Speaker 1: So an emotional reaction from you is what they're seeking.
They are seeking to harm you, They are seeking to
throw you off in a balance. And a lot of
times in these tense situations where prices communications happen, people
want to have they think emotionally. Logic really takes a
backseat and the peedburg price it's just more emotional and
that at that point, it's when you're about to really
pain your emotions and think logically. And logically is speaking
a little speaking the las.
Speaker 2: You're listening to Carrie Let's Financial Survival Network where you
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Speaker 3: And welcome you are listening to and watching the Financial
Survival Network. I'm your host, Carrie Lutz. Well, a lot
of people need to do a lot of damage control
today after the results the outcome of the election. A
lot of reputations have been damaged. A lot of people
who you once looked up to. Maybe you aren't doing
it so much. Well, You know what, if you own
a company, you can have the same kind of issues
strike you. False rumors, false allegations, stories that come out
of nowhere and just wind up on the Internet and
get taken as fact.
Speaker 4: And in that.
Speaker 3: Case, you're probably going to want to call in somebody
like Ryan McCormick. Ryan your media relations specialist, co founder
of Goldman McCormick. Answering these kind of things, handling these situations,
crisis management. That's kind of in your blood, isn't it.
Speaker 1: Yes, it is in my blood and carry It's a
great honor to be with you. I really do love
yourschell and I have been listening to you for a
number of years. So it is a honor to be
with you.
Speaker 3: To then, well, thank you for that, appreciated, And so
tell us how did these things happen? Like we know
from certain political leaders, there's a thing called a wrap
up smear where they leak a rumor and then they
get the media to ask them about the rumor, and
then they quote the source of the rumor on social
media wherever it came from. It's so easy to ruin
somebody's reputation, to ruin your reputation with social media and
rezillions of outlets to spew your garbage.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, that's why crisis communication is so important. It's always
strong for every company to have a crisis communications plan
in place, because when a rumor starts, the longer it
goes uncontested and not refuted, the more damage is going
to do, especially if it is a allegation that is
emotionally provoketed. If you have a high level individual within
your company that has been accused of misconduct and that
misconduct particularly focuses on sexual assault or any allegations of racism,
and that does not go challenge, that could be detrimental.
Reputations can be ruined really quickly unless you have a
strong response and carry One thing I always recommend to
people is on top of responding right away, you want
to make sure that you have your legal team on
are with you because usually utilizing it of turning, it's
something that could really bring a lot more credibility to
be reshooting those ruwords. That also make those individuals who
have sort of those rumors, you know, okay, consequences there
consequences reliable. So it's very important, I guess for all
companies to have a legal team. But to have a
crisis communications bid and place, because an false rumor could
cause thousands of people to leave your company to leave
negative reviews. You can get parted with degatve reviews at Google,
and then you can also have your company start drop.
So misinformation is a pretty important thing to be aware,
and I recommend all companies be very vigulal.
Speaker 4: I couldn't agree with you more. I've seen it before.
Speaker 3: They give us an example of some instances where you
had this type of thing happen and how you responded.
Speaker 1: Well, one of my preggoest clients was a professional athlete
and there were allegations that he died, he had assaulted
and some an individual. The allegations were completely false, but
the allegations themselves got this individual band from various competitive
agencies and his reputation was under attack. So by refuting it,
by coming out, by issuing statements, by also utilizing an attorney,
we were able to turn things around. Now, the allegation
itself will probably some people will lit from being great
in people's minds that the other had always assumed. They've
only been doing their own research. And that's actually something
that's really proud of our society is that people hear
something they don't research. Is all.
Speaker 4: Most of the stuff that people.
Speaker 1: Get they just they hear from rumors and they don't
do their own times the research because whatever we're living
in overiy fractice society. But that was one instance where
we came right through and we were able to try
things around. Another individual, his name was Nick Hillary. He
was a father of five wrongly accused of murder. HBO
did a two part series about and Ault who killed
Garrett Phillips, and this accusation that it killed this boy
had caused such a major risk in the town and
it was there are a lot of false rumors that
were out there and it was just absolutely horrible. It
was finally exonerated. But you know, without without counterbalancing, without
standing up and speaking out to false rumors, the people
make a terrible mistake that forever burns your reputation.
