Yesterday a post I did got a constructive comment from Rob Sellen, now I know Rob also know as Portland Bill and know he adds value to every post he comments on. Rob said that in my post Army Of Mutual Benefit, that the way I worded one sentence could be read in an obscure way, I totally agreed and edited it to read in a much better way.
Now I dealt with all this in under 5 minutes from reading Rob’s comment to editing the post, but for the next 30 minutes afterwards it’s all I could think about;
- Heart
You put a lot of effort into your business or content, every ounce of sweat that goes into it should be from the heart. You should produce content or products that you would want to buy or read yourself. When people visit you, you want them to like it, some will and some won’t it’s important to realise this quickly.
You need a thick skin to run any website or business for sure, but you can’t be so cold that nothing affects you or you simply don’t care what people think about you. You have to care about your product, your content and your readers, you have to want to produce the very best you’re capable of for them.
- Listen
Ever had a tune on the car radio and quite happily bopped your head to it? Ever gone been asked later what that song was actually about? Listening to your visitors is exactly the same thing, you have to listen to what they are actually saying. Your readers will tell you (in most cases) what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong.
Sometimes your visitors will say what they want you to do more or less of in a really nice diplomatic way so make sure you actually listen to what they are saying. Now this doesn’t mean you have to pander to them and chance absolutely everything they say to change, but approach what they are saying with an open mind.
If someone has taken the time to leave you a constructive comment, then the very least you should do is think about it, even if all you do is reply and explain your line of approach, it’s 100% better than ignoring the very people who put you there in the first place.
- Impossible
You can not and will not please everyone, some people are just impossible to please and that maybe because your personalities are different, your work ethics are different or another million other reason why they just won’t see eye to eye with you, even if you are agreeing with them.
The people who constantly disagree with everything you say need listening too as well, but in a different way. This is where your thick skin comes in, you will get people putting you down, it happens to me all the time. You will get people disagreeing with you, but now and again they may say something that triggers an idea or something that could potentially improve your site or business, so yeah listen to them but have that shield of ‘I know what’s coming’
Below are two videos on this, the second video is me thanking Rob personally for his help, for those who don’t know Rob, he is deaf and I recorded a humble thankyou in sign, to which Rob allowed me to publish.
So what does everyone think? Do you constantly think about your readers?
Please Comment
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Hey mate,
Glad I could help…
I knew you put alot of effort into this blog, actually, ya working like a madman!
So, I would have hated to see something written with no “wrong intent” to be taken the wrong way, felt I owed it to you and your readers to say so.
This written word is funny, there is no “tone” like the spoken word.
Thick skin sure is needed with all this, without it we won’t last long for sure.
Thanks for that mate, also the signing… I don’t sign but I do know that sign… in fact I think I should learn to sign… because I feel bad if I spot a deaf person struggling somewhere and I can’t help them.
I must do a video sometime, just to show everyone the level of my communication, I think it will be a huge surprise to you all.
Thanks James for the props.
No let’s hope a certain few who need to learn what you say here, do so.
Rob
.-= Rob Sellen´s last blog ..Monetisation, it’s not a sin! =-.
Yeah I was thinking that actually wouldn’t it be funny if this post actually made that person suddenly click. I’m sure that person has a good heart
James, great reaction to a comment, demonstrates a great willingness to pay attention and see things from a different perspective. (and great to do the thanks specifically for Rob)
.-= Mick Morris´s last blog ..Remember – Everyone has a story =-.
Aye, was certainly appreciated too.
.-= Rob Sellen´s last blog ..Monetisation, it’s not a sin! =-.
Hey Mick,
yeah man you guys put the site where it is so it needs to listen to everything you have to say. Least I could do for Rob, he is an awesome guy
Thanks.
.-= Rob Sellen´s last blog ..Make money online using the right keywords =-.
Awesome Awesome. You so motivate me, and you are right about people. Will try in the future not to let people bring me down. Thanks James
No one can bring you down, only you can do that
The key is how we react, only we can control that.
Whether up, down, it’s all down to us.
.-= Rob Sellen´s last blog ..Monetisation, it’s not a sin! =-.
Butterfly you control your own spirit don’t let anyone ever take it from you
It’s a fine balance between caring and being
You really have to both care and be thick-skinned at the same time, otherwise you’ll be the victim of every personal attack.
A genuine, open relationship with your audience is the surest way of doing online business.
After all, we’re all in this together
.-= Mars Dorian´s last blog ..The state of mind you need to rock the web galaxy =-.
Yeah exactly if we all help each other then all for the better
I think you listed down and explained the most important ways to deal with other people’s comments whether they are good or negative ones. I like the point about listening to not-so-good comments and finding a good idea in them.
.-= Julius´s last blog ..>When Sound is not an Option: A review of Vibrating Devices for Deaf People =-.
hi james
how are you?
it’s great to know and see that you are staying true to your teachings(paying attention, staying humble…). it makes you a bigger and better person that draws more respect to himself as a result of being YOU.
take care
.-= ayo´s last blog ..Don’t Give Up On Life =-.
Thanks brother,
Yeah man I’m awesome how’s the magazine doing?
Hey James,
What a job, don’t feel you were actually talking to Rob..but thanks Rob…..got the point across..
Talking to all of us..
.-= Lees Shizzle´s last blog ..How to For your Internet Marketing Geeks ~ No Bones About it =-.
Welcome, glad it helped, would have been a shame to have people take it the wrong way.
.-= Rob Sellen´s last blog ..Portland suffering floods over the years =-.
James,
Once I read an article that talked about how each word in your website can make a difference. By tweaking a few wordings the site mentioned in the article was able to get more visitors.
It is very important to give a soul to your website. You just did that with the 2nd video with no sound!
Constructive feedback is great to create that unique site that your clients will love.
.-= Aaron´s last blog ..Potential Business Uses of the iPad =-.
Hey thanks Aaron,
Yeah I thought it fitting to thank Rob in person for his help
If you don’t listen to your readers who are you going to listen to? They are there to help you whether they love your stuff or hate it, so listen to what they have to say.
Above all, keeping putting out content and striving to do better and keeping involved with your crowd.
Great videos man.
.-= Eric´s last blog ..Want To Fail With Me: Lets Help Each Other Succeed =-.
Thanks brother, exactly right you can’t preach and preach and expect people to listen
great reminder about comments. most criticism that people take the time to give may be something that will give your site a huge benefit. At least listen to it and try to do something with it. I have had people make suggestions for my blog that I had never thought of, and it makes it better. I have had suggestions that I most definitely will not take.
thanks to you and to Rob for putting it out to the rest of us.
.-= Justin Matthews´s last blog ..I did the Twitter thing 20 years ago! =-.
Hey brother,
yeah man it’s the old save delete method, save what you like delete what you don’t, just make sure you listen to the ones who are pushing your site
James,
Listening during conversation is a difficult task, if not practiced. A higher level listening is required to really understand what is being said it’s more than just the words we hear.
When blogging the only difference is we are communicating with the written word and the listening is replaced with understanding what commenters are really saying with their comments. Not just reading the words; what do the words really mean.
Great post, thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Regards
Paul
.-= Paul´s last blog ..Performance Related . . . =-.
Spot on brother, I think you hit on a really important thing there, understanding. Understanding something is a lot different from hearing it