Standing Up to Criticism

This a guest post and the third article in a four-part series about greenwashing written by Buzz Chandler, president and founder of Asean Corporation, manufacturers of the StalkMarket family of Earth friendly products. The purpose of the series is to help fellow ecopreneurs better understand greenwashing, how to avoid being mislabeled as a greenwasher and what to do when you are.

There is a lot humankind can – and must – do to reduce its impact on the environment, but we cannot eliminate our impact entirely. The very act of breathing produces greenhouse gas. It is no more possible to come up with a 100% green product than it is to live a 100% green lifestyle. At the end of the day, it is all about compromise, sacrifice and trade-offs. This is a concept with which any successful ecopreneurist must come to terms.

Since there is no such thing as a completely green product, it stands to reason that some people may conclude that the environmental cost of any given innovation is not worth the environmental benefit. And, since the definition of greenwashing is subject to interpretation, occasionally a perfectly legitimate Earth friendly solution or product still runs the risk of being inaccurately branded as such.

Our last article covered a number of ways to help minimize the chance of this happening. However, green businesses need to take a pragmatic approach and realize that if they market their products as green, they are going to take some criticism from someone. It’s simply inevitable.

Learning to handle public criticism is important. Below are a few suggestions on how to turn criticism in to a branding opportunity:

Don’t panic – Depending on the severity of the issue, time might be of the essence. However, you should never respond to criticism before your response has been clearly thought through and you’ve had a chance to calm down and take a breath.

Consider the critic’s point of view – The criticism could be coming from a respected thought leader or an Internet troll. Either way, it is important to fully understand where that person is coming from in order to craft an intelligent response. Does the criticism have merit? Is it based in fact or misunderstanding? Does it even warrant a response?

If the criticism is coming from someone influential, pay particular attention to what they are saying and, if possible, start a conversation with them. Perhaps their insight will allow you to hone your messaging or you’ll learn something new. Perhaps you’ll be able to shape their opinions.

Be honest – You are dealing with a smart and educated audience. If you are less than truthful, you lose credibility that is hard to regain.  Being truthful must include a willingness to admit faults or weaknesses.

Educate – Nearly everyone who takes an interest in green products or lifestyle choices is well-intentioned. Most of these folks are striving to learn how they can do their part to help the environment. When criticism is based on a misconception, most people are more than willing to listen to reasoned arguments on why they may be wrong and learn new information provided it is presented in a respectful and appropriate manner.

Be part of the dialog – Every green issue imaginable is already being discussed in online forums, on blogs, on Websites and via various forms of social media. The conversation will happen with or without your participation. By monitoring the conversation and contributing where appropriate, you become a legitimate member of the online community. You’ll be in a position to respond to issues quickly and efficiently. Once people get to know your company and products, they become evangelists. If you do this right, the community will often respond to critics on your behalf (provided the criticism is unwarranted).

Have a great Website (and blog) – Websites have quickly become one of the most important ways for a company or organization to build its brand, share information and establish meaningful relationships with customers and prospects. Make sure your Website contains all of the pertinent information about your company and its products. Include answers to frequently asked questions, data to help set the context for your solutions and any other important information that helps people understand what you are all about. This helps prevent people from forming incorrect opinions and making bad assumptions.

If your point of view is clearly stated and responses to commonly asked well-articulated questions exist on your Website, it  makes you more efficient when responding to criticism. Rather than provide a long, detailed response to every criticism, you can simply provide quick responses that reference more detailed material on your website.

Check your delivery – How you respond to criticism is just as important as what you say. Resist the urge to be defensive or sarcastic. Before responding to criticism, make sure you are composed. Carefully consider what was said and what you want to communicate in your response.  Then (and only then) deliver your response in a professional, deliberate and respectful way.

Choose your battles – You don’t need to respond to every bit of criticism someone makes about your company or product. This is particularly true online, where some people will say negative things for the sole purpose of their own amusement.

As a green entrepreneur, you are doing something that is meaningful and important. By providing simple and innovative solutions to environmental problems, you are enabling people to lead an increasingly green lifestyle. Even if your solutions aren’t perfect, as long as you are honest and straightforward, chances are good that you’ll be able to enjoy the backing of the green community.

In the final part of our series, we will look at how StalkMarket put the advice in the first three articles into play building its own brand.

Photo credit:  Stephalicious at FLICKR under Creative Common License