Feedback? No thanks.

Okay, the title is a tiny bit like link-bait – sorry! :)

Obviously it’s important to get feedback on your presentation. After all, otherwise you’ll never know what’s working and what isn’t. Right? Well sort of. Feedback is great if it’s worthwhile but not if it isn’t. Stating the obvious, I know. But like most things, when it comes to getting feedback from other people you shouldn’t seek opinion – you should seek council.

[bctt tweet=”Don’t seek mere opinion, seek council“]

What’s the difference? Simply put, it’s to do with the quality of the feedback.

Football – how hard can it be? ;)

Anyone can kick a football but that doesn’t mean they can manage a Premiership team: but it doesn’t stop them doing it in the pub. Anyone knows what a teacher does because they’ve been to school but it doesn’t mean they can teach. And just because anyone can sit through a presentation doesn’t mean they know anything about presenting – but it doesn’t stop them telling you thinks about your presentation. Of course, getting an audience’s response to things is important, but that’s only one part of the puzzle – the starting point. What you need to know next is what to do next.

And there’s the rub.

Advice is only as good as the expertise of the person giving it. If you’re in court you’d not ask your friend for what you should do next – you seek legal council. At the doctor’s surgery you don’t ask your friend for his or her opinion… you might ask for a second expert opinion, of course, but not a random unqualified opinion.

So why the heck would you take advice on what to do with your next presentation from someone who’s not qualified. It’s about as sensible as asking a random, passing stranger to diagnose that nagging pain you get after you eat…

So what the hell do you do? You’ve got to get some feedback somehow, right?

There’s no silver bullet. If there was, I’d use it in my training. That said, here are a few options.

Option 1 – the obvious one – hire an expert (preferably me!)

Okay, you expected me to include this one, right? Nothing more to say? Well there shouldn’t be, but don’t forget that most (so-called) presentation skills trainers are little more than decent instinctive presenters, not trainers – and what works (instinctively) for them might not be right for you.

Be careful who you hire. (Special note: the PSA and Toastmasters have something to recommend them in terms of getting semi-expert feedback.)

Option 2 – almost as obvious – get yourself recorded

Videos aren’t a silver bullet, either.

A video camera is cheaper than I am. ;)   But it’s got no opinion or experience. And to be brutally honest, unless you’re an experienced presenter and used to cameras there is a reasonable chance that you’ll simply change how you present the moment the camera is turned on. Most people do.

I’m not saying don’t do it, but don’t stake your life on it. It’s going to pick up on obvious bad habits, such as phrases you use over and over and over, so it’s a good starting point.

Option 3 – the one everyone forgets – be honest with yourself

Self Reflection isn’t as hard as it sounds. At it’s most basic it’s just the process of looking back at something and thinking about how to improve it – but doing so in an honest, structured and active way. (The process we use is here.)

Option 4 – the only one that counts – does anything change?

The first three options I’ve just listed are all about the process, of delivering the presentation. But frankly that’s a bit like judging a report by how nicely typed and bound it was. What’s important is what changes as a result of it. Only you know what your presentation was intended and designed to do so only you can judge if it was a success but don’t forget that what’s good in the room isn’t the same thing as what’s good a week, a month and a year later.

[bctt tweet=”Your presentation doesn’t matter. It’s effects do. Applause is feedback but action is better.”]

You’ll need some kind of benchmark, to be able to compare changes to; and you’ll need to have some kind of time frame in mind. Both should be appropriate to your intent and your audience. What’s right for accountants in Liverpool isn’t necessarily right for footballers in Wigan. (Are there any?)  You get the idea, I’m sure.

Option 5 – over to you

Well?  So how do you get your feedback?