Send and Defend

It really doesn’t matter where you turn online or in the media, someone somewhere is saying something that they immediately regret, and wish they could take back.

What happens in the post-conference presser in sports may not matter as much (although it makes great headlines in the sports world). It’s what happens online that does matter. Your “rep” follows you WHEREVER you go. Once you hit send, you better be prepared to defend. Many players will have “backtracked” on their words the next day but the point is that once you express your opinion to EVERYONE on the internet, you can NEVER take it back. Online forums are great for asking for help from your peers, and Facebook is fun socially AND can be a great business tool. The power of the “re-tweet” with Twitter is AMAZING.

I remember one gentleman in a recent online forum posted that he didn’t care if a client saw all the negativity he was spewing on the board.

If they saw that and didn’t hire him then they weren’t his client. While I can understand his thought process (somewhat), the fact still remains that those are printed words on a page. They lack the emotion, inflection, phrasing, pitch, tone, and clarity of your voice. The problem is is that this power can also come back and bite you in the tuckus if you’re not careful. Yours truly has been guilty of this more than once, but I urge you as a business person and someone who cares about their reputation to THINK before you hit send. Your words and reputation will forever be out there. Strive to always make a positive impression.

Send and be prepared to defend. Your words are in black and white for all the world to see. In today’s society of emails, text messages, tweets, posts, and status updates…EVERYONE can take a look inside your bubble by simply focusing on one little engine. Google.