The top CPD mistakes and how to fix them

‍

First you may be wondering, what is CPD?

‍

CPD stands for ‘Continuous Professional Development’. It’s something architects (and other professionals) need to do to keep ahead of technological advancements, regulatory changes, and innovative design techniques. There are a number of different ways of doing CPD, however, the most common is by attending presentations, typically given by product suppliers.  

‍

Those presentations are what we’re going to talk about today:

‍

Mistake #1: Turning it into a sales pitch.

‍

This is the number one mistake people make when creating their first CPD.  A client asks a salesperson for a CPD, so they ask marketing to pull together an overview of all of their products and then deliver their ‘CPD’ to a very unimpressed audience. What specifiers really want is education. Don’t think you can disguise your sales pitch as education as these people can smell sales breath from a mile off.  Make it your number one goal to educate your audience and the results will follow.

Mistake #2: Making it too long

‍

When it’s your favourite topic, it’s easy to talk and talk. However necessary you think all the information is, the last thing your audience wants is a long CPD. Bear in mind that attending a CPD is typically voluntary or at the very least the attendees have a reasonable choice of which presentations to attend and they usually fall at lunchtime.  Ask yourself if you’d like to spend your lunchtime (and then some) listening to your presentation(!)  One of the benefits of trimming down your CPD is that it gives you content to use as part of a series of presentations which will dramatically increase your CPD volume and build your credibility as a trusted advisor.

Mistake #3: Not updating your presentation

‍

Constantly wheeling out an old presentation is a common pitfall. Construction and architecture is ever-evolving with new trends, materials, and regulations emerging regularly. It’s important to keep your CPD content fresh and relevant. This means regularly reviewing and updating your material to reflect the latest industry standards and innovations. An up-to-date presentation not only shows your commitment to the field but also makes sure that your audience is receiving the most current and useful information. A good way to do this is to take note of your audience’s questions and see if you can update your presentation to make the point clearer - practise doing this after every CPD.

‍

Mistake #4: Not reading the room and over-reading the room!

‍

Understand what your audience might be telling you by their body language - if they’re looking bored or confused, you might need to shake things up, check in that everyone’s following, etc. Ask questions, encourage participation, and be prepared to modify your approach on the fly. Reading the room effectively can turn a standard presentation into an interactive and memorable learning experience. That having been said, there’s also such a thing as being too bothered about what your audience are up to. I’ve had experiences where audiences have seemed totally bored and disengaged despite my best efforts, only to be rewarded with an enquiry straight after the presentation.  So take note but don’t let it stymie you!

‍

Mistake #5: Poor logic/order

‍

This one should be easy to spot, however, it’s surprising how long you can go without simply rearranging the order of the presentation and making it infinitely easier to understand. 

‍

A well-structured CPD presentation is key to effective communication. Poor sequencing or a disorganised flow can leave your audience confused and disengaged. To avoid this, start by clearly defining your objectives and the key takeaways for your audience. Organise your content in a logical sequence that builds upon each concept progressively. Begin with fundamental ideas before moving onto more complex topics. Use transitions (that is, topic transitions, not awful powerpoint transitions!) to smoothly guide your audience from one section to another, ensuring each part of your presentation connects coherently to the next. Remember, a logically ordered CPD not only facilitates better understanding but also makes your content more memorable and impactful.

‍

Mistake #6 Being unoriginal

‍

Your audience will see around 40 CPDs a year. There’s a high chance that when you deliver your CPD, they won’t be ready to specify your area right away. With this in mind, if you deliver a boring presentation in January, you’re not likely to be specified in September. Have your presentation designed by a good graphic designer, don’t just copy and paste the same topics that have been covered extensively by others, and let your personality shine through. Strive to bring a unique perspective or delve into less-explored areas of your field. The more CPDs you deliver, the more little anecdotes you will find to help you deliver a unique, memorable and fun CPD.  An original and thought-provoking CPD not only captivates your audience but also helps establish you as a forward-thinking expert in your industry.

‍

Mistake #7: Lack of follow up

‍

By follow up, I don’t mean spamming attendees with emails.  What we’re talking about here is finding opportunities to offer related, follow-up or refresher CPDs to the same practice and continuing to provide useful and interesting information via social channels to make sure you’re seen as a true industry expert. If you don’t follow up, you’re wasting your time even doing the CPD in the first place.

‍

Hopefully this has been a helpful dive into the top CPD issues people face along with some practical suggestions on how to overcome them! If you found this helpful, you might also like my Ultimate CPD Guide that’s available for download right here: https://www.paste.marketing/landing-pages/paste-the-ultimate-cpd-guide