Your Blog From the Prospect’s Point of View

I hate it. Ranting in general annoys me. When people use their blog to complain about the projects other people are involved in, it makes me think that they are jealous, have too much time on their hands, and are attention-hungry.

Trying to win over potential clients by going negative is often a recipe for disaster. It shows people your “mean” side, and they come away seeing your pessimism. It's fine to point out how you do things better in general, but slamming another company/person/industry rarely wins people over.

We make a point in all of our correspondence (email, phone, blog, website) to avoid any negative criticisms of our competitors. Instead, we focus on how we excel in our field, how we solve problems better for our clients, and what we can do to help their business. It comes across as genuine (because it is), and the potential client sees our good side, and how we remain above the mudslinging.

People are smarter than you think. They can see when a company is better without you trying to lower the bar for your competition. When you disparage those around you, you lump yourself in with them via your negativity.

I agree. Your blog should be about providing value to your readers. Concentrate on that. Let the readers form their own opinions on why you're better than the competition.

The high road is always the best road to take.

Putting others down is typically a sign of immaturity regardless if its personal or professional. Pointing out areas of differentiation and positioning against competitors is acceptable and even encouraged – we all have to do our part to communicate our value. But value is built by an internal investment that manifests in a visible outward quality. Putting others down clearly shows little internal value.

Now, in defense and perhaps contrary to everything above. I once flipped my boss the bird, the “your number 1″ but with the wrong finger. Why? Because I saw 3 other employees do it that day and he laughed and fraternized with them. When I did it, I was offered a free day off with an opportunity to find another job. I was a teenager, the other employees were adults. I modeled the wrong behavior because I didn't know any better.

Fortunately, my boss heard me out, understood my position and gave me a pass. Lesson learned though. So, it's possible these folks are modeling bad behavior and just don't know better. It's our job as professionals to lift them up and point them in the right direction.

Thanks for starting this discussion Chris. It's an important one.

Best,
Justin McCullough

I think discussion about what the industry-at-large could be doing better is good, particularly if you can give some great references or your own insights on how it could be doing better. That's different than swipes at competitors (though I too like the Chevrolet mileage ads comparing themselves to Honda's lawnmower, and I drive a new Accord). If you can differentiate yourself positively without referencing the competitor, great. If you have to answer a direct question, I find “they do it a little differently than I do, and I like the way I do it better for a variety of reasons, let me share what I do that works” is usually sufficient as a preface to why I think my solution is useful.

However, I also think there's some value in critical (as in thoughtful, not as in spiteful) discussion about specifics, particularly in comparisons, or in some “thinking out loud” spaces. Comparisons of web hosts for instance deserve discussion about good and bad, particularly by the community of users. Maybe not by the web host in reference to others, but if I were a domain provider I'd certainly want to point out I don't pre-register and lock down domains my potential customers are searching for like some competitors did. That criticism is a public good – it warns others not to search for available domains on some sites or risk losing them.

On “thinking out loud”, I tweeted something about Third Tribe Marketing's community – I joined because I value some of your writing, and that of a few others. I'm not yet sure Third Tribe Marketing delivers the equivalent of what you already have done, but I also see some great potential and want to see the next few seminars. I thought about that out loud not as criticism, but as discussion – is this reaching that potential yet? Interestingly the lessons for me may not have come from the seminar or forum, but from the way the soft-launch was done as a marketing exercise itself – beta testers joined, paid for the privilege (at a discount that lasts, great work!), and then were converted to customers who may be less likely to leave than late adopters because they'll lose their early adopter rate. That's a fabulous sign-up AND retention approach. And the user profile system identifies people by the number of their signup and not username, showing who was there early. Again, great work (especially if intentional). Those are very valuable lessons.

I still think about – and use – your line about Julien and how he responds when told someone he is meeting is a blogger – “Oh? So what do you complain about?”

To be honest, while that was a funny line, and true, it made me realize that's how people think about people who complain and report on poor service. All the time.

I still think there is value – from time to time – on reporting on a negative experience with the hope that the story teaches and helps others to not repeat that mistake.

But these days, I am finding more value in reporting good stuff. That teaches and serves too!

I use my blog to entertain. That is all. Sometimes I succeed, the other times I don't. But I always try.

Brian Meeks
http://extremelyaverageone.blogspot.com/

There's a way to respectfully disagree or point out other ways of doing things, that's great. Trashing something or being negative (especially if you haven't even tried it) is not so cool. What did our mothers all say…”Do unto others…”

It's far more effective to communicate your vision.

About 3rd Tribe, please tell me you're digging into the forums. THAT's where the value is. The video stuff is okay, but the rest of it is really in the forums.

