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Critique: Lessig Method Presentation Style (Dick Hardt, Identity 2.0, OSCON 2005)

I recently returned to the presentation with a more critical view.

• Was the presentation really that good?
• Was it the style, the substance, or both?
• More importantly, what can we, as presenters, learn from it?

View the Presentation

If the embedded video did not appear above for you, view it on YouTube .

Style, Substance, or Both?

Hardt’s talk uses the Lessig Method or Lessig Presentation style . (Hardt credits Lawrence Lessig on his last slide.) In fact, this talk has often been cited ( example1 , example2 ) as one of the more noteworthy examples of the Lessig Method of presentation. Lessig himself comments on the presentation:

Dick Hardt is brilliant. Watch (and copy) the style.

The Lessig style is certainly the first thing one notices about this presentation. Martin Davidsson writes:

It’s hard to not pay attention to this style of presentation.

I would go one step further and suggest that it is hard to pay attention to anything other than the style of presentation.

Does the style of presentation overwhelm the message, or is the message effectively conveyed? Tony MacDonell argues the latter:

I … was totally impressed by the clarity of his presentation in comparison to most web 2.0 discussions that are generally vague.

I agree with Tony on this point. I doubt that Hardt’s goal is to do a spectacular job of illustrating the “Lessig Method”. His chief motivation is to deliver his pitch, and he has done this very well.

Aside from the Lessig Presentation Method which frames this talk, Hardt has employed numerous techniques which contribute to a strong presentation .

Speech Opening

Opening “Who am I?” segment. Rather than seeming like a “let me quickly introduce myself so that I can get on with my real talk”, the introductory “Who am I?” segment is core to the presentation (after all, this is a talk about identity) and is consistent with the presentation style used throughout.

“if you don’t know Dick” (00:56) – This is a reference to Hardt’s past successes. ActiveState , a company he founded, used a catchy marketing slogan – “ If you don’t know Perl, you don’t know Dick ” This is a subtle reference, perhaps too subtle. However, the live audience for this talk was likely quite familiar with the reference, so he gets a pass. He makes another reference to this phrase at 14:54.

Lots of Humour

He gets plenty of laughs at 1:18, 1:52, 2:22, 2:50, 3:20, 6:14, 6:26, 8:00, 11:00, and 12:32, and there are other funny bits as well. There is even some “hidden” humour, such as the pictures of Mona Lisa and Lady Diana in the photo ID at 3:00.

Keeping the Big Picture In Mind

Know (and identify with) your audience. Hardt cycles through books, magazines, and movies which he enjoys (at 2:24). This is not filler. Since it is likely his audience shares these likes with him, the implicit message is: “ Hey, I’m just like one of you. ” This message is made even more powerful when he follows up with the Porsche logo. “ Join my Identity 2.0 crusade… we will all drive cars like this together. ” Later in the presentation, the words “Simple and open wins” are used; again, this ties in with his the majority view of his audience.

Know the context of your presentation. The lightweight identity reference (13:08) was essentially a negative one (translation: “It’s lightweight. My solution is better”), but Hardt was aware that this concept was being presented later in the day at the same conference . He mentions this, and I think he threw in the conciliatory “it solves part of the problem” on-the-fly to avoid appearing like he is stomping on a fellow presenter. This is a savvy move!

Know your marketing needs. “ Sxip is pronounced as in ‘skip.'” (14:09) Hardt is a pro at marketing and branding. He doesn’t need me to tell him how important it is for people to know the correct pronunciation of your (or your company’s) name. Further, Hardt understands that this presentation needs to be audience- and message-focused, so he keeps references to his own company minimal.

“Trust”. This word appears over and over again in the presentation slides, at 2:45, 2:54, 3:20, 3:40, 4:27, 5:11, 6:06, 6:31, and 10:14. Does this imply that Hardt is trustworthy? That his digital identity solution can be trusted? Either way, it’s a win for him.

More repetition. Several words/phrases/slides are repeated in this talk. For example, “I was Canadian, I live here, I went to UBC, and I’m over 21.” (3:05) The words and slides are a repeat of those used previously. They are repeated again at 6:39 and 14:38. The British Columbia flag is repeated numerous times as well. Mental strain is a risk when you thrust hundreds of slides on an audience in fifteen minutes. By repeating images/words previously used, Hardt lessens this strain.

Lessig Techniques

Honor by Association. In the sequence where Hardt mentions Sxip (and its pronunciation), the previous three slides are industry heavyweights: Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft. Although his words are not saying “We are great just like them”, this sequence of slides creates this impression in the mind of the audience. “ Honor by association ” can be suggested with the rapid-fire Lessig method.

Simplify. Simplify. Simplify. One of the chief benefits of the Lessig Method is that each slide contains just a single word/phrase/picture idea. Even within this format, Hardt further simplifies his images by using highlighting to point to the parts of the image which are important (4:21 and 4:34). Later (at 8:25), he simplifies a very simple image by introducing it in three stages.

Use of contrast. Most of the words in the presentation are presented in black text on a white background. Starting with “directory entry, Identity 1.0, …” (6:26), several phrases are presented as white text on a black background. This formatting is used again at 7:05, 7:13, 7:18, 7:20, 7:42, 8:07, 14:48, and 14:51. The bad, different, or old ideas are clearly distinguished from the others in the talk.

Summary of presentation chunks

At 5:20, a summary of the talk so far is given before moving on to the next topic. This divides the talk between “what you already know” and “what new things I’m going to tell you”.

Analogies Abound

The primary analogy between “real world identity” (photo ID) and digital identity is key. The talk hinges on this. But other analogies are used as well (e.g. DOS/Windows vs Identity 1/2) to enhance the understandability of the message.

Room for Improvement

The presentation wasn’t perfect. For example:

• I found the logic lacking around 9:30-10:00, and in a few other places.
• The use of XML to itemize points at 10:51 is odd. I know that his live audience will all recognize this as XML, but why use it? It seems gratuitous.
• Contrary to the very effective use of white text on black (as noted above), I am confused by the use of white text on blue for “Kim Cameron’s Identity Weblog” (12:47). This is the only white-on-blue usage in the slides.
• “But” is presented at various times with italics or bolding or red color. Why the mixed bag of formats? I found it a bit distracting, so I think it would be better to stick with consistent formatting of “but.”

Comments from Reviewers

Nonetheless, the strengths of this presentation far outweigh the weaknesses. There’s no wonder that it has received such high praise from many reviewers .

Alex Barnett :

First class

The You Blog :

It’s a tour-de-force.

Noah Campbell :

a great example of an engaging presentation style that keeps your attention for 15 minutes. …any longer and I would have been exhausted.

Elizabeth Lane Lawley :

Wow. Now that’s a good presentation. Visually effective, great style, good enough to survive transformation into a low-bitrate streaming presentation.

Knowhr.com lists the Identity 2.0 talk as one of the the Top 10 Best Presentations Ever (alongside Dr. Martin Luther King) :

Hardt’s preparation and energy sets the standard for presentation quality. He uses hundreds of slides in this 20-minute, high buzz work. Heck, I didn’t even care about virtual identity and still watched this one five or six times. It has a chance of becoming my presentation Dirty Dancing (which I’ve seen 100 times), where “nobody puts baby in the corner.”

Finally, several user comments from del.icio.us:

One of the nicest presentations I’ve ever seen. A must-see for anyone who ever does any presentations (that is – for pretty much everyone). — taw I bookmarked this as a great example of the “Lessig” presentation style. Dick has made this quite an art. — Rolias Dick Hardt gives the best presentation ever. Wow! — frankroche

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17 comments.

Wow, what a thorough analysis! Good job. And welcome to the blogosphere. Regards, John

Insightful points. I like Lessig’s presentation style (as you’ll see from posts on my blog), so it is nice to see some other examples – the screenshots make it very clear.

