Honest feedback, it’s the best kind…

I’ve just been in Edinburgh, indulging myself in all the city has to offer at this time of year. If you like any outpost of the arts, you can get your fill in Edinburgh during August. From Michael Morpurgo talking with Clive James to a man throwing Yakult at his audience, if you’re not satisfied with something, you’re a strange being indeed.

Adding to the stockpile of the strange and bizarre, are two flavours of The Free Fringe (or the Chris Anderson Fringe, as you may feel more comfortable calling it), that offer audiences the chance to take in shows for a price of ‘nowt’. For performers also, these are offerings that take the already open ethos of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and make it accessible to literally anyone. No interviews, no proof of talent, no money down – just turn up (though sometimes even that might be forgiven).  And this sense of community, of absolute accessibility, does some very interesting things…

For one, it gives people no excuse not to see a show. By extension, it also gives people no excuse not to recommend a show (or indeed, say exactly what they thought of it). With no icky subjects like money getting in the way, the word of mouth around a show is pure. Honest. Valuable. When you can walk out, or fall asleep or pay less attention without fear it has cost you £13.50 (plus booking fee), you’re shocked into reacting in the way you truly want to. Better than that, performers ask audiences to donate what they think the show was worth at the end of their turn. The good ones, unsurprisingly, do better than they would charging for tickets up front.

This is hardly new news, but it’s fascinating to see in action, especially when the people passing on their comments in the haze of Edinburgh’s 24 hour licensing and shiny shiny lights don’t themselves realise the effect of their honesty.

I took in a couple of dozen shows playing at this year’s Fringe some free, some not; some good, some not. What was common however, was that the good free ones, were essentially full. The bad free ones, were appropriately empty and the ones that had an associated ticket cost? The audience was there for various reasons, some good, some bad, most complex.

So what’s the moral of the story?  ‘Do what you can to keep your feedback honest’. That doesn’t have to mean giving things away, or making things free. It could simply mean having better relationships with your customers or having them followed by a private investigator (joke). If you can get honest feedback for whatever work you do, then other people will hear that same honest feedback and be amazed at your triumphs and take into account any shortcomings.

You can use it to improve and grow, potential customers can use it and get what they expect and everybody enjoys themselves a darn sight more.

Brought into the world on Thursday, August 27th, 2009 and filed under Uncategorized.