I agree with the commenters before me. Bashing a sign of jealousy. If I'm trying to provide valuable content and information to my readers, I shouldn't have time to pay attention to how wrong Sally is over there. It's pointless. It reminds me of a horrible political campaign. How does bashing my opponent tell you what I can do for you? It doesn't!

Agree, Chris. My original intent for my blog was to offer an insight, generate ideas, stimulate debate. Whether I achieve this will be down to you guys, but I will certainly from now on focus intently on whether I'm just using it as a sounding board for gripes. That is NOT my vision, and blogs that do so, imho, are frustrating as a result.

Social media interactions are about balance, expressing both sides and giving a voice to all parties. Blog-type rants plain don't do that. I know, the argument against this is expression of opinion… but, surely with negativity comes, well, if not reason, at least a consideration of the others' point of view?

Great post. The thoughts need more digestion…

What do I feel in terms of negative commentary, you mean?

I don't trust it. I see it as desperate attempts to “win.” It's one thing to read a review that's negative based on experience, but to tout one's brilliance over another's ignorance is small. It doesn't make me trust the writer, or the seller, or the company. As a buyer, I steer clear of those adds and those companies because I feel they are trying to make up for some hidden discrepancy they don't want you to discover. They do that instead of fixing the problems that put them in the position of running negative add or posts.

Yep, I'm with you–I think you can graze and/or compare by pointing out your product's strengths & points of differentiation. That's providing information that helps in a buying decision.

I know that when I'm the buyer I'm turned off when someone bashes their competition. Negativity just breeds negativity.

Great post-sure started some good dialogue, thanks!

Negative comments and blog posts are so prevalent because they require little original thought. The true work is trying to create your own orignal content, ideas or projects. By taking time to analyze and deconstruct someone else, you keep your true work from moving forward. Plus you give people the impression that you think you're better than everyone else. Nobody likes self-annointed leaders of an industry, unless you're Apple.

I'm agree about the clients if it's on the firm's blog. About personal blog – there we saying out thoughts so I don't see the problem.

His Chris! Just started reading your blog, good stuff…

Great, great point! Sure, it feels great to vent … but what gain do you think you'll get by being negative??

Another important aspect of blogging – knowing when & how to promote your blog socially: http://bit.ly/9jRWhA

Interesting insight Chris – I think the tone of your blog gives a prospective customer an idea of the kind of person you are to work with. Critical, or warm and welcoming?
Thanks again (and I'm enjoying the kitchen table videos too – thanks!)

I agree, I definetely believe that your attitude towards your industry on the internet is a major way to show how your attitude in real life. Employers don't want negative people on their staff, or people that are portraying the industry they are in negatively online.

The effective use of negativity is only useful in industires where competitors don't need each other. Automakers are case in point, they don't need each other in order to do business. The auto industry its all about having the best product. If one automaker says their product is best or that its better than the competition one could take it as a negative comment and that is I think widely accepted. Automakers can slag each other and it will not effect their ability to do business.

It doesn't work in industries like residential real estate which is all about cooperation. Realtors need each other to do their job. An effective Realtor needs to have a good relationships with their fellow Realtors not only to excel but simply to get their job done. Slagging the competition (ie other Realtors) on a real estate video blog alienates other Realtors and undermines the cooperative spirit required to get the job done. If your colleagues hate you, its going to be very tough to be top dog. And this is completely aside from the fact that Realtors complaining about other Realtors makes the whole profession look bad…

Agreed. I also think if one party is not happy with the way the other is acting in a business dealing, should be given a chance to remedy privately. Too often I fear a blog or tweet is being used as a bully pulpit to tempt the other party to simply acquiesce, rather than air dirty laundry.

I heard one of my favorite lines ever this morning over coffee, delivered with a smile and a rueful shrug. “People will tell you who they are,” she said. And I sat stunned and realized, Yep. They do.

So I like your concept of running your race, as opposed to hollering that Lane 6 is crooked and the soles of #7 are too thick for competition standards. Dead weight energy.

I agree with Mikkel that “value focused” posts are the best way to go. I have always spent my time letting my readers know who is producing the most amazing stuff and explained why these folks are worthy of their attention. That kind of activity is a gift to both the person you're posting about and your readers. It makes the pie bigger and spreads goodwill. Any monkey can spot what's wrong with business/product/line of thinking. It takes time and effort to seek out, amplify, and explain why something is good. People appreciate that.

Chris – Another interesting take as always. The internet, for some, promotes this type of narcissistic behaviour, which is sometimes made worse by the optional veil of anonymity which it can also provide. Often made worse by the fact some people still consider it gospel if it's on the web, even without the traditional editorial or peer review before publishing, or the disclaimer about intent…. it's part and parcel of the medium unfortunately.

Negativity for negativity's sake rarely helps. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for free speech, but as someone once said if you haven't got aything nice to say don't say anything at all.