5 Tips from Ketchum's Paul Rand

When people spread negative word of mouth, they're often determined to make an impact. How you react can make a difference -- negatively or positively -- says Paul Rand, Partner and Global Chief Development and Innovation Officer for Ketchum. Instead of "bashing back", Paul suggests these five tips:

Tip #1. Know your detractor
Detractors fall into three categories. First are the "Hear Me's" that have a gripe and just want to be listened to. Ignore them and they could turn into "Reputation Terrorists," who are determined to undermine your company and willing to go out of their way to do it. Finally, there are the "Competitive Destroyers," who are trying to get a competitive advantage over you for business reasons.

Tip #2. Listen to your complaints.
Whether they're coming via email, customer service reps, or a complaint line, listen to the people who have something to say. "If they're articulate and committed enough to write to you, they're committed enough to take it further," Paul says.

Tip #3. Have facts readily available.
You'll want the ability to point to the truth, so when negative word of mouth crops up, you can say, "Yes, there's all this silliness out there, but here are the facts."

Tip #4. Maintain perspective.
"Is the negative word of mouth having an impact, or is it a guy sitting at home in his underwear in the basement with his dog looking over his shoulder?" Paul asks. Monitor BlogPulse or Technorati to see if the negative commentary is being picked up anywhere. If not, don't blow it up and make it worse.

Tip #5. Activate your influencers.
If there's truly a problem, make sure you have people willing to step up to the plate for you, and be ready to activate them if the time comes. That doesn't mean simply saying, "I'm right and he's wrong." It means having people willing to talk about their experiences with you.

Digging up dirt on the bad guy will only land you in more hot water, Paul says. But with a thoughtful, honest approach, negative word of mouth can be counteracted quickly.

More about Paul:

Ketchum bio page

Paul's presentation from WOMMA WOM vs. Ads conference (Slides 18-24)