Putting yourself out there online can be scary because no matter how many people you help, there will always be people who want to criticise or attack. As a coach, that can be disheartening because the tool that helps you to grow your business also puts you in the firing line of online trolls. Here is how to deal with criticism online and how to stop trolls from derailing your coaching business.
Separate Nastiness from Genuine Feedback
Don’t write off all criticism or negative feedback. In some of the harshest criticism, there may be a nugget of useful feedback. This may be someone who is frustrated or otherwise emotional response but is making a valid point.
The best way to deal with this is to make a note of the nugget of useful feedback. You can look at it later to see if there are improvements that can be made in your coaching business.
It is up to you how you want to deal with the comment. You would be within your rights to ignore the comment, especially if it is quite mean or venomous. You could respond if you want, but keep the response neutral. A simple “thank you for your feedback” is fine. Feeding into the rude portions of the comment will just drag you into unnecessary conflict.
Dealing with Trolls
Trolls are people who are commenting with the intention of baiting or just sh*tting on another person. They want to get under your skin. They want to provoke an emotional response. They want to cause drama so they can sit back and watch it burn.
It is best not to dwell on the reasons why trolls behave this way or to try to find a sob story that justifies their venom. They are still behaving in appalling ways.
If you want to reach out with compassion and kindness, that is your choice. However, don’t feel like you have to. You are a busy coach, and you do not owe kindness to people who do not extend you the same courtesy.
It is up to you how you deal with troll comments and messages. You can:
- Ignore
- Block
- Report
- Delete
The choice is yours.
Blocking and deleting is a good option, especially if you see that your followers are getting pulled into arguments with the troll. This allows you to protect your followers’ mental health.
Nitpicky Comments
Some platforms will attract unnecessarily nitpicky commenters who love to correct typos or take pleasure in one-upping you. (LinkedIn is particularly bad for this.) These can be frustrating because it feels like every time you post, someone is there to knock your confidence.
It sucks to feel like you are being called out in public. It really sucks. However, try not to let it get to you too much. The comment is engagement, even if it’s not your preferred type of engagement. Decide if there is room for self-improvement, like running a spellcheck on your social media posts, and then move on.
It is up to you whether you thank the person who comments or just ignore it. If someone does approach you kindly in your DMs to say, “Hey, just letting you know there’s a typo in your post”, then, of course, thank them. They brought an issue to your attention in private instead of calling you out privately.
People Posting Negative Things About You
There is a recent trend of people reacting to other people or businesses online. This is particularly common in spaces where bad advice can have serious consequences, like financial coaching and fitness coaching.
It is positive that people are making sure that consumers use critical thinking skills when choosing a coach. However, this commentary is made from the outside looking in, so take any criticism with a grain of salt. See if there is any nugget of truth that you may need to consider for your coaching business, but otherwise, don’t take the criticism to heart.
Depending on what the person says in their commentary, you may be able to send them a cease-and-desist letter based on defamation. Laws are different everywhere, so seek legal advice.