The latest guest on Should I Start a Podcast deals in something that most of us cringe when thinking about: how to handle negative feedback.
Adrian Easdown is the host of That Bad Review, a podcast catered to the accommodation industry that teaches hotel managers, restaurant owners and everyone in between how to use feedback — especially bad reviews — to better their businesses.
I know when I think about feedback I instantly want to change the subject. Thinking about that one-star review on iTunes for any podcaster is sure to cause painful flashbacks. Yet, as Adrian points out, this pain is something we should lean into.
When Adrian is scoping out a place that he wants to stay on his own holiday, he looks at reviews. Most of us do that. Something he really pays attention to, however, is the negative ones. Not only that, but he wants to see how the manager or property owner responds to the negative reviews. Are they combative? Or do they address it in a mature way?
Most people will understand that a one-off review ripping into your business is probably not representative of your entire company. You will have clients or guests that have bad days and take it out on you through the power of TripAdvisor.
As podcasters, however, how do we handle bad reviews?
We can do a few things. We can ignore it entirely. If it’s somebody trolling, or they pick apart something we can’t change like our annoying, nasally laugh, it’s probably not worth considering.
Sometimes listeners have good feedback. They can notice our “umms” and “ahhs” in ways that we can’t because we’re too wrapped up in the interview. Or they give you a call for less content about yourself and more enlightening questions that should be directed towards your guests.
The trick is not to get wrapped up in the feedback. Even the most stone-faced business owner gets emotional when others have bad things to say about their business. Emotion is a part of our lives as humans, and a part of our lives as business owners.
Adrian describes himself as an emotional person, but says that he is great at distancing himself from the chaos of running a business. If he sees a bad review, he knows to give himself some time before he reacts to it. “The best response you have is after the emotional response,” he told me. That’s when you’ve cooled off a bit and have the capacity to address the issue in a rational, considerate way.
I think the trick here is to get over yourself. Any good painter views their work as something that isn’t explicitly tied to their self-worth. They can take critique from other artists and use it to better their work.
Why don’t we do the same with business?
Listen to my entire conversation with Adrian Easdown here.
https://mustamplify.com/shouldistartapodcast121/
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.