You will receive negative feedback at some point in your tenure as a business owner; there’s no denying that. No matter how good your product/service may be, there are always going to be people out there who expect more from you. What’s more, there will be a small portion of your consumer base that actually wants to see you fail.
Whether you believe your negative feedback to be fair or not, it’s important that you take it on board if you actively want to learn and grow from it.
Here’s what you should do whenever you receive negative feedback in the world of business:
Don’t let it be the end of you
If the negative feedback that you receive disparages your reputation to the point where nobody wants to bring you their custom, you will naturally feel like throwing in the towel. You should know, however, that this is what your doubters and skeptics want. The people that complain about your services want you to give up so, by doing so, you’ll only end up giving them the satisfaction of getting their own way.
Do you want to be the one to have the last laugh whenever people try to ruin your livelihood? If so, you should refrain from giving in. Don’t let your negative feedback be the end of you and your business — instead, work hard to improve your services and make an effort to rebuild your reputation.
Fortunately, there are now organizations out there designed specifically to help companies handle their criticism. Riverbend Consulting, for example, offers an expert appeal service for eCommerce businesses that have had their Amazon accounts suspended as a result of poor customer feedback. If you run an online store and are ever faced with this plight, be sure to check out riverbendconsulting.com to find out more about the exact level of assistance that they can offer you.
Actively listen to the feedback
No matter how difficult it may be to bite your tongue and open your ears, this is something that you must do if you want to grow from the experience of receiving negative feedback. Not everybody that complains about you is going to have a vendetta against you. Some of your most loyal customers will actually want to help you. Sometimes making you aware of your shortcomings is one of the only ways they can do that.
If you’re determined to take positives out of each piece of constructive criticism that you receive, you need to learn how to actively listen to your feedback. This will help you to soak in and understand all that you hear, which will subsequently allow you to make better use of the advice that you receive.
To become a better active listener, you must:
- Pay attention throughout the duration of the conversation (in other words, don’t switch off halfway through!)
- Maintain eye contact with the other party at all times
- Don’t prepare rebuttals and comebacks in your head
- Actively show that you’re listening by nodding, smiling, and maintaining an open posture
Want to overcome negative feedback in the most fruitful and effective way possible? If so, be sure to put the above advice into practice.
