What is the best way to respond to negative reviews of your motivational speech?

Once I came off stage and I got feedback from our participants that my shoes are not clean! My first gut feeling was to say “that’s what you were focusing on?” But instead, I realize that from his perspective, the stage being high and him being lower, that was his perspective … literally! I thanked him and ever since then I’ve had this ritual of shinning my shoes before I go on stage ! Life is a question of perspective if you truly appreciate another person’s perspective, there’s no need to be defensive, or to justify. you simply take it in and use it to POLISH your own character!

Always maintain a professional tone in your responses. Avoid getting into arguments or becoming defensive, as this can escalate the situation and reflect poorly on your professional image. Remember that everyone receives negative feedback at some point, and it's how you handle it that truly matters. By responding thoughtfully and demonstrating a commitment to improvement, you can turn a negative review into an opportunity for growth and refinement in your motivational speaking career.

I would not respond to it as you will always receive some negative reviews. Having said that I would examine it and see if there was anything specific I could improve upon to make my presentation even better. Negative feedback is many times more important than positive feedback.

In my experience, everyone lives your delivery and message in a different way. Feedback is one of the greatest reflections of how your speech lands on an individual. Receive criticism with curiosity and remain objective, grateful, calm, and above all never judge. After all, you may take away some big opportunities to try new things and explore new perspectives. Lastly, after 15 years of public speaking, I can confirm: people remember how you made them feel, you can never please everyone in the room- and that’s okay.

I once had a session wherein I couldn't strike a match between expectations from the session and how it shaped up in reality. I requested the organiser to float blind feedback amongst the participants for me to be able to understand where was it that I happened to miss. I accepted the feedback, worked on it and around 2 months afterwards I delivered a full day MDP at an organisation that surpassed the expectations of the participants. Needless to say, accept -- appreciate and work on feedback - it helps!!

As with any skill in life, you will have bumps and bruises. As a speaker, it is verrry challenging to make a 100% positive impact on everyone. You cannot expect to please everyone. I learned this hard way early on. I met with Cliff, a seasoned speaker whom I admired. I explained to him some of my frustrations and audience feedback. He told me, "Be yourself. Don't be in the middle. Embrace your improvisational comedy background." It took me a year to realize how right Cliff was. Over time, I incorporated aspects of improv into my speaking and training. And that conversation opened me up to appreciate other feedback. Ask more seasoned speakers their opinions. Here's the best litmus test... are you being invited to speak over and over again?

Analyse the feedback by reviewing the intent behind them, is the feedback intent for you to improve your Speaking skills or to devalue your position, Don't waste your time on irrelevancies Pay attention to improvement not complaints

Feedback is an incredibly valuable tool for speakers, regardless of their experience and skill level. Everyone has the capacity to get better and oftentimes someone watching you can point things out that can help you improve. At a bare minimum, listen to them. Then decide whether to apply their feedback or not. They might not always be right, but sometimes they are.

Analyzing and learning from a negative review is a crucial step in personal and professional development as a speaker. Understanding the specific aspects that the person did not like about your speech is essential for improvement. Taking a reflective and honest approach is vital during this analysis. It's important to consider whether there were any elements you missed, mistakes made, or unintentional offenses. The goal is to identify opportunities for growth and development as a speaker. Being open to constructive criticism and using it as a tool for improvement demonstrates a commitment to delivering better speeches in the future.

We should analyse feedback to see what type it is. Sometimes people will say they don't like something because it's their preference. And that's fine because everyone has different tastes and interests. We need to distinguish between feedback based on listeners' preferences and speaker's improvement. That will determine the ones we acknowledge and move on from. And the ones we begin working to improve on.

In situations where you are confronted with a need to respond, speak directly to the feedback, try not to assume but in sincerity ask questions to comprehend the responses you are getting better, don't assume

It's beneficial to explain your intentions, goals, or the sources behind your speech if it helps provide context. This transparency can shed light on the thought process behind your presentation and potentially address any misunderstandings. By approaching the conversation with an open mind and a willingness to address concerns, you contribute to a constructive dialogue. Ultimately, responding and clarifying points from a negative review showcases your professionalism and dedication to fostering understanding. It's a chance to bridge any communication gaps and reinforce your commitment to delivering meaningful and impactful speeches.

