Earlier this week I wrote a post Giving it Away for Free . This one is along the same lines.
Most of the training courses that I deliver have a presentation associated with them. The presentation is not just a list of bullets (perish the thought!) that detail what topics will be covered. Each slide has been carefully crafted and is used to explain a specific point. Sometimes it’s easier to use slides to explain concepts and sometimes you have no choice – some of the training that I deliver, such as “using virtual tools to run cost effective meetings” has elements that aren’t “software based”.
If I had a pound for every time I’d been asked “can I have a copy of the presentation?” I’d be very rich indeed. The question is, should I give away my presentation which has taken me many hours to complete?
I’m a non-revenue generating in-house Trainer so my time is a cost to “the business” (although they get their money’s-worth) so they could argue that anything I produce/deliver, whether it’s a training course or collateral (manuals, reference guides, presentations) belongs to them. In which case I have a duty to hand over my presentations, but from my point of view, if I did, what is to stop those people who request it using it to deliver their own training?
If you’re a freelance Trainer, you’re paid to deliver the training. If you’re being paid to produce the collateral too, what’s included and what’s exculded? It’s usually expected that delegates are provided with handouts or manuals but for some reason, handing over your presentation seems to be different.
What are your thoughts? What would/do you say/do when asked for a copy of the presentation?