In this episode of The Business of Practice podcast, we talked with Tim Scerba and Michelle Sinning about managing your equine practice’s online reputation. Sinning and Scerba are partners at a new firm, Mayday Crisis Management.
Sinning began by discussing the importance of Google reviews, saying clients often form an opinion of you or the practice before they even meet you. She recommended asking your good clients to leave you a review, as it is often the disgruntled people who are most moved to write one.
She continued by sharing advice for responding to negative online reviews, encouraging an empathetic response that lowers the temperature. “Try to take the conversation offline,” she advised. She said their firm has helped the AVMA develop a toolkit that provides advice and templates for different situations.
Taking the sting out of a bad review is best achieved by responding rather than reacting, said Scerba. He went on to define a crisis and reminded listeners that crises often occur when you are busy with other things. A reputation takes years to build, and an online crisis can harm your practice’s reputation in minutes. However, he explained that if handled well, practices can shine. Having a generic statement prepared in advance can be extremely helpful.
Scerba and Sinning gave examples to illustrate how crises build, especially in regional Facebook equine groups. They also shared some specific areas of vulnerability for equine practices.
About Tim Scerba
Tim Scerba is a recognized international strategic corporate and marketing communications expert with more than 40 years of experience in all aspects of corporate reputation, crisis, and sensitive issues management. He has held senior positions with leading international communications and public relations agencies with work in many sectors, including health care and pharmaceuticals. His other areas of expertise include reputation management, financial/investor relations, community relations, message development, and executive training. He was instrumental in developing the AVMA’s Reputation Management Toolkit.
About Michelle Sinning
Michelle Sinning has led communications initiatives in a broad range of industries throughout her 30-year career. The first half of her career was spent at large independent ad agencies and PR firms, and in the last decade Michelle’s crisis and reputation management consulting on the team at Berstein Crisis Management has resulted in neutralizing or minimizing negative coverage for clients with multiple types of issues. She also was instrumental in developing the AVMA’s Reputation Management Toolkit.
Related Reading
- Tips to Help Equine Veterinary Practices Manage Online Reputations
- Social Media Use for Client Communication
- Business Briefs: Tips for Effective Equine Practice Marketing
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