It is also important for you to understand the difference between a Presenter, a Trainer and a Facilitator.
A presenter is a person delivering a message across to the “other side.” For example, this person is giving the latest sales numbers in a business meeting.
A trainer is one form of a presenter. However, a presenter is not always a trainer. The key feature is that the “other side” comes to the occasion prepared or expecting to learn. In addition, a trainer typically has more knowledge than the audience on the given topic. For example, someone who teaches an advanced Excel class should have more skills than those who come to class to learn.
A facilitator has the role to plan, guide and manage a group event to ensure that the group’s objectives are effectively met, with clear thinking, good participation and full buy-in from everyone involved. A facilitator is not the same as a presenter or trainer. The definition of facilitating is “to make easy” or “ease a process”.
- Unlike the presenter, the facilitator is not a one-sided delivery of a pre-arranged speech.
- Unlike a trainer, the facilitator does not necessarily know more than the “other side.”