Are YOU the Victim of Business-Threatening Rumors?
| Category: Competitors | Date: 2003-11-25 |
In the online business world or otherwise, people are going to say things about you or your business in an attempt to knock you for a loop, and destroy the credibility that youre working so hard to build. Why? Maybe they like to get people down. Maybe they have nothing better to do. Maybe the idea of other peoples success is threatening. It could be all or none of those.
Regardless of the reason, its still going to affect you, and you need to know how to handle yourself when the time comes. Oh yeah ... if youre successful, people ARE talking about you. You just dont know it yet. So when you find out, heres how to cope:
1. Dont let it get you upset.
The first thing we want to do when we find out people have been talking badly about us or our business is to get angry.
Dont.
Why? This wont solve anything, so why get your blood pressure up, increasing your health risk, over rumors? Stay calm and collected, and be ready to perform these other steps.
2. Ask "the messenger" what their views are on the issue, and ask for specific examples to back them up.
The messenger? The person that told you about the rumors. Whether they agree or disagree, ask them why. If they dont agree and can give you valid reasons why not, then you have little to worry about. If they agree and can give reasons why, ARE they valid? Can they provide supporting examples?
DONT think about this from a self-defensive point of view. Be open-minded about what they have to say. Acknowledge your mistakes and REALIZE them, apologizing for any wrong-doing. What a way to INSTANTLY prove that youre not "the bad guy!" Everyone makes mistakes -- but very few people have the courage to admit to those mistakes.
3. Remember, the odds are already against you. Be prepared for the worst.
Most people ARE closed-minded, no matter how much they disagree. The messenger probably came into the relationship with you based on some biases passed on from the rumor source. So, dont be surprised when they give you supporting examples.
Theyve probably been LOOKING for things to support those rumors, and were pretty much oblivious to the positive about you. Such are the characteristics of closed-minded people. The sooner you realize that, the better off youll be.
4. Dont dig yourself deeper by getting defensive.
Doing this will only prove to the messenger that the rumors are true! Dont get all uptight, dont be nasty, and dont accuse the messenger of spreading the rumors. Remember, they only relayed the message(s) to you from the source.
I know its tempting to be self-defensive, but instead, relax. Take a deep breath. If you got the "bad news" by e-mail, dont respond right away. Come back to the message after several hours, or even a day or two if need be. Youll have had time to cool down, and will be able to respond with a level head.
5. BRIEFLY explain why the accusations couldnt be true, and agree to disagree if necessary.
Dont be long-winded about this one, or youll STILL come across as being self-defensive. And as we all know, people that go out of their way to prove themselves are guilty of the crime 99% of the time -- or just insecure. You dont want to be portrayed as either of those.
All in all, dont waste your valuable time defending yourself or getting upset about rumors. The originators of these bad tales have nothing better to do than to try to bring successful people down instead of trying to achieve success themselves. They wont hurt you as long as the rumors arent true.
Although you CAN win a few "messengers" over and get them on your side of the playing field, spend your time building your current success -- not wasting energy and time defending yourself against inevitable rumors. I guarantee you, youll be MUCH better off.
About the Author
Harmony Major is the author of Yahoo! Secrets, where she reveals how YOU can drive HUNDREDS more visitors to your site each day, by getting a #1 listing on Yahoo. Dont just settle for "getting listed." Use her instantly-effective tactics to boost your site traffic with a TOP Yahoo listing!
Harmony@ExpertOnEbiz.com
http://YahooSecrets.com
Regardless of the reason, its still going to affect you, and you need to know how to handle yourself when the time comes. Oh yeah ... if youre successful, people ARE talking about you. You just dont know it yet. So when you find out, heres how to cope:
1. Dont let it get you upset.
The first thing we want to do when we find out people have been talking badly about us or our business is to get angry.
Dont.
Why? This wont solve anything, so why get your blood pressure up, increasing your health risk, over rumors? Stay calm and collected, and be ready to perform these other steps.
2. Ask "the messenger" what their views are on the issue, and ask for specific examples to back them up.
The messenger? The person that told you about the rumors. Whether they agree or disagree, ask them why. If they dont agree and can give you valid reasons why not, then you have little to worry about. If they agree and can give reasons why, ARE they valid? Can they provide supporting examples?
DONT think about this from a self-defensive point of view. Be open-minded about what they have to say. Acknowledge your mistakes and REALIZE them, apologizing for any wrong-doing. What a way to INSTANTLY prove that youre not "the bad guy!" Everyone makes mistakes -- but very few people have the courage to admit to those mistakes.
3. Remember, the odds are already against you. Be prepared for the worst.
Most people ARE closed-minded, no matter how much they disagree. The messenger probably came into the relationship with you based on some biases passed on from the rumor source. So, dont be surprised when they give you supporting examples.
Theyve probably been LOOKING for things to support those rumors, and were pretty much oblivious to the positive about you. Such are the characteristics of closed-minded people. The sooner you realize that, the better off youll be.
4. Dont dig yourself deeper by getting defensive.
Doing this will only prove to the messenger that the rumors are true! Dont get all uptight, dont be nasty, and dont accuse the messenger of spreading the rumors. Remember, they only relayed the message(s) to you from the source.
I know its tempting to be self-defensive, but instead, relax. Take a deep breath. If you got the "bad news" by e-mail, dont respond right away. Come back to the message after several hours, or even a day or two if need be. Youll have had time to cool down, and will be able to respond with a level head.
5. BRIEFLY explain why the accusations couldnt be true, and agree to disagree if necessary.
Dont be long-winded about this one, or youll STILL come across as being self-defensive. And as we all know, people that go out of their way to prove themselves are guilty of the crime 99% of the time -- or just insecure. You dont want to be portrayed as either of those.
All in all, dont waste your valuable time defending yourself or getting upset about rumors. The originators of these bad tales have nothing better to do than to try to bring successful people down instead of trying to achieve success themselves. They wont hurt you as long as the rumors arent true.
Although you CAN win a few "messengers" over and get them on your side of the playing field, spend your time building your current success -- not wasting energy and time defending yourself against inevitable rumors. I guarantee you, youll be MUCH better off.
About the Author
Harmony Major is the author of Yahoo! Secrets, where she reveals how YOU can drive HUNDREDS more visitors to your site each day, by getting a #1 listing on Yahoo. Dont just settle for "getting listed." Use her instantly-effective tactics to boost your site traffic with a TOP Yahoo listing!
Harmony@ExpertOnEbiz.com
http://YahooSecrets.com
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