(This brilliant contribution comes from our London based PodCasting expert, Dave Thackeray you will want to visit his blog at www.wordandmouth.com )
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I have a confidence deficit. In much the same way as our Prime Minister and your President finds an enormous hole in his nation’s wallet, I have a similar lack in cerebral security about my technical ability.
So when a client chose to fire a huge torpedo of criticism about a project I’d worked on into my mailbox, what little confidence I have quickly started to pour through the hole.
At first I felt distraught; wounded. As a solopreneur the only guy I depend on in this little working relationship with myself, is me.
It concerned my copywriting efforts and a fuller manuscript relating to the details of said broadside appears here.
A couple of years ago, as a staffer, had someone alleged incompetence in my direction, I would probably have torn strips, accusing them of being flippant, obtuse and downright wrong. That’s the parting shot of hurt pride intertwined with faux confidence.
Later I would have felt stupid, humiliated and desperate for redemption, having alienated with profanities and any other form of abuse I could lay my hands on, someone who simply wasn’t in control of their subtlety gene.
Today I take a more pragmatic view and as a freelancer it’s vital to know how to handle rejection and criticism and bounce back bolder than before.
Rampant are the motivational quotes pinging around the web that paraphrase this: “Every failure takes you one step closer to success/makes you stronger.”
And it’s true. This is precisely what made me rebound in my cathartic 2010 state versus my belligerent 2008 self.
Instead of anger, I read. And I read. Everything that had been laid squarely at my door in the form of a rebuttal, was analysed. It maybe took 10 minutes, and I soaked it all up.
Previously I’d have skimmed the email and trashed it. “What do they know!” would have been my riposte.
But the client does know what they want. The challenge we all have is working out how to communicate better so each party gets what it wants.
I make no excuses for lacking the content they craved. I’m a simple guy, and I simply like to write well.
After shaking off the loss of pay (I’d committed 3 hours to the project, on top of a further 3 hours I’d given over to the client on a previous, aborted attempt to craft a similar job. Yes, I really should learn…) I gave myself a treat.
I decided to quickly justify my creative excellence. I called up a guy I’d been wanting to work with for a while, and talked over a guest posting for his site.
I spoke to a champion geezer who I’ve been wanting to work with for a while, to hear his story and make plans for a more detailed proposal that will see us doing some incredible stuff in 2011.
And I started observing my work from a third-party perspective, to pacify my inner saboteur.
People say testimonials and video endorsements are key to the success of your business. To me, they win twice. The motivation I get from reading the words of someone I genuinely respect, recognising my talents, is boundless.
Within an hour I’d bounced back. I’d unmasked the critical feedback to be nothing more than a set of pixels jumbled about the screen, skimmed what was left in the form of beneficial insight that would help me sculpt finer work for the future, and I’d delved into a set of opportunities for commercial growth so ripe, they’d put a harvest of Granny Smiths out of business.
I want you to feel the same way the next time you hit a wall. It’s true – success does come out of failure. You simply have to know which buttons to press and where to look for the inspiration to find achievement in the most unlikely of darkened corners.
Be bold, be invincible, and be you. The rewards will inevitably follow…
