TURNING MEH FEEDBACK INTO FUEL
Working in advertising is probably the best preparation on earth for filtering feedback. Everyone has an opinion and it is often not rooted in strategy but more on the ego, insecurity or politics affecting whomever has power—or wants it—in the room.
Some of the things you hear all the time:
“I showed it to some people and they think..”
“I love it. But we’re not ready for it, so…”
“They’ll never go for it.”
“I don’t know why, I just don’t like it..”
Client is a 50 year old C-suite man, target is a 25 year-old working-class woman
Your choices when you get feedback you don’t like:
Remain curious and open:
“Hmm.. Tell me more about that, person’s name.”
Even thinking through something you reject can make your work better. Ask specific questions.
Reject and shut down.
Silently: “OMG, they don’t get it. What an idiot.”
Lost opportunity to dig deeper and maybe strengthen your story.
Get defensive.
“Well, you’re wrong about that, here’s why…”
Now you’ve lost the chance to get sharper AND may potentially harm a relationship.
Nope.
Just take what they say at face value and apply it.
The more you pitch or promote, the more contradictory opinions you’ll get. Recipe for disaster and confusion.
#1 with a bullet, my friends.
Seek to understand. We live in Troll times. Learning to be curious and not strike back or shut down is the key. Resilience is required to keep pitching and collect the wins as you go.
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