I’m a funny shape.
My long torso and short legs have been the bane of my life for many reasons, including finding a suit that fits. I don’t want (or, frankly, need) a bespoke suit crafted from scratch by the finest tailors of the land, but equally, anything I chose directly off the peg has an uncanny knack of making me look like a sack of potatoes.
Inevitably, I end up going down the off-the-peg route and then spending the same amount of money again getting things adjusted to fit my strange form. I blame this additional expense and inconvenience on my father’s side of the family.
In the business world, we’re often faced with the same dilemma. Craft something from scratch, with everything this entails, or go for the straight-forward-but-not-a-perfect-fit generic option. This is no more keenly felt than in the area of Learning & Development, specifically presentation training. The problem is that going down the generic route will have longer-term implications than an ill-fitting suit:
Next to no ROI on your training spend – feedback like ‘it was alright – a useful reminder’ strikes fear into any L&D manager on a tight budget (and aren’t we all?)
Low to no adoption of a new presentation tool or approach, requiring ongoing ‘kick start’ initiatives that feel like pushing water uphill
Confusion reigns, leading to increased levels of inefficiency, mixed messages and missed opportunities.
In short, it’s a mess. Worse than that, it can actually damage your business.
Does that mean that bespoke is the only option? Not quite.
Like a quality tailor, there’s skill and value in ensuring the crucial details are carefully configured without costing the earth. Success comes from balancing the efficiency of building upon a tried and trusted foundation (an off-the-peg suit) while having the insight and skill to personalise in the areas that matter (in my case, short legs). This is the approach the Eyeful team have taken with our new training plans – a range of off-the-peg options that address the core needs of different presenter groups (sales, internal, technical…) coupled with ‘bespoke tailoring’ to ensure that the content addresses the specific needs of your team.
Sounds like common sense, we know. But then again, common sense isn’t quite as common as you might expect, especially in presentation training.
To help you on your way towards presentation training that delivers on your specific needs, try out our online analytical tool, the Eyeful Rubric. This is the perfect place to start analysing where you or your team REALLY need support to deliver results from your next presentation. Think of it as quality tailor measuring you for a perfectly fitted suit…personalised from a beautifully crafted off-the-peg model.
To learn more about our unique approach to presentation training, from ‘hitting reset’ on bad habits to maximising your impact on remote pitches, click here.
