Finding good help is one thing, but keeping it is another—especially in the freelance event staffing world. To ensure your promotional staff consistently delivers great results, knowing how to give feedback to promotional staff constructively is essential. Feedback isn’t just a formality; it’s a way to help freelancers grow, align with your goals, and elevate your event’s success.
Providing constructive, actionable feedback can feel challenging, especially when managing multiple tasks and timelines. However, taking the time to offer clear and encouraging feedback is key to building a reliable, motivated, and effective team. Here’s your complete guide to giving valuable feedback to your promotional staff, with practical examples that make each point easy to implement.
1. Prepare Before You Give Feedback
Preparation is essential to giving feedback that resonates. Take a moment to review your promotional staff’s performance and note specific examples that showcase both strengths and areas to improve. This makes your feedback direct and constructive.
For example, if a team member was praised by attendees for their friendliness but there were comments about slower response times, make note of these details. This will allow you to give balanced, specific feedback that’s easier to act on.
2. Set Clear Guidelines for Freelance Promotional Staff
Set unambiguous guidelines to clarify expectations. This becomes the foundation for your feedback, making it easier to assess performance and support constructive improvement.
Tell your team, “The goal is to greet each attendee warmly and provide clear directions as soon as they arrive.” Afterward, you might say, “Your approach to greeting attendees today was great! You followed our guidelines perfectly.”
3. Timing: When to Give Feedback to Promotional Staff
The timing of feedback can make a huge difference. Immediate feedback lets staff adjust on the spot, while scheduled reviews offer a chance to discuss growth in a more comprehensive way.
For example, during an event, you might say: “Great job with the crowd this morning! You kept them engaged, and that made a big difference.” For a more in-depth review after the event, focus on areas like teamwork or long-term improvement.
4. Gather Feedback from Freelancers to Improve Your Process
Feedback should go both ways. While you’re helping your freelancers improve, ask for their input on your processes. Freelancers often have insights that reveal process improvements.
If staff mention that clearer check-in instructions would make things smoother, thank them and respond: “Thanks for letting us know. We’ll add more detailed check-in instructions to future briefings.”
5. Focus on Work and Maintain a Positive Tone
Keep feedback professional by focusing on work-related issues. Constructive feedback tied to guidelines and specific tasks keeps the conversation productive and helps build a positive rapport.
For example, you might say, “Your energy and enthusiasm really set the right tone for the event. Guests seemed to enjoy interacting with you.” If improvement is needed, you could add, “I noticed a few guests had questions left unanswered. Let’s make sure we follow up with everyone to make sure they get all the info they need.”
6. Use Positive Reinforcement to Encourage Growth
Balancing constructive feedback with positive reinforcement motivates staff and encourages them to continue excelling.
“You did a fantastic job managing the crowd at the booth today. Even when it got busy, you kept people engaged—exactly what we need. Keep up that energy!”
7. Set Goals Together for Improvement
Setting goals collaboratively creates a growth plan that staff are more likely to follow. This helps build ownership over their performance.
If improvement is needed in response times, set a shared goal: “For the next event, let’s aim to greet guests within 5 seconds of arrival, even during peak times. After the event, we’ll touch base to see how it went and what we can adjust.”
8. Foster a Culture of Continuous Feedback
Consistent feedback is the foundation of a company culture that values growth and accountability. Regular feedback encourages continuous improvement and aligns everyone with agency standards.
Liveforce’s crew management platform helps build this culture, allowing staff to receive feedback, reviews, and ratings after each gig. Freelancers can gain insights into improvement areas and build on their positive actions.
9. Follow Up to Reinforce Feedback
Following up shows commitment to your team’s growth and gives you a chance to check in on improvements. Acknowledge when staff are making progress.
If someone’s showing improvement, let them know: “I noticed you’ve been greeting guests more proactively—great job! It’s making a real difference.” If further improvement is needed, offer support: “I see you’re working on staying closer to the booth as we discussed. Let’s keep focusing on that as we work on guest interactions.”
10. Tools and Platforms to Facilitate Feedback (Highlight Liveforce)
Using a feedback-friendly platform like Liveforce can streamline feedback, making it easier for your team to grow and for you to stay organized. Liveforce allows you to give immediate ratings and comments after each gig, so staff know what’s working and where they can improve. With real-time feedback, staff have continuous access to insights, helping them grow with every event.
10 Examples of Constructive Feedback to Give to Promotional Staff
Constructive feedback shows staff how to improve with clear, actionable advice. Here are 10 examples to guide them:
- “During peak hours, try staying close to the booth so guests receive prompt assistance.”
- “Let’s work on reducing setup time to make sure we’re fully ready when guests arrive.”
- “Being more proactive with guests will help them feel engaged. Try greeting them as they approach.”
- “Next time, direct the queue to reduce crowding.”
- “Using open-ended questions can lead to longer, more meaningful interactions.”
- “Keep responses short but informative to serve guests efficiently.”
- “Please limit personal conversations during work hours to stay attentive.”
- “Asking a follow-up question is a good way to make sure you’re meeting each guest’s needs.”
- “Balance your time between the booth and assisting teammates to ensure smooth operations.”
- “Double-check event guidelines before setting up to ensure you’re aligned with expectations.”
5 Examples of Negative Feedback to Give to Promotional Staff
Negative feedback, when necessary, should address specific issues that need immediate improvement. Here are 5 examples:
- “Arriving late disrupted the team’s preparation. Punctuality is essential to stay on schedule.”
- “Leaving the booth during peak times left guests unattended, impacting their experience.”
- “Using your phone at the booth appeared unprofessional. Phones should stay put during shifts.”
- “Ignoring setup guidelines delayed the start and created confusion.”
- “Not engaging with attendees who approached the booth meant missed opportunities to connect.”
5 Examples of Positive Feedback to Give to Promotional Staff
Positive feedback encourages staff to continue their best work and highlights what they’re doing well. Here are 5 examples:
- “Your warm, friendly approach created a welcoming atmosphere that guests clearly enjoyed.”
- “You handled the unexpected schedule change smoothly, showing flexibility under pressure.”
- “Keeping the booth organized all day showed your attention to detail and helped the team stay efficient.”
- “Greeting each guest as they arrived was fantastic—it set the right tone and kept people engaged.”
- “Your quick thinking in answering guests’ questions showed strong product knowledge and professionalism.”
Ready to Build a Stronger, More Engaged Event Team?
Knowing how to effectively give feedback to promotional staff is crucial for building a reliable, motivated event team that consistently delivers. Liveforce makes this easier by providing a platform for managing event staff with built-in features that enable real-time feedback, ratings, and reviews—ensuring everyone stays aligned, motivated, and ready to perform. Explore Liveforce’s event staffing tools today and see how our platform can help you create a cohesive, high-performing team for your next event.
