Seth Godin, a well-known author, recently wrote in his daily blog what he called the “Two-Review Technique.” In this post Godin challenges readers to write down two kinds of reviews for a project (company, product, or service). For the first, Godin says to write a 5 star review from the angle of a satisfied customer who is “eager to applaud your guts and vision.”
Once that is completed, Godin says to write a 1 star review from the angle of a dissatisfied customer who “actually experienced your work and hated it.” Godin then asks the question of whether you are spending your time trying to increase the 5 star reviews or trying to decrease the 1 star reviews?
Godin is asking a powerful question. Often times we find ourselves concentrated completely on those positive 5 star reviews. After time those positive reviews become so inherent that we begin to believe our project (company, product, or service) is perfect. In reality however, to believe that something is perfect, is to believe that it can no longer be improved.
Can you imagine what would happen if everyone everywhere focused entirely on the positives? Success would be prominent, at first, but over time it would level out and decline. Progress itself, would disappear. Technology would stop advancing and new creative ideas would no longer exist. The future would become only as bright as the present.
So what makes those negative 1 star reviews so important that you should spend time focusing on them? The answer is simple; negative reviews reveal weaknesses. Weaknesses are not something that should be feared, they can be pathways towards progress. When you identify a weakness and actually do something to make it better, then your project (company, product, or service) as a whole improves.
Five-star reviews are not bad, they are good indicators that you are on the right track and they can help to bring in more business. The problem is when all efforts are geared towards receiving 5 star reviews and pushing the 1 star reviews aside. Both reviews are naturally designed to work together. Positive reviews help to show that you are headed in the right direction and negative reviews help you to know when a possible change is needed.
Now take Seth Godin’s challenge for your project (company, product, or service). Write the two reviews and figure out which one you are focusing on. Godin put it perfectly when he said, “The thing is, if you work to minimize criticism, you have surrendered the beauty and greatness of what you’ve set out to build.”
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