[bctt tweet=”Don’t seek mere opinion, seek council<\/em><\/strong>“]<\/p>\n What’s the difference? Simply put, it’s to do with the quality of the feedback.<\/p>\n Football – how hard can it be? ;)<\/p><\/div>\n 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\u00a0presentation 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<\/strong> next is what to do<\/strong> next.<\/p>\n And there’s the rub.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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…<\/p>\n There’s no silver bullet. If there was, I’d use it in my training. That said, here are a few options.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Be careful who you hire. (Special note: the PSA and Toastmasters have something to recommend them in terms of getting semi-expert feedback.)<\/p>\n Videos aren’t a silver bullet, either.<\/p><\/div>\n A video camera is cheaper than I am. ;) \u00a0 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n![\"Football](\"http:\/\/www.awareplus.co.uk\/presentation-skills-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/football-268x300.jpg\")
So what the hell do you do? You’ve got to get some feedback somehow, right?<\/h3>\n
Option 1 – the obvious one – hire an expert (preferably me!)<\/h4>\n
Option 2\u00a0– almost as\u00a0obvious –\u00a0get yourself recorded<\/h4>\n
![\"Video](\"http:\/\/www.awareplus.co.uk\/presentation-skills-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/video_camera_man-300x199.jpg\")
Option 3\u00a0– the one everyone forgets\u00a0–\u00a0be honest with yourself<\/h4>\n
![\"plan_a_plan_b\"](\"http:\/\/www.awareplus.co.uk\/presentation-skills-blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/plan_a_plan_b-300x201.jpg\")
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.<\/p>\n