Reputation Management Solution
Posted on February 15, 2011 by timd
After five full years of daily malignment by an unusually vicious Internet blogger, I was still at a loss entering the sixth year as to what to do about the problem. I had reached out to multiple attorneys for advice, and even litigated to no avail. I wrote letters to my Congressmen, one of which actually responded with a few good strategies, but all having to do with litigation. I consulted with multiple IT professionals who offered nothing more than blank stares.
I contacted multiple state and federal regulatory agencies, and several professional reputation management companies. One of those companies had proactively contacted our office about three years into the attacks, assuring me they could help, and I was certainly amenable. They were to do a study on my case, and would then get back to me. I was dubious, but definitely intrigued as to what innovative strategy they might offer. About a week later, the president of the rather sizable company called back to apologize. He said they had never encountered a smear campaign as extensive as mine, and that unfortunately, they couldn’t do anything. He did offer his condolences. Alrighty then…
As a business owner, one has to be knowledgeable about all aspects of their business. That means you have to have a working understanding of every aspect from Accounting to “Zeroes and Ones,” and everything in between. You’ve got to outsource and/or hire good people who are experts at their respective skill. But nobody, and I mean nobody, after years of searching had the solution to this relatively new online phenomenon.
After five years, the damage had compounded, and the damage was nothing short of severe. I ended up losing the business – all because of one unemployed, never been employed, Internet blogger. I had not planned for this bizarre interruption in my family and business’s life, but regardless, I basically had no viable alternative other than to sit back and endure the abuse.
Revelation!
The week in between Christmas and New Years is usually slow for certain types of businesses. I used that time to sharpen my marketing skills, diving into a brand new course I had purchased online regarding a newly developed marketing strategy. Of the thousands of courses that are available, I happened to strike gold in finding a marketing technique that was excellent for proactive marketing, certainly. But toward the end of the course, which had nothing to do with reputation management, I came to the startling realization that I had discovered the answer to our five-plus year dilemma. I could hardly believe it, but I knew instinctively that this was the best and and only way to solve the very serious and prolonged problem I and my top representative in our former company, who had also been targeted, had endured.
Relief and excitement are two major emotions I had not experienced in some time, as this was an excellent, though completely unexpected, ‘Eureka Moment.’ It feels tremendous to have been searching for something, although you had no idea what that something was or would be, and you finally discover “it” – exactly the solution you’ve been looking for.
I realized full well that we couldn’t get back our once successful, multi-million dollar business. But I became acutely aware that I could be of profound assistance to others who were experiencing the same challenge in their life. Although the solution is not 100% effective, it goes a long, long way toward avoiding the incredible damage that can be done by neurotic individuals who have nothing better to do than spend their waking hours slandering your good name, or your business’s public image.
As business owners, it is difficult to assess when and to what degree, sales, transactions, customers, and business are lost; but, potential clients or customers will avoid you if anything perceived as problematic or negative shows up on the Internet. A single comment can climb the search engines, and people who don’t know you will judge you based on that single, tainted, virtually always inaccurate opinion.
But now, we can deal with that issue quite effectively and at a fraction of what it would have cost only a year ago. From someone who found their business livelihood seriously damaged, that’s pretty good news. Actually, that’s really great news!
I had no idea I would finally be able to arrive at the answer to negative comments and articles that appear on the Internet. I hadn’t at all planned to be in the reputation management business, but I feel like I absolutely owe it to others who find themselves in a similar situation, because I do have the solution.
Libel and false accusations are not fun – to say the least. So, my suggestion is that we get together, and I will personally take a thorough look at your situation. If I can do something about an existing problem, or simply protect you from negative or libelous comments aimed at your personal or business name in the future, we can very likely make your prospect for business success a whole lot better!
Tim Darnell
972-727-4995 (office)
TimDarnellAC@gmail.com
http://timdarnell.org/
