What are the best ways to respond to critical feedback about your presentation style?

If you receive genuine feedback, congratulations, you've received a rare gift in a world that is walking on eggshells - don't waste it!

This is juicy - because taking feedback is challenging! You have to deal with cognitive dissonance of a minimum standard you thought you had vs the critical (or frosty) reaction. As a trainer, I hold this fear daily - especially when feedback forms are in. Here are 3 reframing actions I take: (1) Approach with curiosity: even if defensive, make sure that your first 2-3 responses are open-ended questions. Unpack that feedback! (2) Leverage the past for the future: Feedbacks tend to be past-centric so think about what you can do in a next setting to apply the comments and change things (3) End with rapport: We tend to impute malice to the feedback-giver when they are likely to come from a concerned angle - so maintain that connection!

Smile. And listen. And don't interrupt. Some advice you get will be great. Other advice will be rubbish. Either way, smile, and listen. The idea is to consolidate all the advice you get, before sifting through it to find the gems within the rusks. Not everyone giving feedback, is GOOD at giving feedback. And not everyone who wants to voice their opinions after the fact, have opinions that represent the audience. Keep an open mind, and open ears. But keep an open skepticism, otherwise you might just be learning bad tips.

Primeiro escutar, n?o somente ouvir. Mesmo desagradando, é possível que haja algo a aproveitar. O filtro é importante! Posteriormente, tra?ar planos de a??o para entender como trabalhar esses pontos identificados. Pedir mentoria a alguém de sua confian?a (ambito profissional) pode ser uma boa estratégia também!

As a Toastmaster, feedback is critical to improvement. You can only get better if you know where you need to improve. I have learned to take feedback openly without resent or anger. When you receive feedback from a trusted person, I can change your words. I also learned to accept feedback that is not easy to hear because, at the end of the day, if the advice is constructive, then it is an opportunity to grow. We all have the agency to receive good and bad feedback. It's all a matter of perspective. I also try to provide good feedback to model which type of feedback I want to receive.

If someone is giving you feedback, for me that's a first sign that they care and want you to be successful! That's the culture everyone aspires to! It's a gift, even if it's not always what we want to hear, let it sink in, use it and sharpen your presence. Don't forget to reflect later on and thank the person for caring and making you better version of yourself! And make sure you pay it forward ?

This is especially important. That person could have just hated your presentation, and said nothing. That's far worse for you. Taking their time and energy to give you feedback is doing you a favour, productive or negative. Thank them for that effort.

Much like a well-timed "thank you" after a performance, expressing gratitude for feedback is akin to applauding an orchestra after a concert, regardless of whether you enjoyed every note. It fosters a positive atmosphere and shows professionalism, much like a standing ovation, even when you might not see eye to eye.

As you thank someone, be mindful not to overdo it. Cos then, it slips into looking like sarcasm. Learn to be authentic about your feelings. If you feel disappointed by the reception you received, be open about it, as you maybe ask for more specifics.

Getting positive feedback is very rare/you might get at last so we need to be ready with the armor to face all these bows If someone is giving you negative feedback I would rather say it's Constructive feedback. So first of all, we need to listen to the entire feedback, and thanking the person will eventually open up other to share the same. So it add on your value of speaking skill. Everyone's assumptions/perceptions will differ on any topic. So Thank him and welcome him to get more constructive feedback

Acceptance is the only way to improve ourselves, especially on constructive feedback. Analyze and Validating the feedback and executing it asper the corrective measure will increase drastically in the public speaking skills.

It's helpful to record yourself and watch the recording. Before you watch for the first time, deliberately shift into an open, receptive frame of mind about the criticism you received. As you watch, look for instances your critic mentioned. With an open mind, if you discover they were right, then you know what to work on. If they were inaccurate, then you can likely chalk their remarks up to a personal difference or a stylistic preference.

Decide what feedback you actually want to take on board - you don't have to listen to everyone! Decide the people's opinions that you really value and want to learn from, and discard what you feel is unhelpful criticism.

Evaluating feedback is like sifting through a treasure chest – not every piece is a gem, and some might be mere trinkets. Use your judgment, considering factors such as specificity, factual basis, relevance to your goals, alignment with other feedback, and the potential for actionable and realistic improvements, to uncover the true gems.

Recognizing that feedback is a single perception or point of view is a crucial step. To determine the accuracy of the feedback, you can consider multiple factors, including the credibility and experience of the person providing the feedback, the consistency of the feedback with other observations or data, and whether it aligns with your own self-assessment and goals. Evaluating feedback from these perspectives can help you gauge its accuracy and relevance.

When responding to feedback, aim to be a diplomat – polite, honest, and constructive. You can either agree and outline your future plans, respectfully disagree with supporting evidence, seek clarification with specific examples, request targeted feedback, or explore alternative sources, all while keeping defensiveness and sarcasm at bay. The key is to highlight the positive aspects and opportunities for improvement.

