She was almost in tears. “My client has ‘concerns’ about my work and wants to talk to me,” a freelancer said on the phone to me recently. “I’m terrified.”
I don’t blame her. It can be distressing when a client is less than pleased with your writing, design, or other creative work. It’s easy to take it personally, feel discouraged, even depressed. I’m certainly not immune.
I know a very successful freelancer — a copywriter — who seriously considered quitting the business because of negative feedback from just one client! (He eventually came to his senses.)
So what do you do when a client expresses a serious dissatisfaction with your work? Ideally, you want him or her to feel reassured that a prompt revision — by you, of course — will make it all better.
Here is a 6-step strategy that works well for me. I’m a copywriter but these steps can easily be adapted to any type of freelancing.
Step 1. Don’t be defensive.
You want feedback, not combat. Listen carefully to the client and try to determine what went wrong. Be open to criticism, suggestions and new ideas. Don’t act angry or defensive, even if you disagree. Be the consummate professional.
Step 2. Explain your approach.
Sometimes the client doesn’t understand why you wrote something the way you did. You may need to explain your strategy or justify a particular element.
I once wrote a direct mail letter for the owner of a very small company. When he saw that I had used a P.S. in the copy, he balked. “Hey. Is this really necessary?” But once I explained that a postscript in a letter almost always gets read, he agreed to keep it in.
Step 3. Ask for specifics.
Never accept vague feedback like, “Paragraph three just doesn’t work for me.” Nail down specifics. Ask your client such questions as:
– Are all the facts correct?
– Am I missing anything?
– Is there any extraneous information I should delete?
– Are there any awkward passages or transitions?
– Did I explain all the features and benefits clearly and persuasively?
– Does the style, tone and vocabulary fit the target audience?
Don’t guess. Know what needs to be fixed BEFORE you revise the copy.
Step 4. Confirm.
Once you have gone through the copy and clarified the areas that need revision, confirm these details with the client. You can do this verbally or by email.
Step 5. Set a deadline.
Never say, “I’ll turn this revision around in a couple of days.” Always confirm exactly when you’ll complete and submit the revised draft. An exact date-and-time deadline is very reassuring to a client.
Step 6. Complete the revisions exactly as directed.
When revising the copy, you may be tempted to explore new angles or try new ideas. Don’t. Complete the revisions exactly as requested. If you have a great idea, present it separately.
Well, there you have it. My 6-step plan for dealing with negative feedback. Use it. It really works!
I’ve had clients go from being unhappy with my copy to praising my writing skills and offering me more work — all during the same phone call! — simply because I followed these steps.
So the next time you receive the dreaded “I’ve reviewed your work, we need to talk” emails, you know what to do. Keep your chin up. Follow the steps. Act professional. Then get to work on those revisions.
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Steve Slaunwhite is co-editor of The Wealthy Freelancer and author of the bestselling guide: Pricing Your Writing Services.
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Awesome advice – especially Step 1. You really do need to remain professional and avoid letting your emotions take over – even though sometimes that’s easier said than done.
No matter how much and how often we write, no matter that we make a career out of it, we’re still so freakin’ vulnerable when it comes to negative feedback! It’s frustrating, but understandable – we put so much of ourselves and our time into these projects. I agree that the first step is maintaining professionalism and perspective – it’s not the end of the world, no matter if it feels pretty crappy. Excellent points, and I know in my experience they’ve helped.
One of the points not mentioned, Steve, is that many times when a client is unhappy it may be because he/she doesn’t know what they want in the first place or are unable to articulate it.
“You’re the writer, so write!”
Like the old saw, “I know art when I see it.”, some clients don’t know what they want until you’ve written it … and then the writer is stuck.
So I’d add to your excellent list, get the client to commit upfront to goals, tactics, what they want, expect, etc. and have them complete some sort of marketing/creative brief before you write word one.
I promise this will go a long way to keeping clients satisfied.
Very sound advice. Moreso, it’s a relief to know that other writers have faced the same situation and have professional solutions. I just went through the same thing with my biggest client, who asked for a complete rewrite on a project. Though I was at that point bludgeoned by self-doubt, I handled it professionally and there is only slight bruising left. Sometimes, I have to admit that the client knows more about his/her needs than I do, and I have to be not only a better listener, but a better questioner as well. If I take Steve’s post-mortem questions and rework them, they become the perfect pre-project client interview.
I can relate to this. As a designer, I’ve heard the same thing from time to time. Early on in my career, I got this piece of feedback from a client: “My wife hates it.” That was it… nothing more.
Looking back, the wife was right. I was a rookie at the time and just didn’t have the experience to nail something right the first time because I didn’t ask the right questions up front.
It was Step 3 that salvaged the project… going through almost every little detail to find out what wasn’t working and then remembering that feedback on future projects.
Getting negative feedback is no fun, but it can help us improve and sharpen our skills for the future. I, too, have had those moments of “Is this really worth it?” Then I remember that there’s probably no job immune to criticism. And the upside of freelancing outweighs all the negatives.
Still, reading those types of negative words wrecks my whole day. Yet maybe we should be happy about how it affects us. I think it’s a sign that we really care about what we’re doing. Believe me, there are plenty of people who would take negative feedback and then blame the client for being a no-nothing and not be shy about letting him/her know it.
This offers clear concise solutions that I’d been looking for. While #1 goes without saying, it often needs saying. It’s always amazing how easy it is to become defensive when someone condemns your work – after all, those words came at great cost to you.
Self-doubt is a big issue for writers. We already question our work beyond recognition in editing stage, but to have someone else critique our work is just TOO MUCH!
Thanks for sharing these simple rules.
Jan
These are all fantastic comments. I echo Roberta’s suggestion about working from either a creative brief or a questionnaire. I usually use a questionnaire (tailored to the type of project in question) as the basis for the project kickoff call. It’s a huge help in setting expectations and getting everyone on the same page.
Finally, I always ask that the person who’s going to make the final decision be on on this kickoff call (the person with the final say on revisions). You’ll avoid lots of headaches if he/she is there providing direction and feedback.
I’m all for working with your clients, but you have to admit that some people do give unfair negative feedback on the work they hire you to do. Some people just don’t know what they want, give you one set of guidelines and then change their mind when they see it completed.
I didn’t think we wealthy freelancers did work that sucked?
How do you base your fees on results when your work sucks?
Allan
Allan – I wouldn’t take it to mean that the work you submitted was trash. I would take it to mean that the client simply expresses dissatisfaction with the work submitted.
I’ve found that in most cases, the disatisfaction is NOT the result of poor writing skills. It’s due to poor communication between the client and the writer (and that could be the fault of one or both parties).
While I didn’t write the post, I believe Steve used the word “sucks” to connect emotionally with anyone who’s received negative feedback from a client, regardless of the reason.
Frankly, I don’t know of a any good writer or copywriter who has NOT been in that position before. Happens to all of us at some point in our careers.