How to Give Feedback with Finesse

By Ken Blanchard

Feedback – from managers, customers, and associates – can help salespeople improve their performance. But if the way you give or receive feedback causes hostility or hurt feelings, it may do more harm than good. Constructive criticism is constructive only if its practical benefits outweigh any negative emotions it stirs. The next time you’re on the giving or receiving end of constructive criticism, use these ideas to offer or accept it gracefully – then put the feedback to use.

Giving Feedback

1) Think about the recipient. Taking criticism or reprimand is never fun, but it can be absolutely traumatic if the speaker doesn’t consider the listener’s feelings. Don’t turn constructive criticism into a personal attack. After you criticize or reprimand, make sure your listener knows you don’t have a problem with him or her personally, but certain aspects of his or her behavior sometimes cause problems. Concentrate primarily on maintaining your listener’s self-esteem and then on what you have to say. You can be honest without being brutal. Just make it clear that you have your listener’s best interests at heart.

2) Be timely and specific. The time to give feedback is as quickly as possible after the action you want to reward or reprimand. If you don’t like the way one of your salespeople is approaching a new prospect, don’t wait until the prospect takes her business elsewhere before you suggest a different approach. Conversely, if you spot a behavior that deserves a pat on the back, don’t wait a month to say something. Your compliment will mean more if you offer it promptly. When you do offer praise or criticism, be very clear and specific about what you like or don’t like. Instead of saying, “I like the way you handled that new account,” say, “Great job with the Smith account! I like the way you handled the delivery problem quickly and efficiently, then called the customer to let her know when the product would arrive and how you corrected the mistake.”

3) Criticize only what the listener can control. The purpose of feedback is to offer constructive criticism or praise to change or reinforce behavior. To criticize what a salesperson can’t control may create feelings of helplessness or inadequacy. If one of your salespeople seems afraid to make cold calls, don’t criticize the fear. Instead, let the salesperson know you’ve noticed he hasn’t been making many cold calls lately and offer some suggestions that will help him get over his call reluctance. If you think the person will have a difficult time changing the behavior, be sympathetic, brainstorm together for ways to make a gradual change, and give the salesperson enough time to try.

4) Be nonevaluative. If you can say what you need to say without passing judgment, you’ll probably get a positive response. Be careful with statements that start with “you” – they may sound hostile and accusatory to your listener. Maintain a positive attitude toward the problem and focus on the benefits of finding a solution instead of the consequences of not finding one. Adopting a nonjudgmental approach will also encourage your salespeople to work with you to solve problems instead of view you as the enemy.

Receiving Feedback

When you’re the recipient of criticism, it’s important not to take it personally and separate what you hear from the decision to act on it. Many people react defensively to feedback, partly because it sounds like a demand for action. Instead of getting hostile when your manager says, “I noticed your sales are down by 15 percent this quarter,” you could respond with questions about how you can fix the problem. Then your manager could provide specific suggestions on how you can make more prospecting calls, set more appointments, or improve your closing ratio. Make sure you thoroughly understand the feedback you’re hearing before you decide what you’ll do about it.

When you receive overly negative feedback, keep your cool and realize that your decision to be OK is not up for grabs. If you remain calm in the face of unnecessarily harsh criticism, you should still be able to extract some useful information from it.

Good feedback isn’t about just what you say, but how you say it. When handled properly, feedback sessions should educate managers and salespeople and strengthen the bond between them, not break it down. When you give criticism with sensitivity and accept it with an open mind and a desire to improve, the experience can be rewarding for everyone.