[This blog post was inspired by the generous advice of Bill Metcalf of More and Better Clients.
In a single conversation, he completely shifted the way I work with clients.
Following are the results of his inspiration, as applied to my copywriting and
client feedback process.]

When I am feeling zen-like, I recognize that feedback is mostly a reflection of the person who gives it.

Are they an analytical, engineer-type who needs language to be literal and specific? Are they an intuitive feeler who uses metaphors to explain practically everything?

And then there’s the audience for the piece. What happens when the audience is literal, but the client is intuitive? Or vice versa?

Although you can always recite the old “target audience” rule to push back, that’s probably not the best habit. Not only is it bad form to constantly invalidate clients’ reactions, but they usually know their audience better than you do. The challenge is finding a balance between what they want and what their audience wants.

Last week I shared my process for asking for feedback when you’re a delicate flower. Now I’m going to show you how I position the feedback conversation in a way that actually feels pleasant—for both me and my client.

This process appeals to every type of client—literal-minded and intuitive, touchy-feely alike. They love it. It’s easy for them because they don’t have to stare at a page full of words and try to think of how to respond.

I never thought about it from the client’s perspective, but giving feedback can be scary, too. This process makes it easier for both of us. I wish I had tried it sooner!

First, a bit about my philosophy.

I see my clients as collaborators. I help them figure out what they should say about their business and then I write copy to express those messages.

But I’m not The Immutable Expert Who Knows Everything And Is Always Right. Even if I was always right, would you really want me to be? Do you really want someone rigidly dictating every detail of how your website should be? Don’t you have a few ideas of your own? Of course, you don’t want someone who defers every decision. But you probably like it when someone with smart opinions gives you a chance to make your website your own.

That’s where the feedback conversation comes in.

Here’s how I used to get feedback:

1. Email client the draft.
2. Ask them the questions from this post.
3. Wait to hear back from them.
4. Hope they like it.
5. Get their comments and any edits via email.
6. Send my changes back via email.
7. Wait to hear back from them.
8. Hope they like it.
9. Get their comments, send the final draft, and, again, hope they like it.

Time elapsed: 1 week if they’re focused. As many as 3 weeks if they’ve got other things on their plate. Lots of waiting around hoping they like it.

Here’s how I get feedback now:

Instead of flinging the draft over the castle wall, I send them an email with the draft that includes these messages:

• Print it out.
• Write some notes on it.
• You and I are going to do a web conference so we can look at the draft together.
• As we look at it, we’ll be able to see whether there are places you want changes, and what you like and what you don’t like.

During the call:

1. I pull up the draft on WebEx, and they click the link to view it.
2. I remind them that this is a work in progress, and that it’s important for me to figure out how we can best work together.
3. I ask them about their overall impression and what’s working for them.
4. Then, I ask for the specifics on what they really liked. (I pull specific questions from this feedback questionnaire.)
5. I ask them about any parts that hit a bad note, that confused them, or that they didn’t really like. (Again, I might reference my trusty feedback questionnaire.)
6. We make any quick fixes right there over the phone.
7. If there are more complex changes I need to make, I note their comment on the draft and make the change later.
8. I send them a new draft within a day or two, and both of us feel like we collaborated to create something better than either of us could have produced on our own.

Time elapsed: Up to one hour for the phone conversation, plus a couple days for any substantive changes we discussed. No more waiting around, hoping they liked it.

Spending this time on the phone with my clients, rather than passively waiting for them to send back a draft, might have taken more of my time. But it improves the relationship and the result. So I consider it a good investment. It might even save time by eliminating the need to pass drafts back and forth.

BONUS! If I ever decide to record these conversations (with clients’ permission, of course), I might be able to use their fresh, off-the-cuff reactions as testimonials later. (Yet another genius idea from Bill Metcalf.)

I’d like your feedback (on feedback)! Would you try this method, and how do you think you could adapt it for your own client projects?