Do you make your reputation.....or do others make it for you?

Following the stream of backbiting and bitchiness in global diplomatic circles revealed on the WikiLeaks website over the last couple of weeks, BBC television's This Week programme asked the question on Thursday night, "Do you make your reputation, or do others make it for you?"

This is a very important question and one that all businesses must take seriously. In many of my talks and workshops I ask delegates how much time they spend working out what they want other people to say about them. No one ever admits to considering this at all.

Let's be clear, people will talk about you. If they don't, then you are not making any impact whatsoever, and that's not going to work in any business's favour. The question then becomes, what are they saying about you?

We know that people are far more likely to spread bad news than good, it gives them a story to share. Do you need convincing? How many of the Wikileaks stories are about one party complimenting another? I certainly haven't heard any stories of that nature making the news. Nice stories aren't generally considered interesting.

So if you leave it to others to decide what to say about you, you could be running the risk of people talking about you when things go wrong, but remaining silent when everything goes to plan. What does that do to your reputation? You may be providing an excellent service most of the time, but if people only hear about you when things go wrong, your reputation will suffer.

Leaving your reputation to others is not just about bad stories. You can also be adversely affected when people compliment you.

If you want to attract more people to your business, you need people who come to you for the right reasons. If people in your network don't understand the full scope of the services you offer, or exactly what you do, they may not recognise when they are talking to the ideal contact for you. Or if they do, they may be telling that person the wrong thing!

While you are reading this blog, how many people in your network are in conversation with the perfect connection for you but don't realise it? A good reputation in business isn't just about being know for doing things well, it's about being known for what you do and who you do it for.

The phone rang this morning while I was writing this blog. In the call I was asked what tactics I have used to grow our business this year. My answer centred on building my reputation. My focus this year was about growing my profile in the right circles and ensuring that my network could best understand what I do and who I do it for. By identifying clear niches, I have helped the growth of the profile of my business and it has led to new clients who have come through referral and recommendation.

What do you want people to say about you and about your business? Who do you want them to say it to? If you understand the importance of these questions to managing your reputation and get the answers clear in your head, you can then send out the right message through your network and to the wider world.

People may still say negative, or wrong, things about you. You may not be able to manage your reputation completely, but you can certainly be proactive about making it as positive and as relevant as possible.