Give us a name.

"Do you like it?" I asked. "Mmm, it just isn't right," she said. "What is it?" I asked. "I don't know really, it just isn't right." And she walked away.

From product reviews to channel surfing, human decisions are a mix of emotion with justified logic and a splash of influence, give or take. The resulting decision process often leaves us knowing what we want to do (intuitively) with only vague verbal justification. 

Our mission as communicators is to get specific, if possible. That's why names can be helpful. Asking our clients, colleagues and friends to name what they don't like (or like) about what we're doing enables us to work with their feedback, not just listen to it. Otherwise, we're left with vague, practically unusable responses — our client feels heard, but we can't do anything about it.

Sharp communicators name pieces of the process, product or service when asking for feedback. "Did you like the presentation?" or better, "Was the presentation artful?" will gain more useful information on a restaurant review, for example, than "Please rate your experience." Positive responses to the more specific question could justify a campaign highlighting the artistic qualities of each dish. Negative responses might validate assigning a chef to train on plating techniques. Whether the responses are negative or positive, it's all good because it's usable.

By helping us name an aspect of our experience, you get the feedback that affects change.