Fantastic and very detailed review. As a technical speaker, I found Dick’s Hardt’s OSCON session to be unlike any technical presentation I have ever seen. I have seen many sessions on identity management, and this was the best by a long shot.

I have to disagree with one point you make. “The use of XML to itemize points at 10:51 is odd. I know that his live audience will all recognize this as XML, but why use it? It seems gratuitous.”

The use of markup language in the slides was a way of building rapport and credibility to the technical audience, and extremely effective. The subtle message is, “I am not just a marketing guy, I understand the technology and geek speak”.

While it may not have resonated with you. it certainly does resonate with a technical audience. I plan to start using this technique myself on occasion.

Thanks for the great critique.

“The use of markup language in the slides was a way of building rapport and credibility to the technical audience.”

Good point, Barry . When stated like this, it does seem quite similar to the Perl-Matrix-Porsche sequence highlighted in the article.

“While it may not have resonated with you. it certainly does resonate with a technical audience.”

I assure you that the “technical” label applies to me as well.

Great review! It is the first time I hear about the Lessig method and I have mix feelings. I agree that it is a fresh and engaging presentation, but I am not so sure you can use it for all audiences. It requires a lot of energy not only from the presenter. After watching the video I am exhausted! I don’t think I would use this style of presentation on a baby boomers generation!

Diana: I agree that this style of presentation will not work with all audiences. Your comment underlines the importance of always analyzing one’s audience early in the preparation process.

He does get his point across very well. No loose ends. You don’t get bored and you get the message. Simple!

Andrew, just wanted to let you know I linked to this post in my blog post, “PowerPoint Design Methods.” You can read it here: http://blog.presentationadvisors.com/presentationadvisors/2009/06/powerpoint-design-methods.html

I agree. Its great how the author broke this down.

As entertaining as this style of presentation is, it makes me think of a university friend of mine who used to highlight every single line in his textbooks. He just loved the yellow highlighter color. But by highlighting everything, he ended up highlighting nothing. This style of presentation highlights everything, so in the end, it doesn’t really reinforce anything the speaker is saying.

There is merit in what you say. I would definitely not recommend using this as your “normal” presentation style. However, for certain topics and with certain audiences, I would consider it for impact.

I was captivated at the very beginning of the presentation. The flow was great. We learned about the presenter, the purpose, and the humor used was subtle but nice. I liked the use of words throughout, again subtle.

I really appreciated his technique. It was very attention grabbing and humorous. He captivates your attention whether or not you are interested in the subject that he is talking about.

This is definitely an interesting technique. For those watching this presentation, the written words, I think, anchor the spoken words, which is great in more ways than one : it clarifies any words that may otherwise be too fast/ muffled/ unknown etc (for example, “sxip” – if unfamiliar with the company, one could easily think it’s actually “skip” and /or skip that particular point, since it’s hard to just google it up in the middle of the live presentation, for fear of missing more. Seeing it written down, confirms that it is actually “sxip”, what the logo looks like – a double-anchor, and what to google for at a later point).

So, from the comfort of my chair /computer screen, this is great, I heard and saw the concepts, know that they looks like, and can pause whenever I need to, in this long presentation, chockful of concepts, logos, etc.

What I am unclear about is, what about the in-person experience : did he actually just stand by his computer cycling through slides the whole time or did he move a bit and use a remote, perhaps ? This way, the in-person experience would be enhanced with the spoken word, the written word, and a good use of the speaking area. Because that is the whole idea behind an “in-person” presentation, to use one’s person. Otherwise he could have just e-mailed this presentation in, the visual cues + the audio track and voilà : no need to be there in person.

In conclusion, from my computer, this was effective : highly informative and helpful, with the visual cues supporting the audio track. However, were I in the audience of this presentation, it would be an entirely different thing : it’s taxing to go through so much so fast and it would make me afraid to even blink for fear of missing the visual cues. He’s definitely not easy on his audience, that’s for sure ! It’s all about the context and the delivery method, I’d say.

Thanks for this insightful blog and the many, many wonderful lessons throughout !

Drea: Although I wasn’t in attendance, my understanding is that he was stationary the whole time (i.e. his feet didn’t move while he tapped away advancing slides), but he communicated much with his facial expressions, arm movements, vocal variety, etc.

This is a fabulous but clearly very heavily rehearsed presentation. This method appeals in part because it is so smooth. His verbals match the slides perfectly. This would be a great model for someone who has a basic presentation that they have to give ovw and over and want to perfect, but not for a weekly sales meeting or one-off informational presentation.

Jim: I completely agree with what you say about the suitability. This is a technique to pull out for a big conference presentation, not a routine internal briefing.

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Critique: Lessig Method Presentation Style (Dick Hardt, Identity 2.0, OSCON 2005) http://t.co/ITnUQKlA via @6minutes — TMOTH Jun 24th, 2012

Critique: Lessig Method Presentation Style (Dick Hardt, Identity 2.0, OSCON 2005) http://t.co/w6Nb1S8U via @6minutes — jmfedota Nov 28th, 2012

Watched @DickHardt presentation again today and me thinks it’s more effective than @TEDTalks for memory retention http://t.co/GXRWU4GVFJ — @gfawkes Apr 11th, 2014

Reading a great breakdown of Dick Hardt’s Identity 2.0 classic http://t.co/2EN2vSKak7 #presentationskills — @swesley_perth Oct 8th, 2014

@menduz “Lessig Method” https://t.co/S2ByhIWWU8 — @wpoch Jul 25th, 2018

Dear @lessig: I miss the Lessig Method! It hasn’t been a part of your recent videos. https://t.co/37k4BmTAdP I f… https://t.co/QVwOyRGN7Y — @philoserf Jan 9th, 2019

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The 8 Types of Presentation Styles: Which Category Do You Fall Into?

Updated: December 16, 2020

Published: September 24, 2018

Types of Presentations

• Visual Style
• Freeform Style
• Instructor Style
• Coach Style
• Storytelling Style
• Connector Style
• Lessig Style
• Takahashi Style

Everyone on the internet has an opinion on how to give the “perfect” presentation.

One group champions visual aids, another thinks visual aids are a threat to society as we know it. One expert preaches the benefits of speaking loudly, while another believes the softer you speak the more your audience pays attention. And don’t even try to find coordinating opinions on whether you should start your presentation with a story, quote, statistic, or question.

But what if there wasn’t just one “right” way to give a presentation? What if there were several? Below, I’ve outlined eight types of presentation styles. They’re used by famous speakers like Steve Jobs and Al Gore -- and none of them are wrong.

Check out each one and decide which will be most effective for you.

Types of Presentation Styles

1. visual style.

What it is: If you’re a firm believer slides simply exist to complement your talking points, this style is for you. With this speaking style, you might need to work a little harder to get your audience engaged, but the dividends can be huge for strong public speakers, visionaries, and storytellers.

When to use it: This style is helpful when speaking to a large audience with broad interests. It’s also great for when you need to throw together slides quickly.

Visual style presenter: Steve Jobs

2. Freeform Style

What it is: This impromptu style of presenting doesn’t require slides. Instead, the speaker relies on strong stories to illustrate each point. This style works best for those who have a short presentation time and are extremely familiar with their talking points.

When to use it: Elevator pitches, networking events, and impromptu meetings are all scenarios in which to use a freeform style of speaking. You’ll appear less rehearsed and more conversational than if you were to pause in the middle of a happy hour to pull up your presentation on a tablet.

Freeform style presenter: Sir Ken Robinson

3. Instructor Style

What it is: This presentation style allows you to deliver complex messages using figures of speech, metaphors, and lots of content -- just like your teachers and professors of old. Your decks should be built in logical order to aid your presentation, and you should use high-impact visuals to support your ideas and keep the audience engaged.

When to use it: If you’re not a comfortable presenter or are unfamiliar with your subject matter (i.e., your product was recently updated and you’re not familiar with the finer points), try instructor-style presenting.

