Asking for feedback? We all know it’s a good idea. But what happens if a client comes back with a self-esteem-shattering humdinger? How do you pick up the pieces? And how can you train your clients to give you feedback that is useful, actionable and leaves you both feeling great, even if there are things to improve?

All of that – and more – is yours in episode 36 of the Dare To Dream Bigger podcast.

Because whilst it’s lovely to wake up to a surprise testimonial or spontaneous ‘thank you’ email from a happy client, listener, reader or supplier, that’s not always how business rocks, even when you’ve done your best.

Have you ever had business ‘feedback’ that knocked you for six? That threatened to shake the foundations of your self-confidence? That felt out-of-kilter with how you see yourself? That tempted you to change who you are, to somehow try to please that other person?

It’s surprisingly common in the business world, especially with trolls and angry-people hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. And when you throw in a generous dollop of ‘comparisonitis’, where we’re subconsciously comparing our every move to the glossy photos of others that fill our social media newsfeed, it can be hard to get to the end of an entrepreneurial week with your self-belief still intact.

In today’s Dare To Dream Bigger podcast episode:

I’m going to take you through why asking for feedback is essential to growing your business
but also how to spot the potential risks, before you take action you’ll later regret
and how to pick up the pieces, if that feedback leaves you reeling
I’ve been through the mill, myself, on this in the past couple of weeks and I’ll share with you what I have learned from that experience – and the number one test you should put any feedback through, before you accept it as your new Gospel Truth
You’re going to get wisdom from Juliet McKenna, Seth Godin, Mansukh Patel and even Oprah
… As well as learning why most of the feedback we receive in our business – or life in general – is neither valid nor useful. But that doesn’t mean you should ignore it.

If you have ever been on the receiving end of asking for feedback, but it hurt, then the resources for today’s episode give you the full how-to for putting yourself back together again and moving on.

And if you want to find out how to get feedback from your Dream Audience that leaves both you and them feeling great, I’ve got my favourite 5 customer feedback questions, waiting for you, further down this page.

Are you ready? Let’s dive in!

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Tweetables:

[Tweet “You can’t control the stories other people are telling themselves about you. #entrepreneur”]

[Tweet “Whether you love me or you hate me, my response is the same. Mansukh Patel. #entrepreneur”]

[Tweet “”All criticism is borne of someone else’s pain.” Native American Saying #entrepreneur #feedback”]

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Asking For Feedback?

Free workbook: 5 Feedback Questions That Will Leave You And Your Customers Feeling Great (Even If There’s Room For Improvement)

P.S. I used to be Head of Market Research for an international household brand – so you’re getting some real gems in here.

Download Your FREE Workbook

5 FEEDBACK QUESTIONS THAT LEAVE YOU & YOUR CUSTOMERS FEELING GREAT

Even if there's room for improvement!

Here you are! Click the image / link to view online or right click and choose ‘save as’ (or similar) to download it, so you’ve got it ready, whenever you need it.

Click to read online. Right click to download.

And I’d love to hear how you get on with this. Let me know via the comments.

x Clare

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More Resources:

Video: How to handle energy vampires without resorting to wooden stakes or strings of garlic – watch it now
Alison Jones’ podcast interview with Seth Godin: listen to it here
How to handle haters and trolls? See page 196 of Dare To Dream Bigger for my 5-step strategy
How to ditch limiting beliefs in under 5 minutes – get started now with this video training – this link brings you it for just £10, instead of £75. I want to make it a no-brainer for you, because the more limiting beliefs you ditch, the fewer ‘buttons’ there are for feedback to press!
EFT (‘tapping’) for letting go of painful feedback – free video training
My ‘cutting ties’ technique, for moving on, once you’re ready to let go – article

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I’d love to hear from you!

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I’d love to hear what you go and do with this stuff – let me know, via the comments! Which actions could you take, to help make sure the feedback you get is actionable and useful? Are there any old blocks or limiting beliefs you might want to clear, so that ‘feedback’ doesn’t hit you as hard next time?

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Found this useful? Please share!

Help me to keep the Dare to Dream Bigger podcast ad-free – the way you want it to be – by spreading the word – and maybe even buying the Dare To Dream Bigger book. 😉 If you found this episode useful, someone else will, too. Who do you know who might love it? Which social media business and entrepreneur groups could you share it in? I’d love to help as many people around the world as possible with this.

And future episodes of the Dare To Dream Bigger podcast are going to be covering more on this topic, so make sure you have subscribed, to catch each instalment. We’re going to be talking soon about how to be who you really are and stop trying to please everyone… Got a question you want me to cover on this? Let me know via the comments. It would be great to hear from you.

Thank you!

With love, Namaste,

Author, Speaker, ‘Inside Work’ Mentor To Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners & Passionate World-Changers

Want More? Here Are The Latest Episodes Of The Dare To Dream Bigger Podcast:

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Self-esteem is the cornerstone for feeling happier. Without it, any happiness we experience will usually be dependent on things we can’t control – like how others behave and what goes on in the world around us.

But nobody teaches us how to have self-esteem. So how do we go about getting some?

Strengthening our sense of self-worth can often be a challenging journey. We’re trying to break habits we’ve been developing since our early years.

So, to help along the way, and hopefully provide some inspiration, here are 7 of my favourite musings on self-esteem.

“How you treat yourself is how others will treat you.“

If you don’t look after yourself, the outside world will spot it – and make assumptions about how you want to be treated. “Do unto yourself as you would have others do unto you,” might make a good motto?

“No one can make you feel inferior, without your consent.“ Eleanor Roosevelt.

I throw this one back at myself, every time I catch myself grumbling about something someone else has said or done to upset me – and it works! It’s about taking back your personal power and accepting responsibility for how you feel.

“Only you can make the decision on how bad you’re going to feel.“

And while we’re on the topic of choosing how we feel, we’re the only ones who can decide how deep that trough goes!

“All criticism is borne of someone else’s pain.“ Native American saying.

If someone has a go at you, it’s because they’re hurting inside and don’t want to face it. Think about it, when we’re in a happy mood, full of sunshine and smiles, we don’t go around criticising others, do we? So that’s a great excuse not to take it personally…

“Don’t bother waiting for others to respect you.“

If you wait for others to respect you, you’ll have a long wait. People pick up a lack of self-respect just like a dog can sniff out fear. And it’s tough to earn others’ respect if you haven’t yet given it to yourself yet.

“Forgiveness is the key to feeling good.“

Holding on to resentment and anger keeps you trapped in the pattern of negative emotions that leaves you feeling bad. Forgiving the other person for their behaviour doesn’t mean letting them off. It’s about setting yourself free from the pain and moving on. And remember, the last one we get round to forgiving is ourself.

“Self-respect is about acting with integrity.“

It’s not about how you look, how clever you are or how great your job is. Self-respect is about being able to fall asleep at night with a clear conscience; knowing you have acted with integrity, kindness and compassion during your day; knowing you were true to who you really are.

What are your top tips and secret strategies for self-esteem? How about sharing them via the comments box, below?

And if you enjoy short-n-sweet inspirational quotes, you might like to get hold of our free Daily Sunshine emails.

The Hidden Dangers Of Asking For Feedback? AKA How To Pick Up The Pieces Of Your Shattered Self-Esteem! DTDB036