Bad press or negative feedback in business is something that many people will have to deal with at some point. Whether you take a hit to your personal reputation or your business experiences some issues, it can be pretty nerve-wracking to hear negative comments. However, getting some bad press isn’t an unusual thing, and it’s possible to deal with it in the right way.

It could be a minor issue that will blow over on its own or it might need a little more of a proactive approach to deal with it. If you’re facing some negative feedback or bad press, here’s how to do it professionally.

Promote Positivity

Often the best way to deal with anything negative is to focus on more positive things. It’s not always sensible to draw more attention to bad press, especially when it’s not a very big issue. Promoting more positive things shows that there’s more to you than any mistakes you’ve made or negative judgments you’ve received. If you want help to promote positivity, reputation management experts will do the job for you. They can help you to manage your reputation online so that you can present the best image. You can reach your goals and build the online image that you want.

Address the Problem With Your Team

If you own a business or you’re part of a wider team, it’s often important to talk to them about any bad press that might come your way. Keeping them in the loop and ensuring they know what steps you’re taking can reassure them. It’s usually best to be open and honest with your team, rather than trying to hide any issues. You can even use the situation as an opportunity to get everyone to pull together, boost morale and work on improving the business’s reputation.

Know When It’s Appropriate to Respond

If there have been negative comments about your business, you need to know when and how it’s appropriate to respond to them. Ignoring bad press can make things worse, but there are also times when you have to be careful not to turn it into a bigger deal than it is. If you receive bad reviews online, responding to them in a reasoned and compassionate way is often the best thing to do. If you’re dealing with articles or other things in the press, you might need to be even more proactive to get your voice heard and give your side of the story.

Identify and Correct Mistakes

Sometimes bad press may seem unfounded. However, there are other times when you need to recognize that it could be deserved. If you have made a mistake, recognizing it and committing to correcting it or never repeating it is the smart thing to do. Owning up to mistakes helps to make you a better professional and helps to protect your and your business’s reputations.

No one wants to get bad press, but it’s necessary to deal with it as soon as you can if it does come up.