Feedback Sucks When It Disagrees With You
It's Roger on the keyboard. It's my privilege to write this issue of the dispatch.
Last week, Paul wrote to you the day after Brexit (which was based on feedback from UK citizens about EU membership). I'm writing this dispatch the day after another political feedback loop: the general election in Ireland. The feedback from this election is surprising and disturbing for many people. (For others, just like Brexit, it is welcome news.)
Sometimes, we get feedback that lifts our hearts.
Sometimes, we we get feedback that crushes us.
Sometimes, we get feedback that confuses us. We thought our communication was massively persuasive (Remainers—"EU membership is infinitely more beneficial than the alternative", Fine Gael—"As the sitting government, we've clearly repaired and steadied the ship, doing so amidst a terrible storm"), but it wasn't. Our messages were impotent.
What does a genuinely attractive business do with uncomfortable feedback?
Our feedback tips
Listen—understand what is being said (and be grateful)
Embrace—set preconceptions aside (they caused the surprise feedback in the first place)
Accept—the feedback is heartfelt and useful
Place it—put it to use if it helps you reach your goals; respectfully decline it if it doesn't
It's better to use uncomfortable feedback to leap into the future than to dismiss it without proper consideration.
This is very dry and preachy, isn't it? (Sometimes, the most uncomfortable feedback comes from ourselves (Roger—"Jesus, nobody is going to read this.").
Maybe you'd like us to give you some uncomfortable feedback on your communication? Or maybe your feedback to us is, "No, thanks."
What feedback do you have about this dispatch?
With best wishes,
Roger (Paul & Anne)
Pedigree Feedback
Our [GAB*] Tip:
Some feedback is deadly
The Pedigree Way
Don't part your lips
to deliver feedback quips
without due consideration
for the miseration
and despair
you may cause the canar...
*Genuinely Attractive Business
Podcasting Gets You Feedback
“Interview as much as possible. Interview your friends and family, then listen back to it and improve on the areas that need to be stronger.”
Podcasts are great for learning. You can hear new things you can treat as useful feedback for your business.
[Do you want to offer help to others so they can improve? If you like, Show & Tell will help you start a genuinely attractive podcast to do just that.]
We've had a connection with Chris Brogan for many years. He has been podcasting for longer than we have (we've been podcasting for a decade). Hear Making the Brand by Chris here: LINK.
Listen up
(some feedback for you)
Our podcast ("Business Jazz") is one of the world's top 10,000 business podcasts. It's raw like an egg. We think it tells you how to be a genuinely attractive business. Your feedback may tell us we're wrong.
Your money back if you don't disagree with something said in this week's episode.
Tune in here:
Client Feedback
We worked with Horizon8. We loved it.
They said:
“Show & Tell Communications are people who care about your business. They commit to you and your project as if they were part of your own team. We asked them to assist us with content for a new website for our global business. They helped us produce an excellent, accessible and informative presence on the internet. We found Show & Tell to be agile and responsive problem solvers. They produced first-class content. Working with them was a smooth and reassuring experience. Our website is better for having worked with Show & Tell and I’d recommend them in a heartbeat.”
Here is where you can watch the video about payment fraud prevention: Horizon8 and UnionPay.
F in Feedback
(Feedback request—Is a better punchline: "Our business runs on customer feedback"?
The Next Step Is...
Be fearless for feedback
it comes easily
weight it as if it didn't
some is useful
some can be used
Your honest self is the best judge of how to deal with feedback.
Embrace Feedback Thoughtfully
You already have allies. (I like this phrase by Paul. It's comforting and warm for our readers—I'll keep it in.)
That's our message to you.
Have a [GAB] week,
Roger (Paul and Anne)