You can have all the money and success in the world, and all that comes with it, but if your good name gets dragged through the mud you still feel the pain. That’s happening to Australian individuals and businesses right now, and you only have to look at the example of our cricketing legend Steve Smith to see how severe the consequences can be. We won’t go into the whole ball coming into contact with sandpaper again; he’s served his time and now he’s back playing for his country again, so let’s see how Steve and others can take steps to repair a damaged reputation.

1. Show The World What They’re Missing

Steve Smith not only had his reputation damaged; he was banned for a year from doing the thing he does best and the thing he does better than anyone else: playing cricket. When the ban was up, he could have kept in the shadows, written his memoirs and avoided public attention, but he fronted up and decided to show the world what he’s really made of. His brilliant exploits in the Ashes already this summer have enhanced his legend still further and if he comes back to Australia with that famous little urn then most people will be more than ready to forgive and forget his past indiscretions. There’s a lesson there: take the first opportunity to show the positive things you or your company can still deliver.

2. Say Sorry, And Mean It

Few things feel worse than having your name damaged, so it can be tempting to get angry and fight back. That will only make things worse. Instead, this can be a useful time of reflection, a time to honestly appraise what went wrong and why the damage occurred. Look on the positive side rather than obsessing on the negative: here is a chance for you to take stock and make positive changes. Once you’ve done that, say sorry and mean what you say. People can detect when people are being sincere or not, even in an email or social media message.

3. Remove Damaging Material From The Web

One of the worst things about having your reputation damaged is the thought that articles besmirching your good name will be on the web forever, always ready to pop up in a search and ruin your name all over again. It doesn’t have to be like that. Removify are the Australian experts in removing negative content online, and they can help whether you’re an individual, the owner of a business, or a sports superstar. One of their key skills is removing bad reviews that are simply unfair, often left as a malicious act that can cripple a business. The best thing of all about this reputation repair solution is that if they don’t succeed (and they boast a great 88% success rate), you won’t pay a dollar.

Repairing your reputation online can put a spring back in your step again. Steve Smith’s certainly found his spring again as his two centuries at Edgbaston showed. His reputation is repaired all around the world, except maybe in England – but then apart from negative online comment removal, you can’t have it all.