#868 To Reply or Not to Reply

Maybe you think that when someone says something negative you shouldn't dignify their comment with a reply. According to David Oates, that's actually not the best strategy. The reality is everybody, right or wrong tends to have the same weight and credibility in a social media post or an online review. Now that rubs most of us the wrong way particularly when we get criticism from somebody who may not have ever been a customer or who had realistic expectations when they walked in our virtual or actual physical front door.

You know they're out of line and you feel like all you're going to do is to give them some credibility if you reply.  Responding with empathy and action allows you to take control of the narrative.  You may not get the naysayer to change their mind but you are telegraphing everybody else who matters to you; customers, partners, employees and the general public that you take things seriously. 

About David

our guest David Oates

Dave possesses more than 25 years of strategic public relations experience dealing with a wide array of adverse public events. Starting as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and later as a Corporate Chief Marketing Officer and Non-Profit President, he excels in expertly addressing a myriad of crises spans military, government, corporate, charity, and start-up environments. His Crisis Communications experiences, including handling employee and executive misconduct, cybersecurity attacks, product recalls, mass layoffs, large-scale accidents, criminal investigations, and civil litigation matters.

A sought-after speaker, Dave served as a lecturing professor teaching the semester-long PR Media & Messaging program to upper-division undergraduates at San Diego State University. He actively gives back to others through his role as Past President of the Rotary Club of San Diego, the fourth largest service club in the world. Dave previously served on leadership roles that raised tens of thousands of dollars for organizations that include the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Operation Homefront, Free to Thrive, and others.

Dave authored three Amazon e-Books and co-produced two LinkedIn Learning courses, Crisis Communication for HR, and HR Communication in Today’s Fluid Workplace. He is an accredited PR specialist (APR) who received his MBA from San Diego State University in 2004 and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1991.​

 

David is one of the contributing authors in MORE THAN A FEW WRITTEN WORDS, a collection of essays by some of my favorite guests. It is available on Amazon