SmallBusinessNewz

Suppose you're showing off a new Dodge Viper.  You're proud that it sounds like a monster and kind of looks like one, too.  Then some well-meaning bystander calls the Viper "cute," and you're crushed.  Okay, now what if a similar situation happens with your business?

Fans may not always describe things in a way that'll meet your approval.  In the case of the Viper, for instance, a Dodge exec might start to worry that the sports car doesn't look aggressive enough.  Or he (or she) could just accept that even people who love the word "cute" find the car attractive.

Jackie Huba recently outlined her own way of dealing with imperfect evangelists.  "No matter what, thank the customer for her referral and/or passion. . . .  If the customer has old or incorrect information, you could ask if they're interested in an update on what's new.  Better yet, invite her to join a special program for evangelists; access to an inner circle can be golden."

Lastly, Huba suggests, "If the customer's information is technically correct but incomplete, or uses her own words and not yours, get over it.  A word-smithing scold is old."

Again, you'll have to decide what's right for your brand - maybe I've just cost Dodge a sale by even hinting that a Viper could be called cute - but on the whole, it's probably best to take kind words wherever you can get them.