been through some tough times. I’ve heard so much positive feedback from that video. In fact two people shared with me that one of the reasons they decided to do business with us was because of the refreshing honesty that came across in the video.
The Social Media Do’s and Don’ts
People are desperate for honesty, transparency and a desire to be treated fair. You need to give that to them. Many of the social media tools allow you to engage your customers like never before. Blogs, Videos, Podcast, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and so many more give you a direct connection to your customers.
You need to be involved in social media and when you are here are some things not to do.
Don’t have your PR team write press releases as a “blog”.
Don’t have someone else manage your Twitter account.
Don’t just through up a Facebook fan page and ignore it.
Don’t turn off comments
Don’t delete negative comments
Don’t ignore conversations with customers
Don’t just SHOUT your message, instead listen to what others have to say
Don’t put off social media another day, it’s not going away, it’s here to stay. Be involved.