Instructor style presenter: Al Gore

4. Coach Style

What it is: Energetic and charismatic speakers gravitate towards this style of presenting. It allows them to connect and engage with their audience using role play and listener interaction.

When to use it: Use this presentation style when you’re speaking at a conference or presenting to an audience who needs to be put at ease. For example, this style would work well if you were speaking to a group of executives who need to be sold on the idea of what your company does rather than the details of how you do it.

Coach style presenter: Linda Edgecombe

5. Storytelling Style

What it is: In this style, the speaker relies on anecdotes and examples to connect with their audience. Stories bring your learning points to life, and the TED’s Commandments never let you down: Let your emotions out and tell your story in an honest way.

When to use it: Avoid this style if you’re in the discovery phase of the sales process. You want to keep the conversation about your prospect instead of circling every point or question back to you or a similar client. This style is great for conference speaking, networking events, and sales presentations where you have adequate time to tell your stories without taking minutes away from questions.

Storytelling style presenter: Jill Bolte Taylor

6. Connector Style

What it is: In this style, presenters connect with their audience by showing how they’re similar to their listeners. Connectors usually enjoy freeform Q&A and use gestures when they speak. They also highly encourage audience reaction and feedback to what they’re saying.

When to use it: Use this style of presenting early in the sales process as you’re learning about your prospect’s pain points, challenges, and goals. This type of speaking sets your listener at ease, elicits feedback on how you’re doing in real time, and is more of a dialogue than a one-sided presentation

Connector style presenter: Connie Dieken

7. Lessig Style

What it is: The Lessig Style was created by Lawrence Lessig , a professor of law and leadership at Harvard Law School. This presentation style requires the presenter to pass through each slide within 15 seconds. When text is used in a slide, it’s typically synchronized with the presenter’s spoken words.

When to use it: This method of presentation is great for large crowds -- and it allows the speaker to use a balance of text and image to convey their message. The rapid pace and rhythm of the slide progression keeps audiences focused, engaged, and less likely to snooze.

Lessig style presenter: Lawrence Lessig

8. Takahashi Style

What it is: This method features large, bold text on minimal slides. It was devised by Masayoshi Takahashi , who found himself creating slides without access to a presentation design tool or PowerPoint. The main word is the focal point of the slide, and phrases, used sparingly, are short and concise.

When to use it: If you find yourself in Takahashi’s shoes -- without presentation design software -- this method is for you. This style works well for short presentations that pack a memorable punch.

Takahashi style presenter: Masayoshi Takahashi

Slides from one of Takahashi’s presentations:

Whether you’re speaking on a conference stage or giving a sales presentation , you can find a method that works best for you and your audience. With the right style, you’ll capture attention, engage listeners, and effectively share your message. You can even ask an  AI presentation maker  tool to create presentations for you in your preferred style

Don't forget to share this post!

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6 Most Effective Presentation Styles

Hrideep barot.

• Presentation , Public Speaking

Have you ever been an audience member who was not wholly involved in a speech or a speaker who discovered their audience dozing off? Both scenarios have the potential to be disheartening and fruitless.

What can you then do to improve the effectiveness of your presentation?

There are various styles in which you can present your content. Out of a plethora of choices, some of the most effective ones include – the Visual, Storytelling, freeform and instructor style of presentation. Each of them has their own set of methods and guidelines, however, they are known to be extremely beneficial and are used by speakers all over the world.

What is a Presentation Style? 

Let us first take a brief look at what a presentation style is before moving on to the most effective techniques that you can use.

A Presentation style is a way of giving a presentation orally. In other words, a particular presenting type is an approach you adopt or employ to deliver your content. There are numerous presenting styles or methods you can use when giving public speeches or presentations such as –

• Visual Presentation Style
• Coach Presentation Style
• Instructor Presentation Style
• Lessig Presentation Style

Out of hundreds of methods and ways, there are a few that are more effective and yield better much better results when used appropriately. They include –

1. Visual Style 

The visual presentation style uses visual components to support the verbal subject. In other words, this approach uses charts, photos, graphs, and other visual aids in addition to speaking to assist the audience in visualizing and comprehending the material.

Advantages of Using a Visual Presentation Style 

The relevance and effectiveness of visual and verbal communication are well known, making the visual style of presentation one of the finest to adopt. This is also a remarkably effective strategy as it aids the audience in more easily understanding complicated or in-depth talking points. When used in conjunction, visual and verbal communication aid in better understanding and retention.

How Can You Use a Visual Presentation Style? 

If you plan to use this style in your upcoming presentation, then these are some steps you can follow-

1] Be thorough with your content  – it is essential to know your content well to prepare visuals related to it. 

2] Pick up only the key points and add them on slides  – key pointers can be one sentence that conveys the primary information you want to share. 

3] Use graphs or charts to convey numbers or statistics  – Simply saying numbers can confuse consumers. Therefore, charts and graphs make it easier to comprehend when you speak about them.

4] Include relevant pictures or videos in each slide or alternative ones  – Using images and videos can be beneficial because they give your audience something to look at while you speak, which helps them understand and retain what you are saying.

Things To Avoid When Using a Visual Presentation Style

Now that you know how to use a visual style, it is equally imperative to be mindful of a few common mistakes so that you do not make them. 

1] Slides only complement your speech  – do not put-up paragraphs and read from them. It will only bore the audience and disengage them from it. Instead, only add critical words or phrases on which you can verbally elaborate. 

2] Don’t use a fancy unreadable font  – a visually presenting slide does help but using a fancy font will only make it not understandable. Thus, it is crucial to stick to standard readable fonts and sizes.

3] Don’t rush through  – just because you have a slide that allows people to read and understand some of the content does not mean you can speed up. Allocate sufficient time to each topic so that the audience has time to grasp and understand. 

Example of a Speech That Uses a Visual Presentation Style 

Wondering what a visual presentation style looks like? Check out this video where Steve Jobs introduces Mac Air to the world. This is an apt video showcasing what a visual presentation should be like!  

2. Storytelling Style

The storytelling style of presentation is a method where the speaker uses anecdotes and examples to connect with the audience. This technique is among the greatest and most effective because it enables the audience to relate to another lay person’s experiences, thereby allowing them to understand the practicality and reality of the topic. 

Advantages Of Using a Storytelling Style

Using a storytelling style allows you to –

1] Share real-life experiences on the topic , letting people know its practicality. For instance, if your topic is “optimism and positivity in life,” you can offer examples of how being positive has benefited you in various circumstances and examples of how things have gone when you haven’t been hopeful.

2] It allows the audience to provide their input , which helps you understand if the audience is grasping the message you want to convey. This is a subtle yet constructive way of engaging the audience and gaining feedback.

3] It also permits for an informal and naturally flowing talk . Most of the speeches are very structured and formal. Even though this has a construct, you can adapt it to the conversations and knowledge of the audience.

How To Use the Storytelling Presentation Style? 

Using the storytelling method also requires backend work. If you wish to adopt this style for your upcoming presentation, here are steps that you can follow – 

1] Develop the structure of your speech  – first, it is helpful to write down the topic and each subtopic you will cover. 

2] Include relevant stories, anecdotes, and experiences  – once you have the overall flow of your speech, then you can fill the relevant gaps with your own stories and experiences. 

3] Keep some time for an audience input  – allocate 1-2 minutes wherein you take the backend and allow the members from the audience to comment or share their experiences that are relevant to the topic. 

Things to avoid when using the storytelling method 

Every method has specific pointers to be careful of, and storytelling is no exception. Here make sure to – 

1] Not make it like a formal delivery  – Try not to overly formalize and grandiloquent it since this will take away from the storytelling element.

2] Only share the positives  – Sharing real experiences is one benefit of the storytelling technique. Thus, use this approach to communicate the topic’s applicability by outlining its advantages and disadvantages.

Here is a video of Andrea Gibbs, who talks about “The Power of Storytelling” by sharing anecdotes and experiences from her personal life. 