Speaker 4: And I don't care.
Speaker 1: There's some people that talk about all pr A lot
of it is spin you want to change, but I
don't believe that at all. I think you should be truthful,
you should let the truth come out. But in your response,
don't get over emotional or don't let emotion cloud your response.
Your response should be very direct, precise, and minimal, because
everything you say at a crisis can be used against
you the same way if you're over by a police officer,
anything you say, it can be used against you. Anything
you say to this crisis can be utilized not only
by the people who are perpetuating the rumor, by the media,
but by also a legal team on the other side.
So you want to be very particular with your response.
Is keeping directly short?
Speaker 3: You know, that reminds me of the John Benet Ramsey
case where they didn't have damage control in place. The
kid goes missing to winds up found dead in Colorado Springs.
The police do a botched job and they just accused
the parents, and they overlook all the evidence that pointed
to a third party. And these people were ruined for
years and they never got to the bottom of the crime.
They never found the killer, the real killer, and these
people were ruined for you know, the woman, the mother
went to her grave being suspected as a child murderer.
Imagine if they had your representation, how things might have
turned out.
Speaker 1: Well, we would have gone after and done daily press
conferences andould they put things out.
Speaker 4: It's through a taro.
Speaker 1: Lene. Also think about Richard Jewel and yes, these could
about nineteen eighty six is all. I mean, everyone assumed
that he was a killer and it was horrible. It's
really weird in our culture. Carryer is that people just
get so infatuated with the emotional response that they're just
it's kind of like an addiction. You always hear how
smart owes are changing our brains that they give us
a complete dopamine response to dopamine. And it gets this
sense that people get a dopamine hit out of responding
emotionally to stimuli, and if you seek the truth, you
don't get the same you know, dopamine. It seems that
it's people are hardwired or seek pleasure out of emotional
reacting certain things. So it's it's a strange period of time,
but it would be wonderful if we were slowly cultures
a little slow down and people took the time to
research and to actually doute the due diligence.
Speaker 4: What the truth is a lot of cases, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3: And you know, even though nobody believes the media anymore,
still oh when they say something unless it's refuted, Uh,
you're guilty until proven innocent, aren't you absolutely?
Speaker 1: And even if you're found innocent, you want something is out.
What's your accusations mean? You're never gonna be able to
come back from that. I mean you could take some
periods of time. One thing it's actually really beneficial about
our culture carry is that we live in a normally
distracted society where if something really negative happens, most likely
something else.
Speaker 4: Will have that will count balance that.
Speaker 1: There will always be periods of the hut where another
story will come out to superceed whatever controversy you're in,
And I.
Speaker 4: Consider it to be a very positive thing.
Speaker 1: It's if you are having a crisis and it's slow
newswek or slow knows slow news month, that's when it
gets really.
Speaker 3: Yeah, god forbid, Yeah, scary, really scary. So but one
of the things is how do you prevent something like
this happen? One thing, to respond to it, But what
are the signs that you're being set up for this?
Signs that you being set up? It's very hard to tell.
But if you have just rentled employees.
Speaker 1: If you have people that have you follow your gut
with this too, you can contemate a best feeling as
to a sue who may be plotting against you. It's
kind of hard because you may you may see a
rumor that's get started on social media and that rear
starts and you see anonymous accounts perpetuated in Sami's information
back of communication. That's something far worse. One thing I
would try to do is I always try to treat
everyone with respect and try to get try to give
people's mitigrations start too not to have any relationship. I
think if you're really good to treat your employees as
well and treat around everyone around you good, you've minimize
your chances. You can't are bet something like this one
hundred percent, But if you do have a crisis communications plan,
eat waste in a protocol and something like this happens,
you minimize the damage and also can't stay this enough said,
or have a legal team that's completely engaged with something
like this because it's a roomor gets excited and you
and your company find yourself at a rate tough situation,
utilizing a strong journey to help your pound your efforts
very effective and not only making things go away, but
also getting the restitution for the instigator of something like that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, like how do you go after somebody who's really
slandered you, defamed you, and really injured your business. A
lot of times they aren't well healed people right with
lots of assets.
