At work Greeting the person best qualified to comment Start by contacting the manager immediately above you, a more senior colleague, or a coworker as they are best fit to give you the feedback you need. Examples: “Dear Dr. Finnem” (boss) “Dear Mallory” (coworker) Be polite and humble Follow the norms of your workplace regarding formality and phrasing. And remember, humility goes a long way, but coming off as too humble can seem like you’re not confident and uninformed. Examples: “I was working on the slides for the presentation tomorrow and am following a format that I think fits in with the company’s standard. Could you take a look when you get a chance and let me know what you think about the format?” “I was typing up notes from yesterday’s meeting and am unsure of how to best format some of the new ideas that were presented. When you have a spare moment, would you mind looking over the attached document and offering any notes or tips regarding structure?” Be specific Let them know exactly what you need feedback on, focusing on specific parts of a task or project. Avoid bombarding them with questions. Examples: “I wasn’t sure how to proceed with this particular case, and the client has yet to reply. Seeing as how it’s time-sensitive, I figured it’d reach out to you for advice on the next steps I should take.” “I’m feeling good about this write-up but am unsure if it reads as clearly as I’d like it to. If you get a minute, could you read it over and let me know if there are places where I could be a little more clear with language and formatting?” Express gratitude Be sure to thank them in your request for feedback and, once they respond, send a follow-up thank you email within a day or two. Examples: “I wanted to say thank you for your valuable feedback. I have a much better idea on how to approach the formatting and presentation now. I really appreciate you taking the time to help me on this project.” “Thank you for your feedback! I’m so grateful and now know exactly where I’m headed with this case. If I can do anything for you to repay the favor, don’t hesitate to ask.” At school Start with a formal address Maintain the tone that your teacher has set with you in class. Unless they have specifically stated that you can address them by their first name, use proper titles (especially at the college level). Examples: “Dear Dr. Nemo,” “Hi Mrs. Haverton,” Identify yourself It’s important to identify yourself to your professor so they won’t waste time trying to figure out who you are and what particular class slot you’re in. If you’re in highschool, include the class period. If you’re in college, include the class title and the section of the course. Examples: “I’m Nathan Collard from your 8th period literature class.” “Hi, I’m Theresa Jones, a student in your PHIL 340 class on Tuesdays and Thursday afternoons.” Be brief and specific Keep your email brief and to the point, explaining what concepts you don’t understand and focusing on particular kinds of feedback. Examples: “I was reading over the prompt for the final paper and I’m still unclear on how to approach my analysis. Should I focus on two out of the three passages from the first bullet point (section A) or focus on a combination of two from both sections A and B?” “Upon reviewing my graded paper, I have a question about why I received only 3 out of 10 points for the formatting. I reread the rubric for the paper and thought I understood what you were looking for. Could you clarify where I went wrong (particularly from pages 3 to 4)?” Allow adequate time If you’re asking about a particular assignment, don’t wait until the night before it’s due. Give them time to respond and give yourself time to incorporate the feedback. If do end up asking a day or two before the due date, apologize for the late feedback request and understand that you may not get a reply in time. Examples: “I know we have another two weeks left before this is due but I wanted to make sure I’m approaching this correctly before building my outline.” “I’m sorry for asking this just two days before the due date, but in the writing process, I’ve realized that I might be on a different track than what’s expected. Could you take a glance at the attached outline and let me know I’m headed in the right direction?” Proper file formats If you are attaching a document to your email, make sure it’s in the format requested (you can typically find this in the syllabus). If you do not know the requested format (or have lost the syllabus), include different types to get a faster response. Examples: “I’ve attached the document in both .pdf and .docx format so you can make digital notes if necessary.” “I wasn’t sure what kind of file to send so I’ve attached the same document in 3 different formats.” For a manuscript Choose someone you know first Choose a friend or colleague to ask for feedback, addressing them as you normally would (formal versus casual tone). Examples: “Hey friend, I really valued your feedback during our creative writing class last semester and figured you’d be a good person to ask…” “Hey Uncle Barry, since you’re a writer, I thought I’d ask you first…” Choosing an expert If you have some connection with someone in your field but are not close acquaintances, identify yourself and address them in a more formal, polite manner. If you’re addressing a famous author, understand that their busy schedule may not allow them time to provide feedback. Examples: “Dear John Kline, we met at a writer’s conference last month and exchanged information. I really appreciated your presentation about editing techniques and (if you have time) would love to hear what you think about…” “Dear Dr. Netany, I really enjoyed your online course in copywriting. You provided your email for any further questions we might have about the writing process so I figured I’d reach out to you for feedback…” Be specific State exactly what kind of feedback you’d like so they know where to focus their energy. You can ask for only positive feedback or constructive criticism, or feedback regarding aesthetics, structure, or grammar. Examples: “For this particular piece, it’d be helpful to get some constructive criticism on character development.” “I’d appreciate hearing feedback regarding the plot and pacing of this piece, particularly chapters 7 and 8.” Allow adequate time When it comes to book-length manuscripts or longer excerpts, give them plenty of time to respond. If you having a looming deadline for shorter pieces, you can mention that so long as you’re not pushy about it. Examples: “I understand it’s lengthy, so I don’t expect you to read this in two nights. Please approach it at your leisure and I look forward to your feedback.” “Each chapter is around 7,000 words and there are 10 chapters. I’d like to hear your thoughts sometime in the next month or so as I’d like to make a submission deadline but I understand if you’re busy and can’t get to it by then.” Gratitude Manuscripts are long and contain many elements to critique, so thank them for their time and energy. Furthermore, offer to do them a favor in return. Examples: “Thank you for taking a look at this, I really value your feedback!” “I’m so grateful for your taking the time to offer your thoughts on this project. If you have something you’d like feedback on, I’ll gladly return the favor!” From customers Keep it brief Customers are inundated with surveys from companies all the time. So don’t ask too many questions to show that you respect their time. Examples: “Thank you for being a valued customer. We’d really appreciate your feedback via the link below—don’t worry, it’s only 2 questions!” “We value your time and your opinions. If you have a moment, please answer the following 3 questions regarding your experience with our service.” Open-ended questions To get the most valuable feedback, ask questions that require more than just a “yes” or “no” answer. Examples: “How would you describe us to a friend?” “How do you think our online customer account portal could improve?” A time stamp Let the customer know that you’ll respond to their feedback as quickly as possible to make them feel that their opinion is valued. Examples: “We’ll be sure to get back to you within 48 hours regarding your feedback.” “We’ll respond to your feedback survey as quickly as possible with a special offer as well as any additional questions.” Well-designed and device-friendly formatting Choose a standard, legible font and make sure the format of your letter is readable on multiple devices (laptops, pads, and phones). If you’re using a survey link, ensure quick loading times and keep the graphics, font, and layout professional and readable on various devices. Examples: “To access the iPad and mobile-friendly survey, use this link…” “For faster loading times on mobile devices, use this link…”