Want to Improve Your Organization’s Reputation? Here are Eight Ways
Published on December 29, 2021 by Jarica Steinke
You are probably not surprised to read the following statistics:
Your organization’s reputation matters and strongly influences your business.
Many factors affect your organization’s reputation—both online and offline. Some you have control over, while others you don’t. The key to a solid reputation lies in solid relationships; however, is it really that simple?
Let’s focus on what you can control.
Below is a list of ways to improve and maintain your organization’s reputation:
1. Share accomplishments…proudly!
If your organization has won awards, excelled in a particular area, or simply has good news to share: share it! Showcase your accomplishments on your website, social media, on the walls of your facility, through word of mouth—get it all out. Be proud and be visible.
Sharing accomplishments also means sharing client testimonials and feedback given to your organization. No need to be modest when it comes to what you are doing well—bolster your reputation by publicly displaying your accomplishments.
Additionally, think beyond the awards given and goals reached. What else can you share that showcases your organization’s success? Think about these ideas:
The employee spotlight—each month highlight an employee from your organization and share with the public!
Behind-the-scenes videos—so much goes on behind the scenes of a company. Showcase clips of the background work that goes into producing your brand.
Celebratory contests—launch contests to promote your company’s milestones. For example, if you’re celebrating an anniversary, encourage your followers to share their own pictures of an anniversary or accomplishment.
2. Care about helping others…really care.
Theodore Roosevelt coined the common quote: “People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care.” And it’s true!
You are in the business of care, so we know you care about helping others. However, sometimes in the hustle of life, we lose sight of our true intentions. Be proactive about showing that you care about helping others. Know your clients by name. Know their interests. Ask for their feedback and really listen (see #6).
3. Look for needs, brainstorm solutions, and then deliver them!
Your reputation is contingent on your willingness to go the extra mile. Remember that the cornerstone of your organization is serving others, so keeping that in the forefront works wonders.
LinkedIn published an article on the importance of making customers feel cared for and valued. It’s a great read!
4. Reverse-Engineer your organization’s goals…an effective strategy.
Imagine a precise future date, for example, a year from today. Imagine that your online reputation is not stellar because of some obstacles your team faced, yet you continued to provide the best care possible.
Now, imagine the challenges you faced. Brainstorm them.
Answer the questions, “How do we tackle these future potential challenges?” Come up with a game plan and reverse engineer to present-day and start preparing.
Reverse engineering your company’s goals by starting at the end and working back to the beginning is an excellent way to troubleshoot future challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that we can never be too prepared.
5. Consistently create quality products and services…that’s why you’re here, right?
Your products and services are among the strongest parts of your organization’s reputation. It won’t matter how well you get along with clients and how much you care about them if you don’t have high-quality solutions to offer. Make quality a part of your organization’s culture.
Continuously evaluate what is working well, what could use improvements, and what simply isn’t working. The key here is continuous.
There is no one-size-fits-all, and there is no perfection. Some things work. Some don’t. Some things work for a while and then don’t work anymore.
To build a strong reputation, you must continuously evaluate and improve your brand.
6. Encourage feedback and respond…to all of it.
Encourage your clients/patients to provide feedback for your services. Whether positive, negative, or neutral, take time to understand the feedback and respond to all of it. Sure, this can be time-consuming, but it is also a key to building an excellent reputation.
When you receive negative feedback, do your part to make it right. When you receive positive feedback, thank the reviewer.
Future consumers are more likely to believe what other people say about you than what you say about yourself. Encourage client feedback in the form of online reviews, video testimonials, and word of mouth.
Always respond to all feedback—don’t let any get lost or unnoticed!
7. Don’t lose sight of your mission…sometimes it gets lost in there.
Sometimes we have to step back amidst the hustle and say, “wait, what’s our mission here?”
A mission statement provides direction and a clear purpose as to why your organization exists in the first place. The best mission statements communicate the purpose and define goals for achieving that purpose.
Sadly, many organizations design mission statements and then forget about them. When businesses lose sight of their mission, chaos is sure to follow.
Your mission should encompass every part of your organization.
Spend some time going back to the basics. Don’t lose sight of your organization’s mission.
8. Nurture your relationships…all of them!
Your relationships with your clients are essential, but it’s only one of many that tie into your organization’s reputation.
Your relationships with everyone you encounter make up your reputation. Think: community, neighboring businesses, competitors, and more.
Not only should you nurture your relationships with clients and patients, but make sure you nurture your relationships with your caregivers and staff. Your organization’s strength comes from within.
Take care of them and establish morale. Check out our recent blog post, Top 28 Creative Ways to Reward Your Caregivers and Staff.
9. Your offline reputation builds your online reputation…understand this!
Living in the digital era, we know that everything is online. The internet is the first place to look when searching for a company or organization. Yes, of course, you should manage your online reputation through creating powerful content, an authentic social media presence, and an overall supportive atmosphere.
However, realize that every part of your online reputation is built offline. The key? Building relationships. Not just with your clients but with everyone you who you come in contact.
Scottish author and poet George MacDonald said, “To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” This is true. Without trust, there are no authentic relationships.
Building your organization’s reputation takes time, effort, and trial-and-error, but it is worth the benefits.
To learn more about SmartCare solutions, contact us today!