“The Big Bang Theory” episode “The Cruciferous Vegetable Amplification” revolves around lead character Sheldon’s desire to ensure he lives the longest life possible.
To accomplish this goal, the character takes a drastic approach: To keep himself removed from any possible encounter with a life-threatening situation, he creates a robot version of himself. The robot enables him to speak to others (similar to a Skype conversation), go to work, and spend time with friends—all while he sits safely in his own bed.
The cons soon start overshadowing the pros. He realizes his voice is not being heard and that people are quick to ignore him, even when he has relevant and interesting information to share. Sheldon soon realizes that, even though it may put his life in danger, being actively and physically present would make his life more significant.
How does this relate to the business world? For many, the fear of putting themselves out there is terrifying, especially when it comes to their businesses’ reputations, but keeping your business tucked away will result in more damage than benefit.
You may think that you are protecting the company by staying hidden, but in reality you’re only keeping yourself out of the conversation and out of the minds of your target audience.
Not only are you out of the conversation, but you also will begin to lose your voice and lose the ability to shed light on the positives your company creates for its customers.
The comments and negativity will come your way no matter what, so you might as well put yourself in the best possible position to handle them proactively when they do.
Similarly to Sheldon, we all must understand that our businesses should interact with the world. We must actively engage our customers and, in some cases, our opposition. Yes, you will incur negative feedback—we all will at some point—but this can be ameliorated through two simple steps:
Plan
First, start with a plan to address any situation that may go awry. This could include many different conditions from small and simple to large and complex. For example, respond to the small comments, good or bad, with an authentic and unrehearsed response and deal with the major crises through tactical and proactive actions to get your company back on track. Having a plan in place will keep you prepared for any short-term crisis, while allowing you to focus on your long-term goal. It is important to stay relevant and active in your industry in order to become the preferred source for your target audience.
Embrace
Coupled with your outward-facing communications plan, find a way internally to turn negative feedback into a positive. Look at this video by U.K. maxipad maker Bodyform, for example. A negative comment about the company received overwhelming attention. Bodyform responded by creating a piece that not only turned the tables, but also brought it additional recognition that far exceeded the original exposure of the negative comments, while humanizing the company.
By embracing the conversation with customers, whether positive or negative, the awkward barrier between the business and the target audience can be torn down.
To accomplish this goal, the character takes a drastic approach: To keep himself removed from any possible encounter with a life-threatening situation, he creates a robot version of himself. The robot enables him to speak to others (similar to a Skype conversation), go to work, and spend time with friends—all while he sits safely in his own bed.
The cons soon start overshadowing the pros. He realizes his voice is not being heard and that people are quick to ignore him, even when he has relevant and interesting information to share. Sheldon soon realizes that, even though it may put his life in danger, being actively and physically present would make his life more significant.
How does this relate to the business world? For many, the fear of putting themselves out there is terrifying, especially when it comes to their businesses’ reputations, but keeping your business tucked away will result in more damage than benefit.
You may think that you are protecting the company by staying hidden, but in reality you’re only keeping yourself out of the conversation and out of the minds of your target audience.
Not only are you out of the conversation, but you also will begin to lose your voice and lose the ability to shed light on the positives your company creates for its customers.
The comments and negativity will come your way no matter what, so you might as well put yourself in the best possible position to handle them proactively when they do.
Similarly to Sheldon, we all must understand that our businesses should interact with the world. We must actively engage our customers and, in some cases, our opposition. Yes, you will incur negative feedback—we all will at some point—but this can be ameliorated through two simple steps:
Plan
First, start with a plan to address any situation that may go awry. This could include many different conditions from small and simple to large and complex. For example, respond to the small comments, good or bad, with an authentic and unrehearsed response and deal with the major crises through tactical and proactive actions to get your company back on track. Having a plan in place will keep you prepared for any short-term crisis, while allowing you to focus on your long-term goal. It is important to stay relevant and active in your industry in order to become the preferred source for your target audience.
Embrace
Coupled with your outward-facing communications plan, find a way internally to turn negative feedback into a positive. Look at this video by U.K. maxipad maker Bodyform, for example. A negative comment about the company received overwhelming attention. Bodyform responded by creating a piece that not only turned the tables, but also brought it additional recognition that far exceeded the original exposure of the negative comments, while humanizing the company.
By embracing the conversation with customers, whether positive or negative, the awkward barrier between the business and the target audience can be torn down.
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