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November 6, 2025FURTHER EXPERTISE
Why having a Subject Matter Expert delivering your training matters
Expert Opinion from Rich Watts published October 23, 2025
When it comes to communication and presentation training, the quality of the trainer can make all the difference. Many organisations provide general courses delivered by trainers who cover a wide range of topics. These sessions may be suitable for basic introductions, but they often lack depth, current insights, and the ability to tailor content to the specific challenges your team faces.
We have aimed to make this article balanced and fair, but it's only right that we let you know that at Further Communications, each of the team are true, focused communication skills subject matter experts. This is the route we have chosen, we will let you decide if it is right for you too.
This article explains why choosing an expert can transform your team’s learning and highlights the benefits of using a subject matter expert over employing more generalist trainers.
DEFINITION
What is a “subject matter expert”?
A subject matter expert (SME) is someone with deep, practical knowledge and experience in a particular field. They don’t just understand the theory , they have applied it, tested it, and refined it over time.
In communication skills training, an SME brings real-world insight to every session, translating complex ideas into relevant, actionable learning. They know the challenges people face because they’ve seen them firsthand, and they can adapt their approach to fit different industries, teams and roles.
"In communication skills training, a true expert brings real-world insight to every session."
Discover the expert team at Further
EXPLORING
The Advantages of Training with a Subject Matter Expert
Up-to-date and relevant content
Experts stay immersed in their field. They read widely, research regularly, and update their materials to reflect the latest best practices. This ensures your team receives information that is current, actionable, and aligned with real-world trends.
Practical tip: Ask your trainer how they incorporate recent developments or research into their sessions. This helps confirm their content is truly current.
Ability to answer complex and unique questions
Trainers with deep expertise can respond to unexpected queries confidently and provide solutions tailored to your organisation’s specific challenges. Their experience allows them to adapt exercises and examples on the fly, making the training more relevant and effective.
Practical tip: Present a real scenario your team faces and ask how the trainer would address it. Their response will reveal the depth of their knowledge.
Engaging delivery driven by passion
Experts are naturally invested in their subject. Their enthusiasm makes learning enjoyable and encourages active participation, helping your team retain and apply new skills.
Flexible learning formats
A skilled expert can adapt content for different learning preferences. They can design workshops, role-play exercises, group activities, or follow-up materials to ensure knowledge sticks and caters to everyone’s needs.
The Benefits of Using a Generalist Trainer
While expert trainers offer unmatched depth, generalist trainers do have some advantages:
Cost efficiency
Sessions may be less expensive.
Wide-ranging knowledge
Generalist trainers can cover multiple topics, which can be useful for simple overviews or introductory sessions.
Availability
They may have more flexibility to accommodate last-minute training requests.
Although generalist trainers can provide value for broad learning needs, expert-led training is usually the better investment when your goal is meaningful improvement and long-term skill development.
Questions to Identify a True Subject Matter Expert
When selecting a trainer, ask questions that reveal real expertise:
- Can you share your professional experience and achievements in this field?
- How do you stay up to date with developments and best practices in communication?
- Can you provide examples of how you have adapted training for different teams or challenges?
- How do you ensure that the learning transfers into practical, everyday use?
- Have you contributed to publications, research, or other thought leadership in this area?
Trainers who can answer these questions confidently with real examples demonstrate the knowledge, experience, and credibility your team needs.
In conclusion
Choosing the right trainer is so important for effective communication and presentation training. Generalist trainers can provide introductory knowledge, but only a subject matter expert can deliver content that is current, tailored, credible, and engaging.
By investing in expert-led training, your team will not only learn more but also retain skills and apply them in ways that improve performance, confidence, and professional presence. Our expert trainers focus entirely on their specialist area of communication skills, helping teams become more confident speakers, better presenters, and more effective communicators.
