This is it. Your moment of glory. 👑
You’re about to deliver your best presentation yet. You’ve worked hard, spent hours researching, and even prepared interactive materials. What could go wrong?
During the presentation, everything goes smoothly. You’re confident, and the audience is engaged, asking questions. But when you ask for feedback…
Other than vague comments like “It was good,” you get no constructive feedback. While it’s tempting to think your presentation left everyone speechless, deep down, you know they might be struggling to articulate their thoughts—just like you often do.
The truth is, giving constructive feedback can be challenging. Finding the right words is hard, and even when you do, your colleagues might not know how to implement it.
So, what can you do?
Don’t worry; this article will teach you the secrets of giving constructive feedback and creating a better feedback process for your team.
Table of contents
Key elements to focus on when evaluating a presentation
Presentation feedback examples
What not to do when giving presentation feedback
Key elements to focus on when evaluating a presentation
No one is born great at public speaking, but you can become a great orator like Martin Luther King Jr. or Cicero and charm everyone in your vicinity.
But it requires practice and you don’t become great at either speaking in public or giving feedback that doesn’t start a ruckus overnight.
So, what you can do right now is look -at the following graphic:
Let’s talk about what these mean. 😉
Clarity of message
Make your message clear as day.
Don’t say stuff like, “I think it was good,” and leave it at that.
People will wonder…
Good feedback means being as specific as possible, telling the person doing the presentation what was good, and making your message as clear as day. Instead of saying, ‘I think it was good,’ say exactly what you liked.
For example, ‘Your presentation was informative with excellent sources’ is an actionable and helpful piece of feedback.
Moreover, make sure the person understands your message. Don’t mumble or say stuff like, ‘It’s kinda missing something, I don’t really know what,’ as it only confuses the people you’re giving feedback to.
If you have something critical to say, follow up with an actionable item the presenter can work on to improve.
For example, say ‘Some parts of the presentation didn’t flow very well and I didn’t understand the purpose of the presentation.’ Following up with ‘My suggestion is adding a new slide with the goals of the presentation.’
The feedback is actionable. The person understands why you said it and they can work on improving this aspect of the presentation.
Presentation structure and organization
You’ve probably had your share of bad presentations. 😬
One time, your colleague Pam made a presentation on recycling that had slides filled with huge chunks of text in an itsy-bitsy font size that the audience could barely read.
Then there was Jim, with a PowerPoint presentation that had too many irrelevant images (albeit funny). But it was a mess of ideas and transitions that made you lose interest after a few slides.
To this day, Jim and Pam create presentations in the same way. Because everyone was too nice to offer helpful feedback.
Next time, tell them to check the structure of their presentation first. This should include the introduction, body, and conclusion. And the darn font size.
Suggest that their slides flow more smoothly, gliding from one point to another like a knife through butter. While following a cohesive storyline.
And then don’t be surprised if, in their next presentations, Pam and Jim follow a clear agenda with equally clear takeaways. To wild applause.
Engagement and delivery
We all have memories of boring presentations, where our interest and consciousness disappeared at around the same time.
The host spoke so slowly and unenthusiastically, it wasn’t so much a presentation as a lullaby. 😪
Next time you’ve sat through such a yawnfest, instead of saying…
…suggest to the presenter afterward that they work on their oral presentation and sharpen their delivery style, including tone, pace, and enthusiasm.
Tell them it’s important to find a balance between talking confusingly fast and unenthusiastically slowly.
A happy medium is what helps create good presentations.
Moreover, they should think about how they make eye contact, or use their body language, gestures, and facial expressions to engage with their audience.
When your time comes, you probably won’t engage your audience members if you stay with your nose in your notes during the presentation. Or you’re stiff as a mummy, afraid of looking anyone in the eye.
Try to relax. The crowd won’t eat you. Think of it like having a friendly chat with your team members, that’s all.
One more thing: you can also create engagement by adding visuals to your presentation. Use charts and images to get your point across. And improve the understanding of key points.
Use of visuals
Speaking of visual aids…
Use them sparingly, as too many colors and images can overwhelm the target audience.
Keep your slides as simple as possible and make your presentation more visually appealing, so it’s easier for people to understand your key message and capture the audience’s attention.
Also, think of the context. Don’t add an image you like for the sake of adding it — it’ll bloat your presentation. Your slides, charts, and graphs should enhance your presentation and be relevant to your topic.
Furthermore, consistency in design and readability is vital for supporting the key points of your presentation.
Q&A session
Imagine this:
Someone asks you to make a presentation on a topic you don’t really like, but you do it for extra kudos. The end result is a mess: it has great tidbits of info and looks good, overall, but your heart’s not in it.
What you hope is that it ends quickly.
Plotwist: it doesn’t.
In the Q&A session, your learners start asking tons of questions. Since you’re not that familiar with the topic, you fumble the answer.
Suffice to say, it was embarrassing. 🫣
To avoid earning Ds on your presentations, you should be able to handle questions. People will appreciate the depth and clarity of your responses to gauge how well you know and understand the subject matter.
Make a list of FAQs, but be prepared for curveballs. Staying calm is key for handling surprises and making a good impression.
Audience awareness
People have different and unique views of the world, with different passions and dislikes. When making your presentation, consider your audience’s knowledge level and ensure the content is appropriate for them.
For example, when talking about vegan meals and diet plans, explain any unfamiliar terms, like what a thrive diet is. This will help you connect better with your target audience and deliver more effective presentations.
So, for your next presentation, consider your audience’s needs and make sure it has the appropriate level of detail necessary to explain any unfamiliar concepts.
***
Okay! You now know the secrets of becoming an effective presenter.
While that’s awesome, there’s one small hitch. 🫠
How do you differentiate positive feedback from the negative kind? Can you start providing feedback constructively?
