In Review

First, an apology for being silent on Life; It's been a busy time for our growing agency. But it's time you heard from us again and, wow, do I have a topic for you. REVIEWS.

As someone that does post and blog, it is great to get positive reviews/comments. However, the internet, while offering relative anonymity, it is a playground for people to say anything, anywhere, about anyone. And more than that, it is a place where misinformation carries as much, if not more weight and impact than the truth.
We work with new people coming into our business regularly, as well as clients looking for help. We spend a lot of time talking through the wrong information they pick up along the billions of bytes of data. According to MarketingProfs, more than 2 million articles are published every day on the web. That is inconceivable when each page averages 300 words x 2 million x 365 days that is 219,000,000,000-ish words! It makes my head hurt, and here I am, adding words to the count! 

There is a good (longer than 300-word, though) article from the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on this topic. Why You Can't Really Trust Negative Online Reviews. I'm not going to get into the psychology of why we love bad boys, celebrity gossip, and believe tabloids as fact. But, it is "a thing" so reader beware because, in the WSJ article, they site several valid research studies that say if it's too good a review, it's likely fake. If it's too negative, it's expectedly based on emotion and not fact, or it is also a fabrication.  
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The best advice is to watch for balanced comments and learning about the comment-makers for their credibility. What is the legacy of the company? What kind of impact do they have? Longevity, repeating success, and character. In the insurance business, there are many types of distribution models, which include Carriers, Employees, Marketing Organizations, Independent Agents, and Brokers, etc. And, much like my Radio business start selling "Air," agents are required, for a long and successful career, to be committed to their "craft" and education, process, and people. It's not for everyone, but I can't imagine a career more rewarding or a company culture more inspiring. But, I'll stop there since I don't want you to dismiss my comments as "too positive."  

P.S . Without this line, 392 words.  Nice!