Speaker 1: And that's something that I'm trying you, we're really focusing on.
But I would not give somebody who's attacking you give
them more fuel. So an emotional reaction from you is
what they're seeking. They are seeking to harm you, They
are seeking to to throw you off in a balance.
And a lot of times in these tense situations for prices,
communications happen people want to have they think emotionally, logic
really takes a backseat and the peedburg price it's it's
more emotional and that at that point, it's when you're
back to you know, really pain your emotions and think
logically and logically is speaking little, speaking less and only
off bring you a response te and counterbalance. Butever can
be out there in terms of what you can discuss
with your lawyer. So emotional responses that highly do not
recommend that somebody out there is doing the avie. I
would say make sure you have a little legal team
out there, because usually with a strong attorney and they
can do things to either stop the pression from doing
it or you can actually you see restitution, especially if
they've defained you, if they've sustained your company.
Speaker 3: H So, you know, even something is basic as like
Google reviews or Yelp reviews, they really kind of open
themselves up for this type of thing. Like, Hey, I
was at this restaurant, great restaurant, eating there so many times,
and I found a cockroach in my food. Right, Uh,
that could start start a whole pileon thing, especially if
it's orchestrated and you get five different reviews saying yeah
it was in the bathroom, the place is a filthy pit,
and it goes on and on. And you know, businesses
in the public eye are really susceptible to this type
of malicious attack, aren't they.
Speaker 4: Yeah, they really are.
Speaker 1: And it's really sadden when it comes to Google reviews.
Sometimes people are allowed to write us anonymously and it's
it's it's pretty bad. So, I mean, what a situation
had that happened. Some people may want to just remove
the Google business. They mean, why would take it off
Google in general? And they can put in other places
they Yelp and put out other pop one what something
that happens, especially being around us running, and it's it's
kind of harder to counterbalance that. If you do find
yourself in that situation, you can also ask all of
your customers that you really respect and had a.
Speaker 4: Great time with you to write live star reviews.
Speaker 1: Matter of fact to that, if you're in a business
and you're keeping your customers very happy, ask for those
five star reviews and a consistent basis. My understanding is
that for every negative review, that needs to be ten
positive reviews to get out of balance a negative review.
And a lot of people look for negative reviews first.
I mean when I looked at buy appoint, Okay, the
person I do is I look for the negative reviews
I have seen, the most recent, most reviews. I want
to find out why somebody didn't have a your experience
so all wrong?
Speaker 3: Too on that's the first thing you're going to do, right, yeah,
is do that? So yeah, it's kind of scary that
all this is, this is happening, but there is hope.
You know, like doctors' offices, you know, you might get
a recommendation for a specialist, but at your body you're
dealing with and the first thing you're going to do
is look at the reviews and you have to take
them with a grain also because people are often they
going to the doctor emotionally charged. They're looking for a
certain answer and the doctor doesn't give it to them,
and then they're dissatisfied. Right, So I mean reputation management
is kind of what we're talking about here, and somehow
you've got to try to get out ahead at this,
don't you.
Speaker 4: You have to do it.
Speaker 1: And also when you have those negative reviews, and it's
very good to respond in a very professional, warm manner.
So even a trip advisor is another one where I
think it's great when you see hotels especially that have
get negative reviews and that the general manager will respond
and address each quarterly. Because even if person invest seeing
aging review, if they know that the establishment of the
company really does care and they're taking the time to
respond to the lay reviews we talk abou fashion, I
think it's a very positive reflection. But it gives you know,
the person in radia that your review may see there
the responsing and give the hotel or whatever. This is
the benefit of the doubt. So it's it's constant engagement,
constant vigilant, whether it be Google reviews. Also protecting your
your profession and your business online on social media. So
one of the quickest ways we learn how a crisis
emerges is if it's getting retweeted, if you're seeing it,
you know, kind of being shared on social media.