We’ve got your back. Here are some presentation feedback examples you’ll love.
Presentation feedback examples
Before we get to our feedback examples, take a look at this beauty:
What you see here are the key personality traits of both weak and strong feedback.
Use them as your guidelines as you explore our examples.
Positive reinforcement
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “Wow! What a great presentation!” | “You did an excellent job of conveying your message. Everything was clear and I understood your key points.” |
| “I liked the way it looked.” | “I liked the way you used visual aids to support your points, they were engaging and original.” |
Suggesting areas for improvement
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “I think your presentation might need a bit of tweaking.” | “Your content was solid, but it was a bit too much. Simplify your slides for better structure and make sure to adjust the length of your presentation.” |
| “Trim some sections next time.” | “The content was great, but it didn’t really stir curiosity in me. Some slides had too much information on them, so make sure to focus on key points next time.” |
Encouraging engagement
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “Your presentations must be more engaging!” | “It’s great that you were confident in your chosen topic, but maintaining eye contact is good for engaging your audience. Use purposeful gestures to enhance your delivery.” |
| “Try to act more natural next time.” | “You obviously prepared for the presentation, but you didn’t have a natural conversation with your audience. Find the sweet spot between memorizing your script and winging it.” |
Highlighting audience awareness
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “I didn’t really feel a connection.” | “I think you showed a deep understanding of your audience’s needs. I, personally, didn’t know much about the topic. But you clearly explained all that was confusing. What you can improve on is your Q&A session. If you continue to tailor your content to your audience’s knowledge level, you can anticipate potential questions to enhance that area.” |
| “There was no passion behind it.” | “The content and structure is overall nice, but I feel like your heart wasn’t in it. The topic was probably not one that you’re passionate about. Next time, make a presentation on a topic you’re familiar with. Talking naturally about what you’re presenting will keep your audience more engaged.” |
Commending visual appeal
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “I mean, your slides were okay.” | “Your presentation is well-designed and the slides are visually-appealing. They captured my attention and were highly relevant to the presentation’s key points.” |
| “I liked your formatting.” | “I appreciated your accurate grammar and formatting. The relevant visuals and no inconsistencies enhanced the presentation’s positive vibe.” |
Acknowledging time management
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “It was too long and boring.” | “Your content was engaging, but it would help to condense the content within the allotted time frame to maintain a focused and impactful delivery.” |
| “You talked too fast.” | “While the content was interesting, you left no room for people to speak and ask questions. Work on your communication skills and pace yourself better.” |
Balanced feedback for growth
| Weak Feedback | Strong Feedback |
| “Overall, you need to improve and grow your presentation skills.” | “You showed strengths in [specific aspects], but if you focused on [other specific areas], you’ll continue to grow even further as a presenter.” |
| “Great presentation, but it feels like something’s missing.” | “Great presentation, but your interaction with people is lacking. Ask people what they think about the key points you make to connect with them and create a better experience.” |
***
Like our examples? We tried really hard to come up with relatable scenarios and feedback that sounded human. And, most of all, empathetic. 🫶
Most of the time, feedback fails because you’re trying to spare people from criticism. Or you feel like you have nothing nice to say. But you have to say something because you’re required to.
So, let’s see what not to do when giving feedback.
What not to do when giving presentation feedback
To do or not to do — that is the question. 🤔
Shakespeare taught us what not to do and we’re here to be the Shakespeare of effective feedback.
We can tell you what to avoid when providing feedback to your peers.
Don’t provide vague or generic feedback
Scene: Receiving presentation feedback.
Location: Conference room.
Characters: You & your manager.
You: “So, what did you think?”
Manager: “It was okay.”
You: “And?”
Manager: “Mmm, I think you need to do better.”
You: “Where?”
Manager: “I don’t know. Just redo it.”
You are clearly upset.
You: “Can you be more specific?”
Manager: “No time. Think of something else.”
Manager leaves. You rethink your life choices.
End Scene
In conclusion? Generic feedback is a big no-no. It lacks specificity. It makes it hard for you to understand what exactly you need to improve in your presentation.
Vague feedback like “It needs to wow me” or “Do better” offers no actionable insight. You’re just gonna listen to it. And forget about it the next day because it doesn’t help you evolve.
Instead, try to give more specific and targeted feedback. As a result, the presenter should make meaningful adjustments that help them create better presentations.
Don’t give overly critical or negative feedback
Okay, maybe some presentations do suck. They’re boring, long, and full of grammar mistakes.
In these cases, it might be hard to say something nice, but don’t start with, ‘Your presentation was boring.’ Instead, offer constructive criticism like, ‘Trim the content a little bit.’
Offer criticism without the excessive negativity.
You can point out flaws. But don’t focus solely on them.
Excessive criticism or negativity can crush even the sturdiest ‘rock.’ It lowers self-esteem and confidence. And discourages people from ever attempting to present something again.
Don’t build such a culture. Your feedback, even if it’s negative, should have genuine criticism that helps the person improve in specific areas.
Don’t personally attack the presenter
Every boss wants a team whose members like each other, but you probably have someone in your team with whom you don’t really gel.
Sometimes, conflicts happen. That still doesn’t warrant you telling that person, ‘You should stop presenting. I hate you.’ Personal attacks like these create a hostile environment and contribute nothing to the presenter’s professional development.
Plus, criticizing the presenter personally instead of focusing on the content and delivery defeats the purpose of feedback.
We know sometimes it’s hard not to involve your personal feelings. But be the bigger man and focus strictly on the presentation’s elements. Not on the individual.
With that being said, it’s time to part ways.
Use the right tools for providing presentation feedback
If you apply all that you’ve learned here today…
You’ll avoid generic feedback, streamline the feedback process, and create better products.
Everything’s great. Everyone’s happy.
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