Effective Presentation Skills | Business Presentation Training | Feedback Is the Breakfast of Sales
We all know that feedback can help improve what we’re doing. And certainly it’s easy to become so involved in developing and delivering a presentation that it’s difficult to step back and evaluate the results and work on improving.
But we’re all human, which means that it can be difficult to receive “corrective feedback,” to accept and use “constructive comments” about what we’ve worked so hard to get right. So, we’ll focus here on receiving feedback, on four recommendations for doing this effectively.
Rule #1 — Don’t Get Defensive
If you ask for the feedback, you’ve got to take what you get. You don’t have to agree with it; in fact, it’s probably better not to react at all. But you certainly want to avoid taking it person- ally, as an attack. If you do, you can bet you’ll never get feed- back from that person or from anyone who sees how you reacted to the feedback.
Try to forget all of the labels like “positive,” “negative,” “corrective,” “constructive”….Simply take the feedback for what it is. Feedback, no matter what kind, is simply someone stating his or her opinion or perception of something you did or said. You should respect the fact that an individual is willing to communicate to you his or her perception.
Sure, you could argue, it’s just a perception. But remember: perception is reality—at least in this case. When you try to reach someone, to communicate, to inform, you can’t succeed except in terms of that person’s perception. The only question open to debate would be how many participants in the group you need to reach in order to consider your presentation successful. That’s up to you. But the key is that perceptions matter—and that you should accept feedback graciously.
You might be surprised at some of the feedback you’ll get. One presenter got feedback that her nails were too long. Now, she didn’t understand how that was relevant to her presentation, but that participant felt it was worth mentioning. So, should that presenter cut her nails? No, but she might want to accept the feedback as insight into her professional appearance. Remember: don’t fight it; get what you can out of it.
Rule #2 — Don’t Try to Explain or Rationalize
When you get the feedback, don’t make excuses or try to explain your side of the story. (Yes, this is very close to Rule #1, Don’t get defensive. When we try to explain or rationalize, we step onto what for most people is a slippery slope.)
If, for example, the feedback is that the information from one section of your presentation was a little tough to follow, don’t try to explain your thought process or make excuses as to why it did not come across as you had planned. The saying “It’s the thought that counts” really doesn’t work here. What matters is the result of that thought. Simply take the feedback and apply it to your next presentation.
Rule #3 — Get Specific
Sometimes feedback is vague or general. You don’t really understand it—and you’re not likely to be able to use it to improve your presentations.
So, don’t hesitate to ask the participant to clarify what he or she means, to give specifics. Now, this can be very difficult. For one reason, the participant may not be able to be specific or may feel uncomfortable doing so. For another reason, it may be hard for you to encourage the participant to be specific without coming across as challenging the feedback.
Just ask simple, open questions in a cordial, calm tone:
When you said that the presentation was “weak,” what did you mean? Could you give some examples where it was particularly “weak”?
You said that the presentation was “poorly organized.” Could you elaborate on that comment, please? Maybe you can remember where you first reacted to the organization.
By the way, don’t emphasize the words that you quote, either with a pause, a change in tone, or those obnoxious “finger quotes” (a.k.a. “air quotes”). That emphasis could be interpreted as showing disrespect for the participant and his or her feedback.
Be tactful and don’t push it. If you can’t easily help a participant be more specific in his or her feedback, just let it go. Also, don’t suggest specifics—“Do you mean that I didn’t give examples? Did you mean that my slides were primitive?” That’s “leading the witness”: it’s great if you want to be in control, but that defeats the purpose of asking for feedback.
Also, don’t tamper with the words used by the participant. For example, if she called the presentation “weak,” don’t use other terms, even if they seem synonymous: “Could you tell me why I seemed hesitant?” or “Could you give some examples where I fumbled for facts?” Stick with the participant’s exact words and let him or her elaborate on them.
Rule #4 — Thank Them for the Feedback
Remember that giving feedback is sometimes more uncomfortable than receiving it. So, as you get feedback, make sure that you thank the participants for their input and for the effort. First, they’re helping you improve. Second, they’re taking a risk to do so.
It’s especially important to express your appreciation when you’re dealing with people who directly report to you. When you ask for their feedback and get it, it’s most important to thank them and then make a change based on their feedback. They will feel good that you paid attention to their opinions and they will have more confidence in themselves and in you as their leader.
These are very basic rules to follow. But they should help you make the most of the opportunity to improve that you have with every presentation.
Most important, remember that you do not need to change everything that generates “corrective” or “constructive” feedback. Many times you will simply thank participants for their feedback and tell them you will think through how you will use that feed- back in future presentations. Don’t get defensive, don’t make excuses, and—most of all—show appreciation for their honesty.