The storytelling format is much popular among motivational speakers who use personal experiences to motivate people for the better.

3. Connector Style 

The connector style of presenting, as its name suggests, includes the speaker establishing a connection with the audience. This indicates that the speaker actively engages the audience by asking frequent follow-up questions and seeking meaningful feedback. Speakers widely use this strategy to strengthen connections with audiences by demonstrating how they all are similar.

Advantages Of Using a Connector Style of Presentation 

The connector style of presentation, much like the storyteller, has a lot of benefits. Among the many, the most important ones include – 

1] It allows you to establish a deeper connection with the audience , which helps you understand them and if they can comprehend the message you want to convey. 

2] The audience is able to participate actively . Usually, the audience only listens passively, but this format allows them to respond and express their opinions, keeping them actively engaged the entire time. 

3] You can receive immediate feedback . In most other presentation methods, this perk is not present. It’s beneficial to get insightful feedback because it enables you to comprehend your audience’s viewpoint and adapt your information for contextual understanding. Furthermore, it enlightens you as to which areas require more effort. 

Guidelines While Using the Connector Presentation Style 

1] Start with a personal story or connecting activity that grabs the audience – this method helps keep the audience engaged from the very start. 

2] Practice nonverbal gestures – keeping eye contact with the audience, smile, and use your hand gestures to convey your presence and complete attention to the audience. 

3] Cater to the audience throughout – this form of presentation means that you and the audience are entirely involved. Thus, keeping a check on them is of utmost importance. Keep checking if they are interested and if not, include relevant activities to gain their attention back. 

Things to Avoid When Using the Connector Style 

When using the connector style, do not take up most of the time telling self-stories or doing self-talking. It is vital to keep your content brief but meaningful while allowing the audience to give their inputs and viewpoints on it. 

1] Don’t read from scripts or recite the information . Keep the content naturally flowing like a back-and-forth conversation that can be moulded as per the answers and feedback of the audience.

2] Don’t use visuals to complement your talks. The connector style relies primarily on you and your stories, so don’t use graphics to convey any messages unless they are some pictures to show on a relevant topic. 

Many speakers use the connector style because it helps them connect deeply with the audience, when used correctly, it does allow the speaker to develop meaningful relations with the audience and convey relevant and helpful messages.

4. Instructor Style 

Many presenters adopt the instructor style of presenting when educating their audience on a challenging or complicated subject. To simplify a complex issue so that the audience may more readily grasp, this method entails the use of well-known phrases, figurative language, metaphors, and pictures.

Advantages of the Instructor Style of Presentation 

The instructor presentation style is more formal, like a teacher or professor delivering a lecture. But this format, for reasons of its own, is beneficial because –

1] It allows you to logically explain the subject with the help of relevant visuals, examples, and supplements. For example, if you take up the topic of “Investing in your 20’s”, you can start by explaining what an investment is, the types of investments available, pros and cons of each etc. while supporting it with relevant videos, stats, and graphics.

2] When used correctly, the method can be highly persuasive as it builds decks in a logical order and uses impactful visuals as evidence to support the ideas. Continuing the same example, if you logically go on explaining and supporting, most of the audience will have been convinced to make some sort of investments.

3] Lastly, this method allows you to educate and aware the audience appropriately . You can use your knowledge and skills on the subject matter to convey the message effectively. If you have personally had some experiences, this method allows you to share them to help the audience become aware.

Things to Avoid When Using the Instructor Style of Presentation 

When employed improperly, this formal presentation can prevent a speech from succeeding. As a result, it’s crucial to use the procedure correctly by avoiding the following:

1] Skipping the basics on the assumption that the audience will already know – it is essential to start and cover the basics and then make your way up to the complex topics.

2] Don’t only go on speaking from one topic to the other – even though there isn’t a lot of audience participation, including small segments with quizzes and discussions to know if the audience understands the content. 

3] Don’t use jargon or complex language to communicate – the topic might be challenging to comprehend. Hence, you should avoid using difficult words or jargon that people are largely unaware of. Instead, using straightforward and basic terms will be beneficial. 

The instructor style is much used by a famous speaker  Al Gore  who advocated and educated people on climate change. This is one video where you can see the effective use of instructor presentation style. 

5. Takahashi Style 

Named after its creator, Masayoshi Takahashi, Text is the main component of a Takahashi presentation. It is a technique that employs simple visuals, mainly large block fonts. A Takahashi presentation doesn’t include charts, photos, or pictures, just a few essential big font words. 

Advantages of using a Takahashi Presentation Style 

There are several benefits that make it desirable to adopt this highly distinctive style. Some of them include –

1] The speaker can easily elaborate on a topic because the slides, which have a few essential key phrases, provide the audience with brief information beforehand.

2] The slides include simple and unambiguous phrases concerning the speaker’s topic, preventing any distraction or deviance from the subject.

3] It combines the two essential components of a presentation—clear, concise text and eye-catching visuals—making it ultimately beneficial for everyone’s use. 

Guidelines when using a Takahashi Presentation Style 

If you want an actual Takahashi presentation, there are some key pointers to keep in mind – 

1] Do not include text more than needed – make sure to add a few words or a maximum of 2 sentences. Anything beyond that will make it crowded and messy, and unappealing to the audience. 

2] Keep the slides simple – an authentic Takahashi presentation is black and white to avoid distraction. Therefore, it is best to avoid any colours and stick to this standard format. 

3] Keep the font as large as possible – once you have put the content on the slide, make sure to increase the font as much as it can fit best on the slide. The reason is that large fonts attract attention and can embed the core messages in the reader’s mind. 

If you found this method interesting and want to learn more about it, tap on this video where Luminita Florea tells you all about the Takahashi style of presentation. 

6. The Lessig Style

Much similar to the Takahashi Method, The  Lessig Presentation Style has been inspired by the work of Stanford law professor, Lawrence Lessig. This style employs the use of a single word, short quote, or photos that are in sync with the speaker’s speech. 

Advantages of using The Lessig Presentation Style

1] Each slide in a Lessig presentation concentrates on one concept or topic. This makes it simple for the audience to understand and absorb each idea separately. 

2] This presentation method functions like a movie, with each slide presenting succinct information for only 10 to 15 seconds. Because of its conciseness and pace, this style works well in keeping the audience hooked to the content. 

3] This method allows for much better retention and memory because of dual coding, i.e., via the visual and verbal mode of communication. More often than not, the word or quote put up is read aloud by the speaker, allowing the audience to hear and see it, thus etching a strong memory for the same. 

Guidelines to remember when using the Lessig Presentation Style

This minimalistic presentation has much to be careful of. Some of the important guidelines include – 

1] Not more than a word or quote – it is important to keep the slides less with only a key word or quote or picture in rare cases.  Adding more than that will take away the essence and quality of the Lessig Style.

2] Use contrast – since the slide contains just one word, quote or picture it is important to highlight and enlarge it so that it doesn’t skip the eye of the audience in any way. Although this kind of presentation allows you to use colour, using a standard black and white is recommended. 

The Lessig style of presentation is one of the most effective and captivating approaches, and many presenters use it in their speeches. Tap below to see an example of such a presentation and its effect! 

Regardless of the style you choose, there are several styles that you should absolutely avoid using because they could make your presentation go awry. Tap on this video where we tell you exactly what to styles you have to say a BIG NO to.

Presentations are an integral part of the professional life. Whether you are a professional speaker or a corporate employee, or a teacher, every role will at some point require you to present, persuade or educate an audience. It is thus helpful to know about some of the most effective styles so that you can make the most of them in your next presentation!

We hope that this article has helped you learn the most effective presentation styles, ways to adopt it and pitfalls to avoid!

Happy Presenting!