Speaker 4: That's one of the biggest ways.
Speaker 1: So if you find yourself at crisis and you need
people are spending ruwars, but then the rumors is not
getting retweeted and it's kind of a waning interest in it,
and it's a good sign. But if you're seeing negative
ruars about your company and then they're getting retweeted and
then you're getting the reviews, then you know things are
getting out of control or getting bigger. And that's when
you have to really take a heavy handed approach. When
I see a heavy hand and then doesn't meaning you
go after the person can spreading them or you being
really negative, it just being utilize every every resource at
your disposal to camera balance things out. Also, if you've
had some negative reviews by your company, and there have
been negative accusations by your company, it's imperative that you
can come out and you speak truthfully that they did
refute all of them. But also do positive PR about
your company, right, positive press releases. Yeah, put things out
where you need to install your virtues. And if you
put that out there, it's taking water to a stain.
Enough water will diminish that stain. No, I couldn't agree
with you more. People want to find out more about
what you're doing, how you can help in reputation management
and restoration.
Speaker 4: How do they find you?
Speaker 1: Well, they can go to goldenmancorma dot com, g U
L D M A n M, C c O R
M I c K dot com. We're ran at Floor
of Magazines, one of America's best PR firms. And if
you reach out to us, you say, your friend of
Perry will definitely take care you. We take care of
who we work with than anyone who listens to Carried
Show only definitely love to work.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and hey, I can see the application of your
service even if you're not getting hit by attacks. But
your online reputation isn't as good as you would like
it to be, and that will cost you business, especially
if you're a professional. You know, you get a bad review,
you're a professional, and that's going to sting your business.
Speaker 1: And it's going to see your business that Kerry, can
I give your listen as one quick piece of advice
when a company from the reputation absolutely we're learning what
we talked about this before. Their number of celebrities that
came out, celebrity CEOs that came out in the election, they.
Speaker 4: Threw their their lot and what the candidate.
Speaker 1: Well, because they've done that, they alienated a number of
potential customers.
Speaker 4: Exactly fifty three percent.
Speaker 3: Right.
Speaker 1: I would say, if you're a CEO of a person,
don't share your political views. I mean, you can just
focus on what you do great, focus on your company,
focus on providing xcell service to others. Don't you your
political vieuge. You're not gonna you'll you'll basically sing to
the choir of people that feel like minded, but you'll
alienate other people. So I would say going forward, I
don't know sure your political views. That is probably one
of the biggest preventive ways to not have to not
be looking to you know, common sense. Yeah, common sense
like religion. Gentlemen never speak of religion and politics because
now nobody cares about religion. But maybe politics has taking
the place of religion for a lot of you out there,
or a lot of the public. And you know, I
think you know what, you just use one rule when
in doubt, shut your mouth right, you stay out of
You stay out a lot of trouble that way.
Speaker 4: Such has been my experience. Well, I do especially would
say that's great rule from the arch too.
Speaker 1: I'd always find that, you know, the less they talk about,
the less the less what's my likely respond to which
is good?
Speaker 3: Didn't work so good for me because I just could
never keep my mouth shut. But that's that's my own
character flaw there that I'm trying to deal with here.
But hey, you'll find a link to ryan site in
the show notes in this interview on Financial Survival Network
dot com. I think this information right is so useful
because an ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure.
If you do fall victim, you do have ways to
fight it and to fight back, so you need to
be aware of it. Got a question for Ryan or myself?
Shoot me an email kl at Carrie LUTs dot com.
And while you're on the site Financial Survival Network dot com,
please sign up for your free newsletter, Ryan Pleasure, talk
to you again real soon.
Speaker 4: Be well.
Speaker 2: Thank you Gary, great, thanks for listening to Carrie Letz's
Financial Survival Network your solution to today's trying times. For
the latest, go to Financial Survivalnetwork dot com. Chill Survival
Network now more than ever