Styles Of Presentations

One of the most important parts of delivering a presentation is delivering it in a style that the audience is receptive to. The communication style of the presenter is seen by the audience with their own preferences in mind, thus it is important to keep in mind the preferences of the audience.

The styles that are most widely used are listed below; presenters usually mix and match to use the style that suits them best.

The powerful style.
The balancing style.
The questioning style.
The personal style.

The powerful style: professionals who seem to be highly professional and analytical use this style. The people who opt for the powerful style should have a stiff body posture and a serious facial expression. This style does not leave a lot of space for negotiation and such activities; it is result oriented and direct. The use of pressure and control is seen in these presentations. Presenters use words like; you are wrong, this cannot be done, I am the boss, we cannot wait, that’s not true etc.
The balancing style: presenters using this style are seen differently by two different set of audiences. The powerful and arrogant may term them as weak and indecisive whereas the open minded and friendly may term them to be ready to negotiate and willing to talk. Thus the presenter should opt for this style keeping in mind his audience. The presenter has a mild body language and maintains eye contact at all times. This presentation style is time relaxed and looks at future opportunities than raising conflict. Presenters use phrases like; it is a little difficult but we will look into that as well, is this structure fine? Etc.
The questioning style: presenters that use this style are considered as dynamic and interactive as they are willing to listen to others and take up customized solutions for their audiences. The powerful and arrogant people in the group will assume the speaker lacks information and expertise. Asking rhetorical questions is another amazing tool to get answers out of the audience as the presenter already knows the answers and can utilize answers to customize the solutions he/she has to offer. The presenters usually use questions like; and how do we solve it? Who is going to do this? What does this mean to us?
The personal style: the presenters who use this style are usually persevered to be nice to be around and a likable personality. Others may see them as pretentious and superficial. The presenter when using this style should focus on the positive results. The presenters indentify points in common with the audience that helps them connect and communicate effectively. Humor can be a great tool to influence people’s feelings and build rapport as it allows the audience to take a multi directional view of the subject. The presenter using this style speaks with a moderate tone and friendly facial expressions. Such presenters should also smile a lot.

More than choosing the appropriate style it is necessary that the presenter chooses the style that fits his style, his communication style and the audience the presenter has to present in front of. Thus, sticking to one style may be suicidal. The presenter must be open to fine tuning their presentations to the audience.

The presenters need to be self aware of their weaknesses and strengths and use their strengths to help them present well. The presenter should plan using the range of styles to see what works best for the presenter. Using various styles can be useful to deliver an effective presentation.

Rahul Gonsalves for naashtapaani.com