02 Mar 5 Ways to Build Your Reputation
By: Megan Jones
Your business reputation and capability to network is crucial to your success in the workplace. Having a positive reputation can boost your clientele and your reputation amongst your colleagues. It is important to keep improving and working towards building your reputation. Here are 5 ways to build your reputation.
Building Your Reputation and its Importance
Building your reputation seems easy enough. However, building your reputation takes time. Additionally, your reputation relies on multiple factors such as : your work ethic, character and ability to network or your visibility among your colleagues. A positive reputation can boost your teams morale, affect your ability to get promotions, and increase your clientele and profits.
How to Improve Your Reputation
Be Welcoming
Your reputation is more likely to increase the more you put yourself out there and welcome people. Encourage coworkers and clients in a positive and creative way. When you are in a new setting, introduce yourself and the industry you are in. Get to know other individuals and businesses and positively grow your network. Additionally, be a networking connector for others by introducing your network to new people.
Exhibit Transparency
Being truthful is imperative for your reputation. Co-workers want to believe in you and clients want to trust in your work and promises. Appropriately disclose information and ensure you refrain from concealing confidential or private information regarding employees, customers or your company. Moreover, within your business, ensure you are up front and informative with your customers about the service you are providing and if there are any inhibiting factors that can delay the service the customer is expecting.
Help Others
Helping others is a great way to build your reputation. Help your co-workers out by teaming up together on a project. However, you can help others in multiple ways. If a service didn’t go as expected, inform the customer, and work to ensure they still receive the best quality service. Moreover, you can show appreciation for your colleagues, ensure co-workers receive credit for their work, offer and provide constructive feedback, be a networking connector so people can get the service they need. All of these help your colleagues, customers and showcase that you will help others in their time of need.
Be Reliable and Consistent
Being reliable and consistent is essential to retaining a steady customer base. Customers want to feel that when they go to you for a service, they can trust that you will provide a quality service every time. Additionally, when a customer is requesting your service they want to feel confident that the service you provide fits their needs the first time. However, if something does go wrong in the service you are providing, take responsibility and immediately take the appropriate corrective actions to ensure your relationship with your customer is not permanently damaged.
Turn Negative Feedback into Opportunities
If you receive negative feedback, look at it as an opportunity for you to grow and learn as an individual. When it comes from a colleague or manager, discuss the issue with them and work to resolve any negative feelings. If a customer provides negative feedback, take the appropriate corrective actions to repair the service and relationship with the customer. Your customers spend their time and money to trust you, make sure that your customer feels heard and that you will work to repair the issue at hand.
Your reputation is not something to take lightly. You are continuously being watched and looked at by your colleagues, managers and customers. Strive to be the best your can be and provide the best service. By following these tips we know your reputation is guaranteed to shine!
