Bad Feedback Got You Down? 3 Ways to Get Over It and Stay Smiling

Picture this. Your last 5 Tarot reading clients all gave glowing feedback and you couldn't feel better.

“Wow! You're amazing. You hit the nail on the head!”

“It was as if you could read my mind.”

“I am so blessed to have had a Tarot reading with you.”

You're starting to think you've got the knack for Tarot and you might actually be pretty good at what you do. People love your work and you couldn't be happier.

But then comes a shocking blow.

The next email to come through has the dreaded subject line “Not Happy”. Ugh. Your heart sinks.

Reluctantly, you open the email. It's from that client the other day who wanted to know about her ex and her best-friend. She's somehow managed to fill an entire page outlining how every part of your reading that was totally wrong. Wrong.

Worse, she tells you that you're the worst reader she's ever gone to – all the other psychics said she'd get back with her ex, except you. “How could you get it so wrong?”, she says.

You go into a mad panic. “I'm no good. I've failed.” You even feel like quitting. “What's the point of reading when you're no good?” you think.

But no! I implore you. Do not quit over one piece of bad feedback!!

Pause. Take a deep breath in. Now follow me as I walk you through exactly what you can do to get over negative feedback and still stay smiling.

1. Revisit your ‘Love Letters'

I keep a ‘love letter' file in my Inbox. It's filled with all the wonderful feedback and comments from my Tarot reading clients, students and visitors to my website. It's jam-packed full of love and appreciation.

If I ever have a bad day or a dissatisfied client, the first thing I do is go to my Love Letter file and spend several minutes reminding myself of the 99.9% of people who really do love my work.

So if you don't already have a Love Letter file, create one now and fill it up with loads of loving, appreciative comments from your clients. Then, when you do get negative feedback, go straight to love letters and remind yourself how amazing you really are.

2. Choose One Lesson

Filled with the knowledge that you do have something worthwhile to offer through your Tarot readings, now go back over the negative feedback. Pick out one thing you're going to do differently or that you have learned from the experience. Just one thing.

For example, I had a client once who was upset that I didn't answer her specific question in the reading. She wanted to know what her ex really thought about her and the relationship. For me, this was outside of my ethical boundaries, so I looked at how she was in relationship with her ex and what she might expect from the relationship moving forward. But, she was not happy. It wasn't the information she was looking for.

My one lesson from this experience was that I needed to be on the same page as my client before I started the reading. It didn't mean I would compromise my ethics, however, and read on something that I wasn't comfortable doing. I committed to making a change in all of my Tarot readings from that point forward. I now create and then share the customised Tarot spread with the client before the reading to make sure we have a mutual agreement of what is going to be covered.

Now, if a client feels that the spread doesn't cover their question, we can address this before the reading begins. Sometimes I change the spread, or other times I have an open discussion about what's OK to ask the Tarot and what's not. As a result, I have much happier clients.

So, choose just one lesson you will take away from the experience and implement this lesson in your Tarot practice.

3. Close It Out with the Client

It's tempting to get into a long discussion with your client, either defending your Tarot reading or apologising profusely for not meeting the client's needs. But, please, resist.

Instead write a short and succinct note to the client, thanking them for their honest feedback. Let them know what you've decided to improve or change, and then wish them well on their journey.

No more back and forth emails. Just one short note.

Why? I don't know about you, but I much prefer to spend time with people who love what I do and who are ready and willing to exchange positive and uplifting energy. When I engage with someone who is giving out negative energy, it doesn't feel great.

It isn't that I want to avoid negative feedback all together – it's actually very important to learn from these experiences. It's just that I don't want that negative energy to hang about, so I deal with it quickly and briefly. You might like to try the same.

We All Have Our ‘Off' Days

Know that we all have our ‘off' days – even the super famous, celebrity Tarot readers. But don't let the ‘off' days define you. Don't let it stop you from doing what you love and what you have been ‘called' to do. You're not going to please everyone, so focus on the clients who love your work and appreciate you for who you are. And Tarot on!

Over to You

How do you handle negative feedback in a way that you can feel good about what you do? Share your stories and comments in the Comments section below.

P.S. Practice Reading Tarot in Exchange for Feedback

Sure, putting yourself out there and offering Tarot readings to strangers in exchange for feedback can be downright scary. But now that you've got these 3 strategies under your belt in case you do encounter negative feedback, why not challenge yourself? Why not stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone and start reading?

Become a Biddy Tarot reader and by offering free Tarot readings to strangers, you'll have the opportunity to get real-time feedback, gain valuable experience and connect with 100+ other Tarot readers in the exclusive Facebook community.

Ready? Head on over to https://biddytarot.com/admin/become-a-free-tarot-reader/ and sign up today.

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