We all know the guy or gal.

The one that we would vote “Top Fellow Employee that You Don’t Want to Work With.”

This is the one that complains all the time. Nothing is right. Woe is me. If something goes wrong, this guy blames everyone else. He can’t possibly be the one at fault. He’s wrapped up in elementary school games where he puts everyone else down in an attempt to make himself look good. You know the rest of the story.

What if your office issued such an award . . . but left the name out? Every day, you walked by this blank award and wondered if your name would fit in that space. How do your fellow employees feel about you?

If you’re the boss, you could still be voted on for such an award. Don’t count yourself out.

Think about that for a minute.

Let’s take it a step further.

What if you’re a client, and there’s an award for the “Top Clients that XYZ Company Doesn’t Want to Work With.” Would your name be on that plaque?

We say the client is always right, but that’s not quite true. All companies should aim for total client satisfaction, and they should do everything they can to make their clients happy. However, let’s look at this from an SEO perspective.

SEO/SEM is a profession, just like accounting is a profession. You don’t march into your accountant’s office and tell him how to do his job, and your SEO clients shouldn’t march into your office and try to tell you, the professional SEO, how to do your job. You’ve learned a tremendous amount of information to become a professional SEO, and your clients should respect you and treat you with the courtesy you deserve. Your advice is worth a lot to them. You can literally make or break their online businesses. One well-worded piece of advice from you can make them a lot of money.

However, if the client doesn’t want to listen to you, thus keeping you from doing what you do best, the client isn’t right. The client’s name should be on the plaque.

Let’s look at it from a different angle. We all buy goods and services either online or offline. We usually buy from the same vendors, and in many cases, those vendors recognize us.

Do you want your name to be on the plaque that says “Top Customers To Avoid” that’s placed in the back of your favorite restaurant, simply because you’re such a complainer? All of the waiters avoid you like the AIDS virus. Have you ever stopped to think that you’ll get much better service if you put a smile on your face (and be a generous tipper!)? It’s amazing!

Do you want your company’s name associated with “Top Companies Who Don’t Pay Their Vendors”? Do you honestly think vendors don’t talk?

Do you want to be known as someone to avoid? As a negative, complaining person with a bad outlook on life? When a vendor gets an e-mail from you, do you want the support person to groan at the sight of your name?

Or, do you want him or her to smile, be glad to hear from you, and be interested in what you have to say?

In which case do you think you’d have the most influence?

What does your plaque say?

Robin