Michael Katz's E-Newsletter On E-Newsletters
May 19, 2006
Issue #152
Handling Negative Reader Feedback
My newsletter from April 21st ("Running To The Finish Line") included the following sentence:
î… I'm sure I also got you thinking about the next obvious question: When do I write the damn thing?"
Newsletter reader Lori Buffum, Website Writer/Editor at the Texas Heart Institute, responded with the following comments:
"As one of your faithful readersÖ I enjoy the chatty, honest, and very human nature of your newsletter. There is always a smile tucked in with little (fat-free) nuggets of
wisdom. This last issueÖ was true to form with one small disappointment:
"Iím offended by your use of ëdamní when use of a different colloquial term would have had just the same impact without cheapening the message."
"Damn," I thought to myself, "Whatís the best way to handle this?"
OK, not really. But it did raise an important question: What do you do when you receive negative feedback from a newsletter reader?
Some thoughtsÖ
- First, pat yourself on the back. Reader feedback is something we all strive for, and receiving it is a sure sign that youíre doing something right. Not only is it an
indication of reader interest (good or bad, people donít react to things that bore them), it also means that youíve successfully made readers feel part of a two-way
conversation. Both are important steps towards having readers move down the path to ultimately hiring you.
- Respond nicely. I know this ought to be obvious, but many people become indignant with readers who send critical feedback and reply with nasty rebuttals in return. I
understand the temptation, but believe me, youíre missing out on a golden opportunity. The negative feedbackers, if genuinely engaged in a friendly, "Iím interesting in
hearing what you have to say" conversation, will often become your biggest and most vocal fans.
- Donít feel obligated to change anything. Remember that while a journalist may be compelled to air opposing points of view (cable TV "journalists" not withstanding), and
while the head of an association may need to act on feedback from members, our newsletters – coming from the professional service providers that we are – are marketing
tools. Sure, if done properly they feel like "real" publications, but we donít publish for the sake of publishing ñ the point is to attract future clients and more business.
That means you should feel free to politely decline any and all reader suggestions. Consider them as the marketplace data points that they are, and use them if you like
certainly, but filter them through the lens of whether or not implementing the suggested change will make your newsletter more effective as a marketing tool.
And in case you're wondering, the end of the story goes like this. Hereís (a portion of) the e-mail I sent back to Lori:
"I make no apologies for writing ëdamní (and would write it again the same way) since that's the way I speak and my goal in writing my newsletter is to attract clients who
want the authentic Michael Katz package. If you're offended by that (which I don't fault you for) you'd be offended by plenty of other things as we worked together. So like
everything else I try to pack into the newsletter, it serves to filter out (and filter in) the people who match up with me. I've found that those who match are the 'perfect' clients."
To Loriís credit, she didnít quite agree with me, but her comment at the end of our e-mail dialogue ñ "I believe we can respectfully agree to disagree… my small disappointment will certainly not cause me to abandon the 'best dang newsletter' in a world of many voices" ñ reflected the delicate
reader/marketer balance I was hoping for.
Enough About You, Let's Talk About Us
Thanks to long time friend and even longer time e-mail marketing guru Mark Brownlow, who interviewed me for his recent article, "Overcoming the barriers to e-newsletter
success: an interview with Michael Katz."
Mark runs an independent resource site
for email
marketers. "Independent," he explains, in the sense that he makes his money elsewhere, so isn't biased by commercial constraints or vendor opinions.
The interview is a nice overview of many of the things we discuss here regularly, and even includes a funky, "I'm-a-hip-dotcom-survivor-who-knows-how-to-use-the-Internet-despite-the-fact-that-based-on-this-photo-I-am-apparently-unable-to-center-my-own-head-in-front-of-a-camera" picture of yours truly.
Follow this link to read the interview.
About Blue Penguin Development, Inc.
Blue Penguin Development helps professional service firms get clients,
by showing them how to strengthen relationships with the people they already know.
I specialize in the development of electronic newsletters.
Click here for an overview of my services.
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