Remember when you were in high school and dreaded getting your test score back? That was feedback.

Remember when you went too fast on the highway and received a speeding ticket? That was feedback.

Remember when you wised off to your parents when you were a teenager, and your parents got angry. That was feedback.

It probably did not feel good, but you learned. That is what feedback is about. Did you learn from it?

As you got older, hopefully, you learned that feedback can allow you to get ahead faster in your life.

Feedback is your superpower! But only if you learn from and use it to improve your life

Below are three reasons why feedback can improve your speaking faster than you can alone.

Insightful Evaluation

You can develop your given talent alone. You can read books, look at websites, and “troll” social media, but when you obtain someone else’s opinion, you get a new perspective on what you are doing and will develop your given talent faster.

Your speech is an excellent example of this. Practicing speaking is one of the most underrated boosts you can get to your speaking. The feedback you receive is in areas you may not have thought about yourself. You will be “on the side of the angels” if you practice before a practice audience.”

Others can see many more things about your speaking, good and bad, that need improvement, and that will not be apparent to you. They offer a fresh perspective on your strengths and weaknesses.

So insightful evaluation is crucial in developing your given talents faster.

Insightful evaluation, by its very nature, includes actionable suggestions.

Actionable Suggestions

Feedback offers actionable suggestions like raising your gestures, lowering the number of verbal fillers, and working on your eye contact with the audience, which you may overlook when practicing alone.

Suggestions from others must be actionable. Feedback like “I didn’t like your presentation.” or “Your presentation was excellent.” do you no good in improving your presentations. They harm you because they can give you a false sense of calamity or insecurity.

Examples of actionable suggestions are:

• “Don’t rock back and forth or side to side. It is distracting to your audience.”

• “You may want to try putting more structure in your presentation, such as telling us your main points upfront and after the body of your presentation.”

• “You should try a more emotionally grabbing attention step like a personal story, relevant quote, or startling statistic.”

You can take action on these suggestions to improve your presentation. Actionable feedback is vital to improving your speaking.

So insightful evaluation, including actionable suggestions, are essential to improving your presentations.

Encouragement and support are also critical to improving your speaking.

Encouragement and Support

Positive feedback validates your efforts and skills, affirming your progress and boosting confidence.

It confirms items in your presentation performance you were already thinking about. Everyone needs corroboration to stay on the right track.

Constructive evaluation offers guidance on areas for improvement, empowering you to refine your techniques and enhance their delivery.

You don’t start off liking to hear items that did not go well in your presentation. However, after a second thought, you should realize this is the fastest way to improve.

Positive, constructive feedback motivates you to continue honing your speaking ability, fostering growth, and developing your public speaking proficiency.

So insightful evaluation, actionable suggestions, and encouragement and support are fundamental to improving your presentations.

Don’t shun feedback. Seek it actively.

Remember. Feedback is only your superpower if you use it!

Call to Action

• Seek insightful feedback by going into detail on what you did well and what you may want to improve.

• Ensure the feedback you receive is actionable. If it isn’t, ask clarifying questions about what actions you can take to improve.

• Be gracious in acknowledging the encouragement and support you receive.

Frank DiBartolomeo is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and award-winning speaker, presentation and interview skills coach, and Professional Member of the National Speakers Association. He was awarded Toastmasters International’s highest individual award, Distinguished Toastmaster because of his outstanding work in public speaking and leadership.

Frank formed DiBartolomeo Consulting International (DCI), LLC (www.speakleadandsucceed.com) in 2007. The mission of DCI is to help technical professionals to inspire, motivate, and influence their colleagues and other technical professionals by improving their presentation skills, communication, and personal presence. Reach Frank at frank@speakleadandsucceed.com and (703) 509-4424.

Don’t miss Frank DiBartolomeo’s latest book!

“Speak Well and Prosper: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Better Presentations”

Available now at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com