Tag: Client relationships

What to Do When a Client Asks for a Rewrite

~ The Regal Writer ~ Leave a comment
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

For this week’s post, I had planned to write about how to use rejection to fuel your next writing project. In an uncanny coincidence, when I checked my email, I found I had received feedback on an article I wrote for a client. Imagine my disappointment when I learned they wanted a rewrite including an interview with a new source.

Talk about rejection!

I felt more frustrated than angry. After all, this is part of the editorial review process. Fortunately, rewrites don’t happen very often for me.

That said, I realize that not everything I submit will be accepted on the first go-around. I felt frustrated this time because the client had provided new information that I did not have previously. If I had been provided this additional information up front, it would have saved me the time and trouble of a doing rewrite later. 

I should note that this story was assigned to me; it was not a story I pitched to the client. The assignment came with a writing sheet outlining the details and sources I needed to interview.

So how do I move past the initial disappointment and tackle a rewrite? Here are my tips for dealing with rewrite pressure:

  1. Take time to cool down. If you are upset by the feedback, take time to calm yourself. Go for a walk, meditate, take a nap—anything to help you relax. You don’t want to rework the story when you’re  upset because you may not put forth your best work. Nor do you want to respond to the editor in anger.  Simply thank them for the feedback and tell them you’ll get back to them if you have any questions. That buys you time for your emotions to settle down.

  2. Review the manuscript carefully. After you’ve settled down, take a long look at your manuscript to figure out what went wrong. What does the client want revised, and why? If they don’t offer an explanation, or the explanation is vague, ask the editor to clarify. Ask: what do readers need to know about this subject?

  3. Fix the problems. Do the best you can to fix the story and make it as strong as possible. If you need to interview another source, interview them. If you need to do more research, do more research. If you have to rewrite entire paragraphs, rewrite them so they are crystal clear. By sending back a better, stronger story, you show that you have the maturity to deal with adversity and not let negative feedback bother you.

  4. Learn from the experience. There’s always something to learn from every writing experience, no matter how positive or negative the experience might be. In my example above, the instructions for the writing assignment were vague. I decided to push my way through it the assignment rather than stop and ask for clarification. What this experience has taught me—and what you can learn from it too—is to ask pointed questions of my editor about the assignment so I understand exactly what her client wants. And I need to do this before I begin doing research or setting up interviews. Getting the most important details up front will prevent rewrites later on. 

  5. Don’t take the feedback personally. Rejection happens all the time. Requests for rewrites happen too. That’s part of working as a freelancer.  Remember that the editor or client has the readers’ interests in mind, and they want to produce a high-quality magazine that their readers will enjoy. It’s your job to help them achieve that. You may not like getting negative feedback from them, and you may not like having to rework an assignment, but without it, you won’t have a chance to prove yourself to the client.  

    Most important, keep a positive attitude. Feeling depressed or angry or frustrated won’t help your cause, and it won’t impress the client/editor. Don’t hold a grudge either. As soon as you submit the revised article, let go of any negative feelings you have and move on. I know that’s not always easy to do, but it’s necessary for the sake of your sanity and your freelancing career.

Certain Words and Phrases Can Undermine Your Credibility

~ The Regal Writer ~ 1 Comment

two women shaking hands
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

During the month of June, my posts have been focused on interpersonal communications skills. In this post, words and phrases that can undermine your credibility.

In your work, it’s important to be taken seriously and develop a good reputation among peers, bosses and clients. But sometimes, language can undermine your credibility without you even realizing it.

Communications skills are vital in every business setting, but sometimes gets overlooked in the digital workplace. The way we communicate says a lot about our professionalism and credibility. The way we communicate can reveal our level of confidence – or lack thereof. The last thing you want to do is undermine yourself in front of bosses or clients, especially potential clients.

Every time you speak, you may be sabotaging yourself with your language  which can impact your success in business and in your relationships. The most disconcerting thing is that most of the time, you may not be aware of how you’re putting a roadblock in your business success with your words and phrases.

So which words and phrases should we avoid? Career and presentation experts say the following are the biggest culprits.

1) “I’m no expert,” “I may be wrong,” and “This might sound crazy”

Experts say these phrases appear to warn listeners that what you’re about to say is trivial and irrelevant and not to be taken seriously. You come across as insecure in your thoughts. Why would they take your statement seriously if you don’t?

Before: “I may be wrong, but shouldn’t we do a little more market research before launching the new product line?”

Preferred: “Shouldn’t we do a little more market research before launching the new product line?”

2) “Just,” “I just thought,” etc.

Similar to the phrases above, any phrase containing the word “just” expresses uncertainty about your statement. It downplays your message so recipients aren’t likely to take it seriously. When you eliminate the word “just” as well as its companion phrases, you’ll come across more assertive and confident.

Before: “It’s just that it might be better to delay the project until next week.”
Preferred: “It might be better to delay the project until next week.”

3) “Does this make sense?”

When you conclude your presentation or speech with this question, it’s as if you doubt your own words and you’re looking for confirmation from your audience that they understand you. But a much simpler way to accomplish that is to ask, “Do you have any questions?”

4) “I think,” “I believe,” and “I feel”

Experts say these phrases act as a buffer that dilutes your message and shows a lack of assertiveness. You can always replace it with more confidence-building terms such as “I’m confident” or “I’m optimistic.”

That said, I don’t think these phrases should be avoided altogether because they do have a place in our everyday language. Since they’re often used to express opinions, they may be better suited for casual conversations. If you want to make an impression, however, avoid these buffers.

Before: “I think you’ll be impressed with the new production.”
Preferred: “You’ll be impressed with the new production.” Or “I’m confident you’ll be impressed with the new production.”

5. Avoid fillers.

Ever listen to someone’s presentation filled with “um,” “you know,” “kind of,” and other meaningless phrases? Speaking that way lends doubt to the content of the presentation, writes Jerry Weissman, founder of Power Presentations, Ltd. The speaker comes across as ill-prepared and not very knowledgeable. They may know the information inside and out, but their presentation, complete with “ums” and “you knows,” makes you wonder if they really do know what they’re talking about.

According to Weissman, the following fillers should be avoided:

“Sort of”
“Kind of”
“Um”
“Actually”
“Basically”
“Really”
“Anyway”
“Pretty much”

For most people, the hardest part is being aware of their language and how they come across in presentations. Sometimes it’s easier to notice these transgressions when other people speak, but see if you can pay more attention to your own speaking habits. Maybe record yourself when you give a short speech. How many times do you fill your presentation with “ums,” “you knows,” etc.?

Communications are often filled with unnecessary words and phrases that can undermine your credibility in business situations. Be aware of how you speak and self-edit so you make a strong confident impression with everyone you meet.

Just for fun:
Stop Saying Sorry When You Want to Say Thank You — comic