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Zen Master Lessig

• By: Aristotle

There’s much to love about Larry Lessig, the Stanford University law professor who has become the namesake for a method of presenting characterized by vast slide counts that break concepts into neat, digestible fragments of information. Watching a Lessig presentation is engaging to say the least: with decks at over 200 slides, but each slide deliciously adorned with a single, compelling word, phrase, or image, you become entranced in the rhythmic progression. The man himself so seamlessly integrates his statements with the slides that the effect is one of absolute mastery on stage. What’s not to love about that?

Perhaps my favorite characteristic of the so-called Lessig method, though, is its origins: Larry Lessig, as aforementioned, is a law professor. Apart from the simple fact that he delivers lectures and presentations as part of his job, he is not of the presentation and public speaking realm, so to speak. He’s like you: a person faced with a real career need to address and influence the thoughts of a large group of people. While most other “methods” have been developed by individuals in the presentation business, Lessig just went out, took the bull by the horns, and made a name for himself.

This, I love. I wish more presenters would be so brazen as to create their own styles and approaches. So many public speakers treat it as an obligation with a rigid structure they have to submit to: bullet points, memorization, suit, tie, blah, blah, blah. So few individuals look at the presentation opportunity as a branding opportunity and exercise the freedom to make that direct connection with the audience. Lessig had the courage to be different, to be unexpected. Do you?

Question: How can you step outside of accepted formulas to deliver a seriously groundbreaking presentation? Have you ever seen someone get out of the box like that in business?

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Presentation Types and Styles Explained

Table of Contents

From high school, then all through college, and now in the workplace — presentations have been a pillar of passing down knowledge to various audiences. 

But, what are presentations? 

They are a tool used to inform and educate audiences in a fun and informative way. 

Well, that is the simple way of explaining their purpose and meaning. 

We want to dig in deeper, and that is what this article will bring to you — a deeper understanding of different types and styles of presentation, so you never get overwhelmed or confused when you need to make a presentation. 

We will discuss: 

• Different types and styles of presentations,
• The purpose of using presentations in the workplace, and 
• How to utilize and recognize types and styles of presentations.

We will also show you: 

• Famous presenters for each style, 
• How you can use each presentation style, and
• A quote for each style to work as a useful reminder if you ever get confused.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

What are the purposes of presentations?

Sometimes, when a term is widely used, to the point where we subconsciously know the meaning and its purpose, it’s hard to pinpoint the true definition from memory. 

So, let’s start with the basics — what is the definition of presentations? 

Presentation is a manner of passing down knowledge from the speaker to the audience. A presentation can be a: 

• Demonstration,
• Lecture, or 
• Speech. 

The purpose of a presentation is whatever goal you set up to achieve. Those goals can be:

• To educate, 
• To persuade, and/or 
• To entertain.

According to LinkedIn’s article 4 goals for any speech, pitch or presentation , when you combine the goals we mentioned, your presentation will become powerful, meaningful, and impactful. The goals mentioned above are general and can be applied to any situation. Different types and styles of presentation can lead to different results. With the right type and style, you can: 

• Better your work and image with clients,
• Be more effective when presenting new ideas or solutions, and
• Ensure more progressive career growth.

These are only some of the business goals you can achieve with the right presentation type and presenting style. The more types and styles you try out, the more skillful you become, which helps you achieve your goals more efficiently.

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What are the different presentation types?

Presentation types illustrate the way you structure your presentation . 

We’ve mentioned the 4 purposes of presentations — every goal or purpose corresponds to a certain type. Before you can choose a structure, you need to answer the question “ What is the purpose of this presentation? ” 

And methods and techniques, which we’ll talk about later, help you maintain that structure.

Once you know what you want to achieve with your presentation, you can choose its type. 

Here’s what you need to know about each presentation type:

Type #1: Informative presentations 

Informative presentations are analytical and, as the name states, informative. With this type of presentation, your end goal is to inform and educate . 

Your audience only has to listen and soak up all the knowledge that is given by you. 

With this type of presentation, you can report on new findings and new data or deliver a lecture. 

Since the goal is to educate, your presentation must be precise and correct. Make sure that the information you are communicating has real value. When presenting, try to engage your audience with visuals of your data to help them understand.

Type #2: Persuasive presentations

To use persuasive presentations, you must answer the question “ What do I want my audience to do after listening to me ?”

The point of this type of presentation is to persuade your audience, change their minds, or offer a new point of view, so that they take action .

Persuasive presentation comes in handy if you are presenting a new product or a service and you want your audience to feel the urge to buy said product.

When you use this presentation type you must exude confidence, since you are your audience’s only source of information for your product. 

Type #3: Motivational presentations

You’ve probably heard of motivational speakers, and if you haven’t, here’s a quick crash course. Motivational presentations have a purpose to inspire and change people’s minds . 

Most people who use this type of presentation have a story to tell. These people use their own experiences as key points in their presentations to help the audience to relate to them. 

Since the goal is to inspire and change people’s minds, you have to have a powerful topic to discuss. 

Remember to cater to your audience and adjust your presentation to them and their level.

Type #4: Instructive presentations

Instructive presentation is technical, precise, and often longer than other types we mentioned. This type is here to offer instructions to an audience. 

So, if your goal is to explain step by step how to achieve a goal or do a task— an instructive presentation should be your choice. 

When you are delivering this type of presentation you need to make sure that every instruction is clear, understandable, and easy to follow.  

How to determine which presentation type you should use?

To choose the correct type for your presentation, you must determine your goal. Once you have your goals clear, it will be easy to see which type works best with your presentation. 

Here are some helpful questions that will help you to narrow it down to one type: 

• What do I want the audience to take away from my presentation?’
• What am I trying to give the audience? Is it information, a lecture, or a look into a new product/feature?
• What obstacles are keeping me from delivering my presentation effectively?

Determining the correct type for your presentation is a trial-and-error process. You will find that some types are more your speed, while others might give you trouble. But, keep in mind that the end goal should always be to give your audience what they came for. 

No matter which type you prefer, they all exist for a reason. Give them all a chance, and remember that practice makes perfect.

Presentation methods and techniques

When you define the type of your presentation, it’s time to get into methods and techniques for delivering a presentation. 

There are a lot of ways you can deliver your presentation, and here is our take on it. 

Presentation methods

A method is how you approach your problem . 

When it comes to presentation methods, we linked them with public speaking. Methods cover:

• How you choose to deliver your presentation and 
• How you structure your speech. 

Here are the 4 main methods:

Method #1: Impromptu or unscripted 

The impromptu method applies to speeches that are: 

• Not prepared , 
• Emotionally charged, and 
• ‘Given on the spot’. 

This method of speaking is purely done by improvising, so there are no written rules on how it should be done. 

Improvising and making up your speech as you go is not a wrong way to deliver your presentation. Still, instead of basing your entire speech on your ability to ramble on, incorporate this method in segments where you see fit or feel inspired to do so. 

Method #2: Memorizing 

The memorizing method implies that the speaker needs to know their speech word for word. 

It is mostly used in oratory contests for high school and college students. This method is difficult, and you would need to spend a lot of time reading and memorizing your text.

But, this method is the easiest when it comes to performance anxiety. Since the text is perfectly constructed and your only job is to memorize and relay it to the audience, it’s less nerve-racking. 

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If you struggle with anxiety before a presentation, we have an article to help you with that: 

• How not to be nervous for a presentation

The memorizing method, while being challenging at its core, can be freeing once the speaker is on stage. With this method, you can practice your body language to go with the text. And since the text is scripted and perfected, the speaker can move around the stage as they see fit.

Method #3: Extemporaneous

Extemporaneous is a synonym for impromptu and unscripted — so why is a synonym to a method we’ve already covered, now a completely new method? 

Well, that is because when it comes to the extemporaneous method, we think of a speaker that allows help during their performance . 

The extemporaneous method is a combination of the first two methods we mentioned. This method allows the speaker to prepare their speech and use notes and key points as an aid to keep on course. However, they will not learn their presentation by heart, but use their own words and speak in a conversational manner.

