Managing negative feedback in Web copywriting
A brief to complete
Starting out with carte blanche can give a feeling of freedom, but it can also be a serious organizational error. In any case, a basic framework will at least enable you to define the criteria that content must meet. Taking inspiration from existing content on a website already provides a certain amount of information. But sometimes this isn't enough, as the service provider may be asked to do something different. In such cases, it's best to let them know in advance, so that they can respond appropriately. Whatever a customer's comments, positive or negative, they can be used to complete a brief. In the same way, the service provider is free to ask any questions he deems necessary.
See the problem as an opportunity
It's often necessary to resolve the situation anyway. Getting bent out of shape, or arguing over issues that turn out to be details, never moves a project forward. I've been involved in grammatical debates on unimportant subjects, when a different turn of phrase would have solved the problem in a few minutes. The beauty of the French language is that there are situations where several spellings are possible, depending on the meaning, while remaining correct. When a criticism is made, and when a criticism is made, it must lead to a solution. For me, this is where it can be constructive. In fact, some comments can lead to no solution at all, because they are made for the sole purpose of expressing a negative opinion. It's the expression of a feeling. In such cases, it is usually a feeling that is also poorly expressed. It's up to the copywriting professional to decode the customer's needs and find the key to the problem.
Did you know that the term "afternoon" was accepted in both the feminine and plural genders?
Turning vague criticism into concrete criticism
Here are some of the comments I've received in the course of my work, which have helped me to refine my request. Listening to criticism is the first step, then you need to be able to ask follow-up questions to validate what's next. It's also a way of protecting yourself. Because by validating the points that help refine the brief and move the work forward, you also prove the effort you've put into the assignment.
Not immersive enough → Avoid conditional and future verbs, use second-person verbs
Too heavy → Make shorter sentences, limit subordinate clauses
No added value → Don't stop at the facts, propose an analysis of what you're presenting (Was the mission well framed at the outset?).
Too mechanical → Put exclamation marks (many people love exclamation marks)
Not high-end enough → Orient the lexical field (suggest a list of representative terms to the customer), Highlight words that evoke the idea of service
