When you're working with clients in any capacity, feedback (giving and getting it) can be one of the trickier pieces of the puzzle.
It's not surprising. There's no formal training on giving quality feedback, so no: not everyone knows what's helpful (and what's not) when it comes to sharing commentary on the work you've done.
Have you ever turned in a draft, a mock-up, or an early version of a project and had it sent back with notes from multiple people on the team, all of whom believe their directives are the *right* ones?
Or maybe you got a vague directive like: "Rewrite this part and make it punchier." 🤔
What do you do when your feedback is all over the place, unclear, too prescriptive (they're not trusting your expertise and skills), and not audience-oriented?
I'll tell you what. You can have my script. You can straight up copy/paste it, tweak it, and make it your own.
Before a new project starts, I send over this "Effective Feedback" document so the client knows exactly what good feedback (as well as not-so-good feedback) looks like. ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Providing effective feedback on creative work
Your input is important and totally necessary to guide my work. I may not get everything right on the first try. That’s not just okay, it’s part of the process. Our work together can (and will) be iterative.
Here’s how you can provide me with effective feedback so I can earn the money you’re paying me. The magic happens when your hard-earned skills and expertise come together with mine. We’re both well-versed in our own worlds, so here’s how we can get the best out of both of our expertise. This will help us more efficiently reach a successful end result.
HELPFUL FEEDBACK (GOOD)
Example: “That phrase might be confusing for our audience. Let’s find a simpler wording.”
Be honest. If you don’t like something, please let me know. You won’t hurt my feelings. Handling feedback is part of my job.
Be specific. Point out what exactly is not working for you and why. Be as detailed as possible.
Ask why. If you aren’t sure what I was thinking with a choice, please ask about it. I’m happy to explain. Everything I’ve done for the project has a purpose.
Refer to your goals. Always orient your comments to your end objective.
Relate to your audience. Your audience should be top of mind for every critique, so please include how your comment will help better serve them.
Be timely. I need feedback as soon as possible so we can fix things sooner rather than later.
PRESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK (NOT SO GOOD)
Example: “Change this word. Make this bigger.”
Team commentary. I work best when you alone serve as the expert on your company and its audience. Art by committee is rarely successful, so let’s keep the process exclusive to you and me.
It’s not personal. If I missed the mark or disagree with you, it’s because I’m thinking about your goals and audience. It’s not personal, it’s business.
Do my work for me. Please give me written or verbal instructions about what isn’t working; don’t redo my work to illustrate your point.
Prescribe fixes. You hired me to provide expertise and solutions, so let me use my skills to help you. Explain the problem and I’ll pitch potential fixes based on what I know.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW
Sometimes I’m going to ask why. It’s not a challenge, it’s a question that will help us get on the same page and find the best outcome.
Feedback is on a tight schedule. If I don’t get your notes within the specified time frame, our project deadlines can be thrown off.
Remember, we’re in this together. Feedback can be challenging, but when we work collaboratively, we can produce something truly valuable for your business.
See how this kind of guidance can make a world of difference when it comes to smoother, more clear communication?
Sometimes you just need to share a bit of education with clients to position yourself as the professional you are.
This way, the folks who hire you remember to trust your expertise, work with maximum efficiency, and share notes that you can actually work with.
This is one template within the Freelance Writer Template Bundle (there are 10 others in there!) I put together to help fellow freelance writers save time and work more efficiently (because time = money.)
Maybe you don't need the full bundle today, but if you found this template helpful, feel free to stop by my tip jar. I always appreciate this support!