Method #4: Scripting 

The scripting method used to require a written speech from which the orator reads to the audience. Nowadays, we can see this method used by news outlets, with a teleprompter. 

So, to make use of this method, you need to write down your speech and read it proficiently to your audience. 

When it comes to in-person presentations and public speaking, this method is not the go-to. 

You shouldn’t spend the whole presentation just reading off of papers. When we present, we need to maintain eye contact and overall connection with the audience — and holding a piece of paper in front of the audience will get in the way of that connection.

Presentation techniques 

Presentation techniques are what you use before and during the presentation to make it compelling, informative, and easier to understand . 

Here are some of the techniques that we find quite useful: 

Technique #1: Practice

As a presenter, you want to make sure that everything goes smoothly — and for that to happen, you need to practice. The key to giving the best presentation is to practice relentlessly. 

Some useful tips to help you make the most of your practice are to: 

• Practice in front of a friend. — Practicing in front of a friend will not only help you with performance anxiety, but a friend might also have some useful tips on how to perform better. 
• Film yourself practicing. — When you film yourself giving your presentation aloud, it will help you to get used to cameras and the spotlight. Also, the camera will capture every mistake you make, and from there you can see what needs to be worked on.
• Practice in the auditorium. — It will do you good if you can practice giving your presentation in a meeting room or the auditorium. If you practice in the place you will be presenting, you will get used to the space, and it will be familiar to you on the day of your presentation.

Technique #2: Use visuals 

There is no need to overwhelm your audience with endless blocks of text. Think about how you can transform the data or information into a simple visual . 

The important thing to remember is that your audience might not be on the same level of knowledge as you. So, use visuals to help them follow your point. 

Technique #3: Incorporate stories 

No matter how informative and to the point your presentation is, including a story that is illustrating your point can be very helpful to your audience. 

Not only is storytelling a great way to engage and entertain your audience, but it is also a great way to show how your information is relevant to real-world events.

If you are curious to see what more you can do to prepare for your presentation, check out our article: 

• How to prepare for a presentation: Your 9-step guide to a successful presentation

Technique #4: Incorporate appropriate style 

Your presentation style is how you choose to deliver your presentation as a speaker. Style builds on the methods we have mentioned earlier, and it comes down to how you choose to speak to your audience. You can be a storyteller or a coach to your audience, and with each style comes a different influence. 

Methods and techniques are a great starting point when you are approaching your presentation structure and topic. 

But, there are different styles of presentation that you also should consider before walking up to that stage. Let’s learn more about them.

What is a presentation style?

A style is your preferred way of doing things, and when it comes to presentations, a style is how you choose to deliver your speech . Everything from your vocabulary to your tone defines your presenting style. 

If you are not sure what your personal presentation style is, you can always pick and choose from the already-established styles. Those include: 

• Storyteller, 
• Instructor, 
• Closer, 
• Connector, 
• Coach, 
• Lessig style, and
• Visual style.

Let’s get into more detail about each one of them.

Style #1: The Storyteller

The storytelling style consists of a (usually personal) story or anecdote. 

This style is used when the presentation doesn’t have any data or numbers that need to be explained. 

You can use this style to emphasize your point and to easily relay your goal to the audience. 

The storytelling style is great for the beginning of the presentation, as it is there to capture the audience’s attention. 

Formality level for the Storyteller style: Low

Since this style uses the speaker’s personal experiences and anecdotes to help the audience relate to the topic easily, the language used is conversational. There is no need for any excessive formality , and the speaker can address the audience in a friendly and familiar tone.

The Storyteller style characteristics

What characteristics should you be aware of when you want to utilize this style? 

The vocabulary that storytellers use is simple and conversational. Think about how you tell a story to your friends, colleagues, or family. Once you have that in mind, becoming a storyteller on stage won’t be a problem. 

Since the formality level is low, there is no need to overcomplicate things or to use synonyms for words that already have simpler and more known versions. 

Your story should have an introduction, where you will introduce the problem. Then, you can move into the main plot point that explains your topic. And finally, you should have a conclusion where you can circle back to the beginning and where you will untangle the web you cast and leave your audience with a final thought.

The pros of the Storyteller style 

Now let’s look at some of the pros of this style: 

• It’s easy to follow. 
• It illustrates your problem and solution in a creative way.
• It’s relatable and, therefore, more influential to the audience.

The cons of the Storyteller style 

Here are the cons of being the storyteller type: 

• A story that’s too long or not interesting enough can leave your audience bored. 
• Getting too caught up in the story can make your presentation longer than it should be.

Who is the Storyteller style best suitable for?

This style is great if you want to truly connect with your audience and have them feel as if you speak to them, rather than at them. Many people don’t like to be lectured, and if you are trying to make a point or a message stick out, try out the storytelling style.

Famous presenter with the Storyteller style

The storytelling style is preferred among TED talk speakers. 

But, when we think of storytelling, one particular speaker comes to mind — Nick Vujicic. He overcame great obstacles and has learned how to take what’s best from life. So now, when he tries to spread his message of endurance, he puts his trust into the storytelling style and lets his emotions and experiences speak to his audience. 

Quote by Nik Vujicic that embodies the Storyteller style

“ What really matters are the lives you touch along the way and how you finish your journey .” ― Nick Vujicic

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Style #2: The Instructor

The instructing style of presenting shares some traits of the storytelling style. It still uses the power of metaphors to get the message across to the audience. 

But, the difference is that the instructing style has more of a commanding voice . The instructor can carefully align the story and the data in a logical and compelling manner, leaving the audience convinced and educated.

Formality level for the Instructor style: Medium

A lot of politicians use the Instructor style when they are trying to influence a larger crowd. Since this style has a higher formality level than the storytelling one, it allows the speaker to use more serious vocabulary and address the audience as superior. 

The Instructor style characteristics:

The Instructor’s style is characterized by logic and command. As we mentioned, the speaker who is fond of the Instructor’s style needs to be able to handle the facts and connect with the audience. 

So, the main characteristics of this style would be: 

• More formal use of language, 
• Commanding voice, and  
• Persuasive nature.

The pros of the Instructor style 

Let’s take a look at some of the pros of this style: 

• It helps get a complicated message across. 
• It’s persuasive. 
• It’s fairly easy to use. 

The cons of the Instructor style 

Here are some of the cons to be aware of: 

• The speaker could be deemed distant or cold. 
• The audience can lose interest if the presentation is too focused on pure data. 

Who is the Instructor style best suitable for?

This style is great if the speaker has a complicated topic to discuss with a less knowledgeable audience. This style is used mainly for lectures and political speeches. 

Famous presenter with the Instructor style

A famous presenter with the Instructor style is none other than the former Vice President of the United States, Al Gore. He uses metaphors, data, his own personal experience, and even visuals to bring complex issues closer to a wide audience.

Quote by Al Gore that embodies the Instructor style

“ When you have the facts on your side, argue the facts. When you have the law on your side, argue the law. When you have neither, holler. ” — Al Gore

Style #3: The Closer style

The Closer style of presenting is a style that demands action from the audience . Presenters who opt for this style want their audience to not only learn something new but to get up from their seats with a newfound urge to make a change. 

This style is a personification of a call to action. The presentations made in this style are short, since the speaker has a goal in mind. They then use this style to convincingly reach said goal.

Formality level for the Closer style: Medium

This style is a great tool to connect with the audience. So, to make a connection between the speaker and the audience, the formality level drops. But instead of treating the audience as friends, the speaker simply talks to them. 

The Closer style characteristics

The Closer style is persuasive and somewhat commanding. People who are fond of the Closer style cut right to the chase and make their audience get to a decision. With this presentation style, there are no boring statistics or data. The key points are clear and delivered with a short and clear explanation.

The pros of the Closer style 

Here are some of the pros of the Closer style: 

• The presentation is short.
• The Closer is confident and knows how to deliver a point.
• The audience rarely gets bored with this style.