I once sent an email to my list asking them to reply to a question I asked. It was a Bible study and I asked for the main Bible reference used. One subscriber said she wasn't sure what to say because I touched on many. And I'm thinking... But there was a main one referenced throughout the whole blog post. When I checked back my email I asked for the main Bible verse and not the main chapter. That one word changed the entire meaning of the question and caused confusion. I apologised for my mistake and told her what the correct thing should be. And I thanked her for pointing out the error and made the change in my email auto responder. Never argue or defend yourself. Understand the person's issue and politely clarify as needed.

Negative reviews and feedback is a reaction. Many people are numb, unable, or unwilling to respond. A response is beneficial in that it may have woken them up to what they do not want or like. With this information, they can work to give themselves what they want. Maybe, it sparked them to want to be a motivational speaker that can do a better job than you. Whatever the case, communication and motivation is the goal and it occurred. If a speaker can see all feedback as simply data sent on the communication channel that can either be accepted or rejected, then it makes it quite simple to have control over how you feel and behave when someone sends information, negative or otherwise.

Negative reviews and opinions can be really damaging and affect a person’s confidence if the feedback is not kind or constructive. We are humans and rejection is painful. The truth is unkind opinions are more a reflection of the person giving the review than of the speaker. Some people would rather see you fail and that’s born from their own insecurities and envy. While we learn from honest and useful feedback, we have to learn to detach and distance from the rest. Take nothing personally and rise above. If anything feel sorry for them, let it be fuel to succeed even further and never ever let them have a front row seat.

In my opinion it is very importen who is giving the feedback because in most of the time nobody knows enough of our struggels. Maybe this is the first time for us to speak in public or we do struggel with private problems. So if someone knows you good enough, he/she has to be careful with using the write words. If the person doesn't know you - ignore the negative review :-)

Allow yourself to feel but don't let you act on it, you cannot please everyone, negative feedback are good and it reminds you of the reason why you have to keep going and the need you were there in the first place to serve

I believe you should respect the views also of other people even when they don’t line up with yours . If your going into motivational speaking believing you will move everyone test negative feedback will be disappointing: but if your again honest with yourself first it’s the belief system you have set up for yourself the commitment and confidence and belief you have in what your putting out there that will make you or break you . Don’t speak on it unless you 100% believe in yourself and your message

Be careful of the feedback that you implement. Verify the source and intent. If the person has malicious intent, or isn't offering constructive feedback then it should be ignored. Now if it's from someone who truly wants to see you succeed then you should take it into consideration and evaluate how and if you can implement it. For the longest time I took bad "feedback/advice" and it hurt my career. The opposite is true when I got feedback from those who truly care.

Engaging with peers, mentors, coaches, and clients for honest and constructive advice widens the perspective on your performance. Self-critique by reviewing recordings of your speeches allows for a more nuanced understanding of your delivery, tone, and content. Additionally, studying other successful speakers provides valuable insights into diverse techniques, strategies, and styles. The multifaceted approach to feedback enables you to gather a comprehensive understanding of your strengths and areas for improvement. Embracing this feedback loop fosters continuous growth and excellence in your role as a speaker. The willingness to seek insights from various sources reflects a commitment to ongoing learning and refinement of your craft.

Considérer que nous avons affaire à un feedback, il y a de fortes chances que cela fasse progresser le conférencier. La susceptibilité est l’ennemi du changement. Bien entendu, nous savons si nous avons affaire à un commentaire haineux gratuit ou réellement un retour d’expérience qui peut rendre nos prochaines conférences encore plus puissantes !

Always think about this: Diamonds are not shining - they are reflecting.. So do not stop showing your message on all possible stages because you are worth it !!

People always agree with me because what I say is truth and it resonates on a deep level of knowledge and intuition. People are drawn to truth.

Not everyone will like what you have to say or even how you say it. Believe me, it happens. To all of us. It's also human instinct to want appreciation from others. A negative review is all about a strategic mindset. Don't let it derail your confidence, it's absolutely a constructive opportunity for refinement. Take the approach of analyzing the negativity, extracting any actionable insights, and use them to enhance your speaking skills. You'll fortify your resilience and your commitment to continuous improvement. At the end of the day, acknowledging criticism is growth. Remember, you're not for everyone & everyone is not for you. And that's okay. For each person who didn't have a positive takeaway from you, there are 10 who did.

Don't focus on some negative review. If there is one bad apple in a basket you won't trough all of them away..just the bad one. Just see in all of the other faces and feel how important your speech was !

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Like any good story, not everyone loves every chapter. Let's turn this plot twist into an opportunity for growth. Your feedback is my character development! Looking forward to turning sceptics into fans in the next chapter of inspiration. Stay tuned!