Managing Feedback and Revisions

The Code of Practice states that professionals should “respond constructively to feedback” and “work collaboratively with clients to achieve the best outcome.”

Revisions are a normal part of the creative process. Managing them well is essential to client satisfaction and your own well-being. 

Read the Code of Practice

Most revision problems stem from unclear expectations. Before starting any project, agree:

What’s included

• How many rounds of revisions are included in your fee
• What constitutes a “round” (minor tweaks vs substantial rewrites)
• Turnaround time for revisions
• What happens if more revisions are needed
• What happens if feedback is delayed or arrives after the agreed review period
• What happens if the agreed feedback process is changed (e.g. a new reviewer is added to the process)

The feedback process

• Who will provide feedback (a single point of contact is ideal)
• How feedback should be submitted (consolidated comments, not drip-fed)
• How long the client has to review each draft
• What sign-off looks like

Vague feedback (“I’m not sure about this”) is hard to act on. Help clients give you what you need:

Ask specific questions

Instead of “What do you think?”, try:

• “Does this capture your brand voice?”
• “Is the key message clear?”
• “Is there anything factually incorrect?”
• “Does this work for your target audience?”

Provide context

When presenting work, explain your thinking:

• Why you made certain choices
• How the copy addresses the brief
• What you’d like them to focus on

Make it easy to respond

• Use formats that allow inline comments
• Number sections for easy reference
• Highlight areas where you’d particularly value input
• Use clear versioning (dates or version numbers) to avoid confusion between revisions

Resist conflicting feedback

If feedback is conflicting because of multiple stakeholders, pause revisions until the client can clarify their intentions.

Receiving criticism of your work can be uncomfortable. Handle it professionally:

Don’t take it personally

Feedback is about the work, not about you. Even if poorly delivered, there’s usually something useful in it.

Clarify before acting

If feedback is unclear, ask questions. “When you say ‘punchier’, do you mean shorter sentences, stronger verbs, or something else?”

Categorise the feedback

• Objective issues — factual errors, missing information, genuine problems (fix these)
• Subjective preferences — style choices, tone adjustments (accommodate within reason)
• Out of scope — new requirements not in the original brief (discuss and quote)

Respond thoughtfully

Acknowledge the feedback, explain what you’ll do, and flag any concerns or questions. Don’t just silently make changes.

Not all feedback should be accepted. Push back professionally when:

The feedback contradicts the brief

“The brief specified a formal tone, but this feedback asks for casual language. Should we revisit the brief?”

It would harm effectiveness

“I understand the preference for shorter copy, but removing this section would leave out the key benefit. Can we discuss alternatives?”

It introduces errors

“This change would make the claim inaccurate. Here’s why the original wording is correct…”

It’s clearly out of scope

“This would essentially be a rewrite from scratch. I’m happy to do that, but it would need to be quoted as additional work.”

It’s non-compliant

“Making this requested change would likely result in legal or regulatory risk (misleading claims, unsubstantiated promises).”

How to push back

• Explain your reasoning clearly
• Reference the original brief or objectives
• Offer alternatives where possible
• Be willing to be overruled — as long as the change is lawful, accurate, and within the agreed scope

Some projects seem to go round in circles. Break the cycle:

Identify the pattern

• Is feedback contradicting previous feedback?
• Are multiple stakeholders pulling in different directions?
• Has the client changed their mind about what they want?
• Are revisions being requested without clear reasons or success criteria?
• Is there a deeper issue they haven’t articulated?

Have a reset conversation

“We’ve been through several rounds and I want to make sure we get this right. Can we step back and clarify exactly what success looks like?”

Invoke your contract

If you’ve exceeded included revisions: “We’ve now completed the three revision rounds included in the original quote. I’m happy to continue refining, but additional rounds will be charged at £X.”

Revisions are where good work becomes great work — when managed well. Set clear expectations upfront, help clients give useful feedback, and handle their input professionally.

Remember that you’re the expert. Your job isn’t just to implement every piece of feedback, but to guide clients toward copy that achieves their objectives. Sometimes that means pushing back. Always, it means communicating clearly.