Most successful internet marketers or people in general have one big problem – they have a problem taking constructive criticism or any kind of negative feedback. This can especially true on social media these days. People love to say bad things about others online because they feel anonymous. Drama creates reactions in people, and you can end up with a mob lashing out before you realize what is happening.
This advice isn’t just for marketers and those that make money online. No matter who you are or what you do, you can use this lesson to help you improve your work performance, quality and relationships, but this will be extremely helpful for aspiring internet marketers that are willing to take this constructive criticism to make some improvements.
How to Handle Negative Feedback
Nobody really likes to hear back things about themselves, but you don’t have to allow these moments to turn into bad situations. Instead, you can make these positive moments in life. Moments that allow you to reflect on your actions to consider whether you could do things better or more effectively. Take these opportunities to make changes in your life when necessary and always be open to growth.
There are two major problems associated with negative feedback:
- Most successful internet marketers will not want to hear or possibly believe the negative opinions.
- Most people that know successful internet marketers don’t want to tell them what they really think!
Personally, I welcome any kind of feedback that you may have for me whether it’s negative or positive.
There is one other important thing to point out about both giving and receiving negative feedback:
THIS SHOULD ALWAYS BE DONE IN PRIVATE!
Negative feedback can easily feel like a personal attack when someone airs that opinion in public without ever talking in private with the person it’s about.
If you have an opinion (good or bad) about the work, products and/or services offered by me or anyone else for that matter, I encourage you to take the time to contact that person to let them know in a courteous manner. Above everything, it’s important to not be rude if you want your opinions to be taken seriously.
Self-Improvement Steps
To improve yourself or your own work, ask a friend, co-worker or even a boss to give you some constructive criticism. This can really apply to any situation that you want to improve, so really dig deep to figure out what you want to work on in your life.
When you get feedback from others, it will help you decide what your next move should be instead of just guessing at the things that you feel like need improvements.
I encourage you to try two things today to improve your personal and business relationships. If you’re not sure how these people will take your request, just let them know that you are trying to do this to help them/yourself improve because you care.
- Reach out to someone you know and offer them some constructive opinions about their work.
- Reach out to another person that knows about your own work and ask them for an honest opinion.
Once you have accomplished these two tasks, you will be on your way to improving your own life and you can feel great about helping someone else. Try to keep your mind open in the future. When you hear or read something about yourself next, stop before you react. Ask yourself why they’re saying these things and whether there is any truth to them. Every one of these moments that could potentially start an argument and hurtful feelings can instead be redirected towards self improvement.