It's been a long day filled with meetings, a lunch appointment and dinner with clients. As you walk in the front door and toss your keys on a side table, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and experience a sinking sense of horror. Just how long has that zit been on the end of your nose? You don't remember seeing it in the morning, but you can't say for sure that it wasn't there. And you want to know why someone didn't say something—even in sharp jest—so you could take care of it.

In a post at his Living Light Bulbs blog, Ryan Karpeles says that eventually your company will be in the same situation: Walking around, oblivious to that big ol' metaphorical zit on its face. And it's better to hear about it than to continue in ignorance. "Not every review will be five stars," he writes. "Not every comment will sing your praises. Not every user will be a diehard evangelist. But would you really want them to be? Without imperfections, we'd have a hard time believing you're any good at all."

Karpeles' advice: Don't try to obscure the truth; instead, use it as the chance to make your product or service better.

"It's that occasional 'thumbs down' that lets us know we've got some room to improve," says Karpeles. And this pragmatic approach is our idea of Marketing Inspiration.

More Inspiration:
Paul Dunay: Get a 'Social' Life
Mack Collier: Social Media for Geeks vs. Social Media for Everyone Else
Jeanne Bliss: Dressing Up to Be Dressed Down

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