By Carolyn Campbell

In response to some common questions I receive from readers, I’m trying out a new segment for the newsletter. I’d love your thoughts and questions.

This Month: Yelp! Help!

A number of folks have come to me recently with a Yelp! quandary. In the age of online social networking, there are more opportunities than ever for clients to spread the word about you and your work. It used to be said that if someone likes your work, they’ll tell three people, and if they are dissatisfied, they’ll tell seven. With the advent of online review sites, they can now tell thousands.

So, what do you do if you get a bad ‘review’ from someone?

1. Plan ahead. If you are an advocate of social networking and review sites, be proactive. Ask people who have expressed immense satisfaction with your work to post a review on the sites your clients tend to visit.

2. Handling a ‘bad’ review. If others have posted positive reviews on the site, begin by taking a breath. Remember, it’s just another perspective. Here are a couple things you can do.

• Ask a few people to write you a review, especially if you don’t have any already. I worked with a printer who got a ‘bad’ review. When I read the review, it wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought. And it was easy to remedy the situation because so many folks love his work! If you have cultivated a community of clients, they want to help you succeed.
• Don’t send out a client-wide S.O.S. You don’t want to call attention to the issue. Instead, ask a couple people who you respect to write a review.
• Don’t publicly defend your position by posting your own response to the negative review. It’s far better to have others speak on your behalf without mentioning the other review.

3. What should you do about the person who wrote the review?

• Leaving things alone may be the best solution. You may choose to call them and have a conversation. This is up to you. Sometimes, this can really help re-establish respect. In other situations, it could fan the flames of discontent.
• Most important, step back as you read the review. Is there any truth in the comments? Think about what you can learn from the situation. Is there anything you would do differently in the future? I had a client, who, after some reflection, sent a letter to the person who posted a negative review thanking them for their candor and inviting a conversation. The person then added a new review and eventually became a client again. The power of candor and transparency is quite astounding.

Just remember, no matter how you choose to respond, you are in the relationship business. How are you enriching that in all your connections?