How do you ask for feedback from your peers or mentors before delivering a presentation?

1 Identify your goals

Before you seek feedback, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your presentation and what aspects you want to improve. For example, do you want to focus on your structure, your visuals, your tone, or your engagement? Do you have specific questions or concerns that you want feedback on? Having a clear goal will help you narrow down your feedback sources, prepare your presentation draft, and communicate your expectations.

2 Choose your feedback sources

Depending on your goal, you may want to ask for feedback from different people who can offer different perspectives and insights. For example, you may want to ask your peers who have similar backgrounds or interests as your audience, or your mentors who have more experience or expertise in your topic. You may also want to ask for feedback from people who have different styles or preferences than you, to get a diverse range of opinions. However, avoid asking too many people or people who are not familiar with your topic or audience, as this may lead to conflicting or irrelevant feedback.

3 Prepare your presentation draft

Before you ask for feedback, you need to have a presentation draft that is ready to be reviewed and revised. This means that you have done your research, outlined your main points, created your slides, and practiced your delivery. Your presentation draft should be clear, coherent, and consistent, but not perfect or final. You should also be open to making changes based on the feedback you receive, and not be attached to your original ideas or design.

5 Review and apply the feedback

Once you receive the feedback, you need to review and apply it carefully and objectively. This means that you need to sort the feedback into categories, such as positive, negative, or neutral, and prioritize the feedback that is most relevant, useful, or actionable. You should also look for patterns or themes in the feedback, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of your presentation. You should then make the necessary changes to your presentation, based on the feedback that aligns with your goal and audience. You should also document the feedback and the changes you made, and track your progress and improvement.

6 Follow up and thank

After you apply the feedback and deliver your presentation, you need to follow up and thank your feedback sources. This means that you need to share your results, outcomes, or achievements with them, and let them know how their feedback helped you improve your presentation. You should also ask for their feedback on your final presentation, and see if they noticed any changes or improvements. You should also express your gratitude and appreciation for their support and guidance, and offer to return the favor in the future.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?