The cons of the Closer style 

Take a look at some of the cons of this style: 

• Some audiences aren’t ready to make a quick decision.
• Some audiences might feel that this style is too harsh or rash.

Who is the Closer style best suitable for? 

The Closer style is best to use when you need your audience to make a decision or to give them the urge to make things happen. 

This style is mainly used by CEOs and salesmen.

Famous presenter with the Closer style

Many presenters use this style, but the one that stands out the most is the philosopher Ruth Chang. She has delivered great presentations on how to make hard decisions. She keeps her presentations short, sweet, and straight to the point. 

Quote by Ruth Chang that embodies the Closer style

“A world full of only easy choices would enslave us to reasons.” — Ruth Chang

Style #4: The Connector style

The Connector style speaker is most comfortable engaging with the audience . Some could say that the storytelling style is very similar to the Connector in that sense. Both styles base their presentations on the connection with the audience. The difference here is that the Connector is both a presenter and a member of the audience — and they are comfortable in both roles. 

This style of presentation (as the name suggests) allows the speaker to connect to the audience, and therefore deliver the materials easier. One way that this style connects the speaker and the audience is through Q&A.

Formality level for the Connector: Low 

Since this style’s main purpose is to connect the speaker to the audience, the formality level is low. The speaker appears as one of the audience, even though they are on stage. To keep the audience engaged and get them to ask questions, the Connector treats the audience as friends and acquaintances. 

The Connector style characteristics

The user of this style needs to appear as if they are one of the members of the audience, but they just happen to be on the stage instead in a seat. One of the main characteristics that stand out for this style is the eagerness of the speaker to engage with the audience. When a speaker is a Connector, they will constantly ask questions and listen to the audience’s opinions.

The pros of the Connector style

Let’s take a look at the pros of this style: 

• The audience is engaged and encouraged to participate.
• The presentation flows at a relaxed pace.
• The audience feels connected to the subject.

The cons of the Connector style

• Audience might not be comfortable with asking questions.
• The presentation might be longer than planned. 
• Too many opinions will derail the presentation.

Who is the Connector style best suitable for?

The great thing about the Connector style is that it can be used in any presentation and any setting. Since the main goal of this style is to connect the speaker and the topic with the audience, there are no rules or limits as to where it can and where cannot be used.

Famous presenter with the Connector style

Padraig Hyland is a TED Talk speaker and a specialist in audience engagement, so it is only natural that he uses the Connector style. He has delivered countless speeches on how to be a great presenter and how to connect with any audience.

Quote by Padraig Hyland that embodies the Connector style

“ To successfully navigate the current disruption, organizations need to nourish their authentic leadership voice and create a new story that engages their people on the journey .” — Padraig Hyland

Style #5: The Coach style

What is a coach? In every sense of the word, a coach is a person who guides you, teaches you, and helps you achieve your goals. 

It is the same with the coaching style. The person who uses this style guides their audience with their own enthusiasm for the subject. The Coach style is mainly used in motivational speeches, as it allows the coaches to interact with the audience and share knowledge on a topic they feel passionate about.

Formality level for the Coach style: Medium

The Coach style serves as a guide . It gives the speaker freedom to use their knowledge and personal experience to drive the audience to feel the same passion about the subject as the speaker does. To achieve that level of familiarity with the audience, the formality level drops, and the speaker talks to the audience as a teacher and, well, as a coach would.

The Coach style characteristics

The Coach style allows the speaker to guide their audience from point A to point Z, through knowledge and passion, which makes the presentation interactive and informative. 

This style of presentation can be seen in motivational speeches, lectures, and speeches delivered by sports coaches. The main characteristic that follows this style is that it is delivered by enthusiastic speakers.

The pros of the Coach style 

Here are some of the pros of this style to look into: 

• It allows the speaker to connect to the audience through enthusiasm. 
• Presentations in this style are interactive and engaging. 
• It gives the audience step-by-step instructions on the topic.

The cons of the Coach style 

Let’s examine some of the cons: 

• The speaker’s passion can be overwhelming to the audience.
• The speaker can forget to ask for feedback . 

Who is the Coach style best suitable for?

The Coach style, since it serves as a guide, is commonly used by motivational speakers and in self-help presentations. 

They tend to choose this presentation style because it allows them to connect with the audience while still delivering a detailed step-by-step on the topic they are discussing.

Famous presenter with this style

There are a lot of motivational speakers today that are a fan of the Coach style, but the one that caught our attention is Mel Robbins. She is a lawyer and a motivational speaker that helps her audience to form healthy habits and attain discipline to achieve their goals.

Quote by Mel Robbins that embodies the Coach style

“ You have been assigned this mountain so you can show others that it can be moved .” — Mel Robbins

Style #6: The Lessig style

If you are in a time crunch, but you have a lot of material to cover, then the Lessig style is the perfect style for you. 

The Lessig style was invented by Lawrence Lessig, and it states that a speaker should spend only 15 seconds on each slide or point during a presentation . This style usually agrees very well with the visual style. 

Since not all presentations have slides, this style cannot be used with any type of presentation. However, if you have too many slides and too many points to make, then the Lessig style can help you use your time slot well.

Formality level for the Lessig style: Depends

The Lessig style is not a style of speaking per se, but a style for presentation time management . So, the formality of the language you use will be up to you and your topic. You can decrease or increase the formality level and the Lessig style would still be the same.

The Lessig style characteristics

The main characteristic of this style is that it includes slides or at least some visual aid. 

This style is also the one that is not concerned with your verbal cues and style of speaking. If you choose to try out this style you can combine it with any of the styles we previously mentioned.

The pros of the Lessig style 

Here are the pros of this style: 

• It’s easy to use. 
• It helps you keep track. 
• It saves time.

The cons of the Lessig style

Here are some of the cons of this style: 

• It is not applicable to presentations without slides. 
• Sometimes the suggested 15-second rule isn’t enough. 
• The presentation may feel rushed or unfinished.

Who is the Lessig style best suitable for?

The Lessig style bases its rules on slides and visual aids, so it’s best suitable for presentations that consist of slides. The topics for this style are endless, and it is up to the speaker to see where this style works best in their presentation.

The most logical choice is, of course, the founder of this style — Lawrence Lessig, a lawyer and a political activist. 

Quote by Lawrence Lessig that embodies the Lessig style

“ Technology means you can now do amazing things easily .” — Lawrence Lessig

Style #7: The Visual style

Presentations can be all about the slides, data, or videos, and there are also powerful presentations that are delivered with only the speaker on the stage. But, technology is not something to shy away from . There are great advantages to using technology and feeding your audience with visuals that will support your claims. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. 

Formality level for the Visual style: Depends

The formality of this style doesn’t depend on the visuals used, but on the speaker and the topic. The great thing about the visual style is that it can be used with almost any topic and type of data. So, when using this style of presentation, you can choose the level of formality you feel comfortable with.

The Visual style characteristics

The Visual presentation style’s main characteristics are the visuals, as the name suggests. The visuals can be anything from a picture, video, or creatively shown data and statistics. 

This style can be used together with any other style that we mentioned, as long as you add some pictures or other visual elements.

The pros of the Visual style 

Here are the pros of the Visual style: 

• Visuals help the audience understand the presentation better — sometimes, they can illustrate your point better than your own words. 
• Visuals can help you move your presentation forward. 

The cons of the Visual style 

Here are some of the cons of the Visual style: 

• Overusing visuals in your presentation can take focus away from you. 
• Visuals can be redundant. 

Who is the Visual style best suitable for?

If you are creative enough or confident enough to not let the glamor of visuals take over your spotlight, you can incorporate visuals into any workplace presentation. Visuals can be helpful almost everywhere, and they can aid your audience if the topic is too complicated for them to follow.

