Fight Back On LinkedIn — Without Fighting At All

Are you being bullied on LinkedIn?

For better or worse, today anyone can say just about anything without any type of recourse.

It’s perfectly okay to share opinions and have discussions on social media — in fact, it’s more than okay. It’s the entire point!

But more often than not, discussions become very heated very quickly, and there is no room for dissent. If you don’t agree with someone, your opinion is dead wrong.

If you’ve been sharing your opinion on any social media site for any length of time, I can almost guarantee you’ve been the recipient of some darn mean comments.

Your first reaction is to comment back and tell that person a thing or two. You’re mad, you’re upset, you cannot believe someone has said such a thing and how wrong they are.

I know this feeling well, because I’ve experienced it numerous times. In the past, I let these kinds of comments get to me. My wife Janice could tell I was irritated and wanted to strike back.

The simple advice she gave me was wonderful, which is why I’m sharing it with you.

“Don’t respond.”

This was difficult at first. My desire to make a counter-argument was so strong. I wanted to share my point of view and show these people how wrong they were.

This was a fantasy.

Deciding not to respond is a successful way of handling negative comments online because it takes away all credibility from that person.

If you don’t respond, the person has no power over you. In all likelihood, the people who spend their time being mean online have a few problems.

If they’re busy complaining about you, there’s a good chance they’re not taking care of their own business.

I know, not responding is very hard. But it’s worth it. When you don’t respond, the person and their comment fade away. You soon forget about it.

Never forget that other people are watching how you handle yourself. Sometimes, not saying anything speaks volumes. The people who are yelling the loudest lose all respect.

Sometimes, other people will come to your defense and speak on your behalf, which is much more powerful than defending yourself anyway.

That happened to me last year when a well-known person in my industry posted a graphic describing my company as a “scam.” I couldn’t believe it.

This person knew nothing about me or my business! I realized how upset he truly was. He revealed his weakness. I didn’t respond, and eventually the fire burned itself out, because it’s impossible to argue with yourself.

Not commenting means you’re not putting any more wood on the fire.

It actually worked out well for me, if you can believe it, because former clients came to my defense as others watched. I received testimonials without asking.

Someone who was trying to hurt me and my business actually ended up helping. (To be clear, if someone is actually hurting your business and you can prove that they are by the things they’re saying, contact a lawyer. At that point, getting a professional opinion is advisable. In my experience, it’s difficult to prove that damage is being done. You think they’re damaging your reputation, when in reality they’re just damaging their own.)

If you’re being bullied on social media, you’re becoming successful. You’re probably pretty darn busy.

Please, keep working hard. You will receive a few arrows in your back. That’s okay. Keep going. Let the people who try to shut you up and stop you roll like water off your back.

It’s okay to have a different opinion, even and especially if other people are yelling at you because of it.

Thank those people. They’re actually making you look good!

Did I convince you to try this strategy? I've yet to find a better one.

How do you handle mean comments and the people who make them on LinkedIn?

#socialmedia