Feedback is helpful during your speech rehearsal and after you have delivered your actual presentation. When practicing your speech, feedback will guide your revisions to the speech outline or your delivery. Making such changes is key to ensuring that your presentation is well received by the audience. Seeking out feedback after the actual presentation—perhaps from classmates or from your instructor—will support your growth and development as a public speaker for your next classroom speech and throughout your life.

Of course, feedback is wasted if you don’t act on it. But not all feedback will be useful. Seriously consider what advice you should take and what can be ignored. For example, does your introduction really need more punch? Is there a point where a graph would be more informative than a long list of statistics? Should you speak more slowly when telling a compelling story? Do you need to get out from behind the lectern more often during your talk? Make the changes you think need to be made prior to delivering your speech when it really counts.

After you’ve given the actual speech, ask for feedback from audience members or a trusted friend or colleague who sat in on the presentation. Their input can help you plan and practice for your next speech. If you video-record the speech, use the General Speech Critique form in Figure 15.1 to evaluate the recording and gather additional insights into how you can deliver a better speech the next time.