How to Give Your Service Provider Quality Feedback
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If you've hired a copywriter and then handed your feedback off to an AI tool to "clean it up," this post is for you. No shame (kinda). But we need to talk.
A friend slid into my Voxer recently and told me her client had given her feedback that was clearly copy-pasted from an AI tool. I took it to Threads.
Dozens of service providers confirmed it's happening a lot, and none of the service providers like or appreciate it.
And while I get the impulse (articulating feedback is hard!), AI-generated feedback is damaging your working relationships… and probably hurting the end product.
Here's how to give feedback in a way that your service provider will LOVE you for.
Why Clients Are Outsourcing Feedback to AI
My pal Laura Rae Consulting made a good point when we were voice-noting about this on Instagram: if you tell AI to "optimize" something, it will.
It's not trying to be helpful to your service provider. Instead, your AI is trying to satisfy your prompt. So what comes back sounds polished but it's missing the thing that actually matters: your perspective, your voice, your context.
Some people are doing this because they feel like they ramble, or they don't know how to say what's bothering them about a deliverable. That's understandable. But here's the thing: it's not your job to be a great writer. That's why you hired one.
Why AI Feedback Undermines the Whole Process
When you hire a copywriter, you're hiring someone to write for your audience. Not for you. Not for your AI tool's idea of what "better" looks like.
Two things happen when you outsource your feedback:
You give away your authority as the business owner
You undercut the expertise of the person you paid thousands of dollars to hire
Your copywriter can't read AI feedback and learn anything useful about you. They can't grow from it, they can't course-correct based on it, and they can't give you a better final product because of it. In fact, it’s likely giving a very general view of what’s ‘right’, versus being constructive feedback on what’s right for you.
What Good Copywriting Feedback Looks Like
Good feedback doesn't have to be perfectly written. In fact, as a copywriter, I encourage my clients to give feedback via Loom if they want, since I know that writing is my expertise and not theirs. Most service providers have a similar outlook on feedback: we know you hired us because this isn’t something you can or want to do yourself.
We just ask that your feedback is yours.
A few things that make feedback super useful:
Tell them what's working. Not just the problems. This might sound like, "I love the first half, the third section feels long”..
Ask questions instead of making demands. "Why did you write it this way? I want to understand before I ask you to change it" is the kind of feedback that leads to better copy and a better working relationship.
Group similar feedback together. Instead of flagging every single bullet point missing a period, say "let's remove periods from all bullet points throughout." One note, one fix.
Give it as yourself. Long-winded and a little rambly is fine. That's what your copywriter (or other service provider!) signed up for.
Sam’s Hot Take: Stop Asking Everyone And Their Mom What They Think
For freakin’ real: your mastermind, your husband, your mom, and your biz bestie are not your target audience. Taking your copy to them before giving your copywriter feedback is a fast way to muddy the water. Give me your gut reaction! Ask questions! I want this to be collaborative!
Instead, ask your ideal client!
If you want an outside opinion before your first round of revisions, take it to your ideal client. Ask them where they fell off while reading. That’s
Don't Ghost Your Service Provider… Even If The Feedback is ‘No Notes’!
If you love the copy and you're excited to plug it in, still reply. A quick "got it, will send feedback by Thursday" is enough. The story we tell ourselves when we don't hear back is never the right one.
How I feel when someone doesn’t reply within 2 business days:
I once had a client who went radio silent after I sent his copy.
Four days later I followed up. He replied immediately this time! He'd been sitting on it because there were no notes, so he had sent it to design right away and forgot to reply to me.
Everything was fine. A two-line message would have saved us both the mental load.
The Bottom Line on Copywriting Feedback
You hired your service provider to be on your team. Feedback is part of that collaboration, and part of what you paid for!
“Feedback” isn’t another f-word. Feedback can be good or constructive, just communicate!
What your service provider wants you to hear:
Give it as yourself. Be specific where you can, honest where you can't, and kind throughout. You don't need to be a great writer to give great feedback. You just need to be a present and communicative client.
If you want a copywriter who makes the feedback process genuinely easy, reach out at https://www.nomadcopyagency.com/contact. You'll get a short form and a calendar invite so we can figure out if we're a good fit.
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