How to Become a Great Event Speaker
At Rich Public Speaking, I have chosen to focus exclusively on spoken communication and presentation skills. This allows me to offer training that goes far deeper than the general courses delivered by trainers who work across multiple subjects.
Many organisations offer communication and presentation training delivered by trainers who cover a wide range of topics. These courses are sometimes less expensive, but the depth, relevance and flexibility can be limited.
In this article, I will explore the benefits of employing a true public speaking expert to improve your team’s communication skills and why this choice can transform learning outcomes.
Up-to-date, relevant content
A subject matter expert is immersed in their field. They are constantly reading, researching and learning new techniques. This ensures that the content your team receives is fresh, current, and immediately applicable.
Always ask your trainer to show examples of recent trends, research or case studies they have incorporated into their sessions to confirm that the content is current.
Tailored answers and personalised guidance
Deep expertise means your trainer can answer complex or unusual questions on the spot. They can adapt examples and exercises to suit the unique challenges or context of your team, rather than sticking rigidly to pre-written content.
During initial discussions, ask the trainer how they would handle a specific challenge your team faces. Their ability to provide thoughtful, tailored guidance is a clear sign of expertise.
Engaging delivery and a really obvious passion
Experts are passionate about their topic. That passion is infectious and makes sessions far more engaging.
Teams are more likely to absorb content, retain knowledge, and enjoy the learning experience when the trainer is genuinely invested in their subject.
The ability to adapt content and format
True subject matter experts can adapt training into different formats to suit learning styles. Whether your team benefits from hands-on workshops, interactive role-plays, or video content for ongoing learning, an expert can tailor the delivery to maximise understanding and retention.
Credibility and confidence
Teams and leaders trust trainers who have proven experience and recognition in their field. This credibility reinforces learning and helps ensure that recommendations and techniques are taken seriously and implemented effectively.
The Benefits of Using a Generalist Trainer
While subject matter experts offer depth, generalist trainers do have some advantages:
- Cost efficiency: They are often less expensive and may be suitable for very basic introductory sessions.
- Broad approach: Generalist trainers can deliver content across a wide range of topics, which may suit teams that need a lighter, high-level overview rather than deep learning.
- Flexibility in logistics: Because they cover many areas, they may have more availability for last-minute sessions.
However, when your goal is to truly improve skills, address specific challenges, and ensure learning sticks, the depth of a subject matter expert is usually far more impactful.
Final thoughts...
Choosing the right trainer is crucial. While generalist trainers can provide a basic introduction to communication skills, only a subject matter expert can offer up-to-date, tailored, credible and engaging training that truly transforms your team’s abilities.
At Rich Public Speaking, I focus solely on speaking and presentation skills training, delivering practical, relevant, and highly engaging programmes. If your goal is to see real, measurable improvement in how your team communicates, invests in presentations, and represents your organisation, working with a subject matter expert is the best choice.
