In everything we do, be it good or bad we’ll always have people who will criticize us. Some people may give off constructive criticism that can help us improve while others just want to throw us into the void.
Ant had the privilege to interview the hosts, producers, and the genius behind Berlin Briefing Podcast, the couple Abby Ross Menacher and Albert Menacher.
Abby and Albert mentioned that they get both positive and negative comments for their podcast show. They respond to these personally, and they encourage people to discuss their feedback.
In Berlin Briefing, Abby and Albert share local Berlin news which they translate in English for people who aren’t comfortable in reading or listening to it in German. Take note that they don’t write the news, they only translate them.
There was an instance when Abby received criticisms from listeners because of a word she used. Instead of saying sex workers, she said prostitutes. One of the listeners made Abby aware that the term she used was frowned upon.
Rather than sulking about the situation, she took it as a window of opportunity to be more mindful of the language she uses.
Podcasting has been a part of Abby and Albert’s daily routine for the past four years so when something like this happens, it does cut through the heart.
Over the years, Abby and Albert learned that the best way to manage the criticisms in their podcast is simple. It’s by offering an avenue for people who are open to having discussions about their feedback.
Whenever they get criticisms, they respond and invite the person to have a dialogue with them. Doing so allows them to explain why they talked about a certain topic or why they went on a certain route for an episode.
However, some people post comments just to annoy them. The good thing is that they have managed to distinguish the difference between people who want to see them improve and do good from people who only have bad things to say.
It’s interesting to note that every chance they got to have a dialogue with listeners turned out to be positive. They will either reach an agreement or a way forward that ensures both parties are pleased.
Additionally, by making sure that they listen to the feedback, they were able to grow their network. Their audience saw that they are committed to making the show better by acknowledging their observations.
Knowing the best way to handle criticisms results in generating a positive impact on their listening network. The beauty of getting constructive criticisms is that it pushes podcasters to do better, and managing it positively makes them appear more approachable to listeners.
