Reputation Management You Are Known By The Company You Keep - Pathfinder Careers

Reputation Management You Are Known By The Company You Keep - Pathfinder Careers Reputation Management: You Are Known By The Company You Keep Today, I was sent a  blast email from another industry professional someone  that Ive never met nor communicated with prior to this generalized message  which landed in my in-box.   In the persons note, they even apologized for the fact that they were sending a bulk email to everyone within a commonly associated group. I did a quick scan of  the message and read that  this person  was introducing a money-making partnership and was requesting my  particiation along with everyone else whose email was listed in the email (instead of blind-copied as per social netiquette). Like most people, I get a lot of these generic messages in my box, so I quickly replied, saying, REMOVE, then sent it off and didnt give it another thought. Surprise! I got an email back from this person who said that they hoped that they had not offended me with their offer. But what transpired next was like watching a slow-motion train wreck happen in a series of back-and-forth emails. I tried to explain to this individual that in today’s era of relationship-building, getting a blast email is a complete turn-off.   Simply put: I  didn’t know them and wasnt going to partner with someone I dont know solely based  on my benefitting  from a certain amount of money that would be the result of  the proposed  partnership. Why would I put my reputation on the line for someone I dont even know? Reputation management is a life-long process and is the result of careful cultivation of personal and professional relationships based on mutual respect and affinity. We choose our friends  and are known by the company that we keep. The reply back from this person was defensive. They totally didnt get it. The  real train-wreck from this entire experience  was that this person missed a true opportunity had they taken the time to personalize their approach.   I would have been much more willing and open to partnering had they taken the time to get to know me first before asking me to do something for them. Today, relationships come first not money. If you cultivate the relationships the right way, the money will follow not the other way around. With this individual,  we had  never interacted before this moment, and then they sent me a generalized email.   As a recipient, that tells me that  they haven’t taken the time to find out about me, my business model, or general approach before asking something of me.      By taking the time to do some quick research on  a target audience and either sending a individual email or making a phone call  for a personal touch-point,  this would  open  a  door for opportunity, rather than a total shut-down. When I coach clients on job search techniques, I advise them to build their LinkedIn networks carefully and be selective with who you let in. The previous blog post I wrote talked about being wary of LinkedIn collectors who just want to add another connection like a notch on a belt.   Reputation by association is something to take very seriously. The next time someone unknown to you asks something of you without establishing any kind of personal rapport, you might want to question their motives. Is it  YOU that they want or instead, is it the  MONEY you can bring to them?   And base your decision from there.