Depending on the venue, it may not be appropriate to respond to the feedback at that time. If you are expected to validate the feedback given, it's easy if you agree, but it's a bit different if you disagree. If you disagree with the negative feedback given about your presentation style, the most important thing to remember is to make it safe for the critic to not feel attacked. Also, don't use the words "but" or "however" 'I see where you thought that I should/shouldn't have _______.' I chose to do _______ because I believe that _______. There's no need to say 'but I chose.' You want to show the critic that you understand their thought, and maybe even say that you did consider it. Then follow up with your justification.

Embrace this valuable opportunity to inquire proactively and constructively. Seek insightful suggestions for enhancing your presentation style by posing thoughtful questions, demonstrating your earnest commitment to self-improvement through the depth of your inquiries.

I'd suggest something like... "I appreciate you taking the time to give me this feedback. I hope you don't mind if I process it in my own time."

Evolving as a public speaker entails navigating both triumphs and setbacks, embracing well-received presentations and defending controversial stances. True growth emerges when you sift through feedback for what's valuable and pertinent, conduct thorough research, and continue to express yourself.

If the feedback was beneficial and you have successfully integrated their suggestions to enhance your presentation style, convey your gratitude for their valuable input. Demonstrate your sincerity by seeking further advice and provide the person with feedback regarding the positive impact of the implemented changes.

The best way to remain a mediocre speaker is to nod and agree on the feedback and then continue doing everything the same way. Often we get too much feedback at once, and the other route to failure is to try to implement all of it. Focus on the most important feedback and make those changes first. You should expect to always get feedback, and you should try to use that the criticism for your benefit.

Think of feedback like tending a garden: take action by refining your presentation style or seeking additional input, and keep the feedback provider updated on your progress. This not only showcases your dedication and growth but also cultivates a deeper connection and fosters more valuable insights.

Remember that feedback never ends, nor should it. Perfection is a goal to strive for, not to obtain - and feedback will help you get closer.

It's funny how many people say they want data for business... but don't apply it to their personal growth. Feedback is audience perception data. Get loads of it. And if you're a professional speaker, solicit it. And while the negative ones may sting for a bit (they really do if we're being honest), the good ones make it into your marketing materials.

As many have reiterated, feedback is a gift! However, it is a gift that keeps giving - after evaluating, accepting, and incorporating feedback into the next presentation, it helps to check in with the person giving the feedback or a trusted colleague to continuously fine-tune presentation skills. The road to improvement involves lots of active practice!

If the only criticism you get was 'great presentation, everything was perfect,' then become the critic. Challenge the audience to give you at least something to build upon. Sometimes people just don't want to hurt someone's feelings... but that doesn't help you grow.

Put the biggest hater in the audience. When it comes to critiquing a speech, it's hard to find a bigger critic than the person giving it. Few people will give more honest feedback, be more direct or find more mistakes. As speakers, we tend to be very self-critical and can often spot far more things in our own performance than others. Use this to your advantage and record your performances on video. A recorded speech gives us the opportunity to go back and relive that moment over and over again, without having to retell it or filter it through someone else. It's just there. All of it. Honest, raw and free feedback that we as speakers can learn from.

Another person’s opinion doesn’t define you; it merely reflects their perception of you in their world. Consider feedback, whether it’s about a presentation, work performance, or any other aspect, as a gift. The beauty of it is that you have the choice to unpack it (listen and evaluate), retain it (take action), or return it (dismiss it).”

Sometimes it helps to take a step back and realise that you are not your last presentation. Creating some distance here can help you to not take the feedback personally. Feedback can be a gift on our own growth journey but sometime feedback is just someone else's unhelpful opinion. Taking a step back can help us know the difference without an emotional reaction which can cloud our judgement.

The Sandwich Method It is THE WORST!!!!!! Do not use this. Do not start with a compliment, then add criticism and follow it with a compliment. This undervalues the compliments, turning them into meaningless platitudes and setting up the dread in the speaker waiting for the real criticism, and then the ... but it was great! NO! If you're delivering criticism, find numerous positive aspects of the presentation. These should be things that the presenter should continue doing - like 'great eye contact and body movement.' Then identify the most important things the presenter needs to fix. Give them one of those to work on. It should be a 5:1 ratio on positive to negative feedback. Don't sandwich it.

Welcome to the growing pains of life!! Please tell me someone who does not have an opportunity to improve upon themselves. No one!!! You can't build muscle without ripping the fibers of your muscles so they can grow bigger and stronger. Some pain is required and it is no different in anything you do including speaking. There will always be several opinions about your speech. Some will be spot on. Some will be a little off. Few will be just plain old wacko!! Listen, learn, and evaluate the validity of the feedback. Work with someone to analyze those thoughts into great additions to your speech or into the trash. Don't be one of those people who think you do not need help. I guarantee you will go further with support on your side.

Consider the mechanics which led to the feedback. It's a success to just have people listen sometimes, given such distractions these days (esp. digital devices buzzing, beeping & flashing, competing for attention). So as you consider any other advice on this stream, dissect the AWESOME chain of events which led to that person giving feedback: 1. This person fought the distractions and listened to you; good! 2. Your topic or delivery drove this person to react with feelings and thoughts; great! 3. This person's reaction motivated them enough to approach you about it; awesome! 4. This person found their way through the thoughts and emotions to provide you feedback; wow! 5. You can learn or improve from the feedback; what a gift!