How to ask for useful, actionable feedback from clients

An edited version of this content originally featured on my LinkedIn page. To read these tips as I release them, come and connect over here!

In May 2019 at 10.12am, I sent the first draft of some website copy to a client in the wellness industry.

Five pages of carefully researched, compelling copy targeted at her dream client.

At 10.14am, she emailed back.

‘Nah. I'm not feeling it.’

Within 60 seconds, she’d rejected the whole piece.

🤯

So what do you do?

a> Sob into your green tea and seriously question your career choice?

b> Rewrite the whole piece from scratch (multiple times) for no extra fee?

c> Chalk it up to experience and change your process for next time?

After sobbing and questioning and rewriting, here’s how I changed my process to not only ensure any future feedback is useful, but to significantly reduce the number of edits in the first place.

1. No surprises. Agree the core messages and tone of voice (with examples) in advance.

2. Explain your process. Send a Loom video* with any website copy showing, for example:

   1. How the ideal reader will move through the site, the info they need to move to the next page, how we’ve removed any friction, why they’ll click in that particular position

   2. How you’ve translated the research and voc data onto the page

   3. If there’s anything different from what they’re expecting, why you’ve changed it and how it’ll work better

      * It used to take me hours of stressing and sweating to record a walkthrough video, but after lots of practice and a few notes, I can do it on the first take now. It’s SO worth it, and really helps clients better connect with their new copy.

3. Manage expectations. Remind your client early on that they don’t need to love the copy – they’re not the ones we need to convince

📌 Remember: Your client is not a copywriting expert. Being able to explain your strategy and guiding them through the process is partly what they’re investing in. They’ll appreciate anything you can do to make their life easier.

Finally, something that’s transformed my client management process is addressing the issue of edits and feedback up front. Instead of a contract, I ask clients to read and sign my ‘terms of working’ before we start. As well as the important legals, the document mostly covers practical stuff like working hours and methods of communication.

It also includes a section about edits so clients are very clear about what their contract includes, and how to make constructive feedback.

Here’s the wording I use:

Changes and revisions 

Once we’ve held our strategy session, I’ve completed the research and you’ve agreed the key messages and tone of voice, I have enough information to write your copy to a very good standard. Of course, the first draft may still require a few tweaks for it to represent your brand as accurately as possible.

This agreement therefore includes:

• The initial copy document in Google Docs or Microsoft Word

• One round of minor edits, if required

This applies up to the point where you sign off my work, publish it or begin using it.


What are minor edits?
I can revise words and sentences based on your feedback, but I won't rewrite entire pages. If you do need a complete rewrite to my initial version, I would charge for this separately at a cost of £625/day.  

To clarify the difference between edits and a rewrite:

Edits – changing, removing or adding words or phrases (not entire sections), adding testimonials or statistics, making clarifications and corrections

Rewrite – significant changes to the story, structure, key messages or tone of voice

When sending feedback, please look at both tone and messaging and be as specific as possible. If the copy needs amending, please confirm:

• Which words / phrases / paragraphs do you like and which need more work?

• For the phrases you'd like to change, is this because of messaging, tone of voice or format?

• If there are particular words you don’t like, are there alternatives that would work instead?

• If the overall style isn’t right, have you seen examples of copy styles that would better resonate with your audience? 

You can add your edits directly to the document, or we can arrange a call to run through them together.

Please make sure you are completely happy with the work described in our proposal before you sign this agreement. Any edits must take place within the scope of what’s described there.

This wording might not work for your business, and I strongly advise you take legal advice on any contracts you use for client projects. However you approach it though, making the feedback process as transparent as possible will always work in your favour!

For more copywriting resources and details about mentoring, check out this page.