Famous presenter with the Visual style

One of the best visual presenters is Steve Jobs. He was one of the founders of Apple, and every year he used to give a great visual presentation or a rundown of Apple’s new product releases.

Quote by Steve Jobs that embodies the Visual style

“ For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through .” — Steve Jobs

How to determine which presentation style to use?

If you are wondering which style to use, first you need to ask yourself what kind of audience will be attending your presentation . Once you have an idea of who you will be talking to, you can start to think about your presentation style. 

Also, you need to know what is the purpose of your presentation and what you wish to achieve. 

Beyond that, try out different styles until you find the one you are comfortable with.

Collaborate easily with Pumble — Even when creating presentations

If you’re working on a presentation with your colleagues — no matter what type of a presentation it might be — you’ll probably find yourself in need of an efficient communication tool. 

Luckily, Pumble, a team communication app , makes your collaboration more simple and efficient, while keeping communication lines open at all times. 

Here are all the ways Pumble can help you create various types of presentations:

• Thanks to the voice call feature, you can stay connected to your colleagues while you work together on the presentation. 
• If there is a problem you have to address , you can always give them a quick video call and share your screen with them so you can brainstorm or problem-solve together. 
• If you need a second (or third, fourth, etc.) opinion , you can always ask for it on some of the Pumble channels . 
• If you have to provide further explanations or continue the discussion without cramming the channel space, you can continue your conversation in threads or reach out to particular colleagues via direct messages .   

Finally, one of the best things about Pumble is that you can never lose important information or shared files because it has unlimited history . 

Jana Pavlovic is a communication author and researcher. She enjoys educating herself and others on various team collaboration and technology topics. She found that working from home in a hybrid-type company is her perfect combination for work-life balance, and she’s eager to share her new-found knowledge with you.

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How to Deliver an Unforgettable Pitch by Finding Your Presentation Style

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You can't expect prospects to remember every word of your pitch.

Hell, you probably shouldn't assume they're going to listen to the entire presentation. For instance, according to research, our attention span typically wanes every 10 – 15 minutes .

You can however help them remember the most important parts (and even listen more attentively).

By using visual aids and clues highlighting the key messages of your pitch .

I've already showed you how to overcome this problem when delivering product demos .

And today I'm going to show you 5 presentation design styles that will help ensure the audience remembers your pitch .

Ready? Let's get cracking then…

What is the Takahashi Method?

Sometimes the best way to make an impact is by putting your message boldly right in front of the audience.

At least that's the premise of the first presentation style on my list, the Takahashi method, named after its creator, Masayoshi Takahashi .

When constructing his presentations, Takahashi uses only text set in a large type on a solid background, isolating the main message of his current state of speech.

According to Takahashi, his goal for using one or just a handful, yet ideally no more than three words, set in a very large type is to deliver a high-impact message in a very short period of time.

Takahashi believes that featuring bullet points or block of text on presentation slides forces the audience to read them instead of listening. Including only the key message however leaves them with nothing else to do but to listen to you instead (while the large type embeds the message in their memory).

You can see Takahashi delivering a presentation here (note: the video is in Japanese but it still gives a good impression of how his method works.)

One drawback of the Takahashi's method is that in order to communicate each important section of your pitch, you'd need to create a larger number of slides than when using a traditional, bullet point style.

What is the Lessig Method?

The Lessig Method is a presentation technique that synchronizes slides with the speaker's presentation. Specifically, this method uses images, quotes, and text to stimulate the audience and emphasize key points. The dynamic approach was coined by Lawrence Lessig, a law professor at Stanford University.

Do you remember Bob Dylan's video for the Subterranean Homesick Blues ? If not, here's a reminder.

The premise of this revolutionary at a time clip was to sync slides with words sang by Dylan.

Funnily enough, this is also the premise the Lessig Method.

Lessig method is dynamic in approach, stimulating the audience to focus on the key messages behind the presentation.

Here's how Lessig slides look like in action:

And here you can watch Lawrence Lessig's TED talk to see this presentation style in action:

Note: given the way TED talk is recorded, you can't experience those slides in full.

So here's another example of Lessig slides in action. This time, you can only see the slides and hear the presenter's voice, giving you a good sense of how these slides work in the context.

The Monta Method

The next style is based on … a famous TV show host in Japan, Mino Monta.

You see, when introducing a new topic in his daily program, Monta often holds a board filled with questions and answers. Yet he typically keeps replies covered by strips of paper (or colored bars if he uses a board on screen).

Then, when he's ready to give the answer, he peels off the strip revealing the answer.

According to Shinichiro Oba, one of the first speakers to apply this technique in business presentations, hiding parts of text blocks or graphics on a screen elicits curiosity in the audience.

In turn, involving the audience in the presentation by asking questions and letting them to guess the answer before revealing the correct (and typically shocking and unexpected one) helps to build an emotional connection and keep the listeners engaged.

The Kawasaki Method

When you're trying to get someone to agree with you, you need to present a pitch that's short, easy to absorb and simple to apprehend.

And there seems to be no better style to achieve it than the Guy Kawasaki's 10.20.30 rule.

The method is simple:

Display 10 slides in 20 minutes with text on each slide set in a 30pt font.

What's more, Kawasaki's slides typically consist of one key message spelled out, nothing else.

Here's his reasoning behind the method :

"Ten is the optimal number of slides in a PowerPoint presentation because a normal human being cannot comprehend more than ten concepts in a meeting.

Twenty Minutes . […]  In a perfect world, you give your pitch in twenty minutes, and you have forty minutes left for discussion.

Thirty-point font . The majority of the presentations that I see have text in a ten point font. As much text as possible is jammed into the slide, and then the presenter reads it. However, as soon as the audience figures out that you're reading the text, it reads ahead of you because it can read faster than you can speak. The result is that you and the audience are out of sync."

Here's a great video of Guy Kawasaki explaining his method.

The Godin Method

The final method on the list, professed by the best-selling author and entrepreneur, Seth Godin focuses on using images to support your pitch.

In his booklet, " Really Bad Powerpoint (and how to avoid it) " Godin explains:

"The purpose of PowerPoint is to communicate with your audience. Unfortunately, rather than communicating, PowerPoint is used to accomplish three things, none of which leads to a good presentation.

The first thing that most people use PowerPoint for is a teleprompter ! Think of all the presentations you've been to where the presenter actually reads the slides. Did your audience really have to come all this way to a meeting to listen to you read the slides? Why not just send them over?

The second task is to provide a written, cover-your-ass record of what was presented . By handing out the slides after the meeting (or worse, before), the presenter is avoiding the job of writing a formal report, and is making sure that she can point to the implicit approval she earned at the meeting.

The third task is to make it easier for your audience to remember everything you said . Sort of like reading your slides, but better. After all, if you read your slides, and then give the audience a verbatim transcript of what you read, what could be wrong with that?"

He then concludes:

"Make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them".

Godin's design style focuses on creating an emotional, interesting and highly visual presentation in which the bulk of storytelling is delivered by visuals not words. He focuses on presenting slides that reinforce the message of the presentation and trigger an emotional reaction from the audience.

Here are a couple of Godin's slides from the "On Tribes" presentation that best illustrate his style:

( watch the entire presentation here )

And here's Godin's TEDtalk showing his use of images in action.

Which one should I adapt for my next pitch?

Good question!

And you know what:

The best way is to pick a style that matches your presentation personality.

If you want to be a person Jim Teteak calls a Fascinator and share information that reassures your audience that you are a valuable resource, use the Lessig's method.

As an Inspirer , someone who strives to build rapports and enjoys sharing their feelings with the audience, you could choose between Seth Godin or Masayoshi Takahashi styles.

If you naturally tend to fire up your audience's energy and have the Energizer personality, design your slides in a way Seth Godin or Guy Kawasaki do.

And finally, if you're a natural Performer , then the Monta method will work best for you.

So…What do you think?

Which of these 5 styles would work for your presentation personality? 

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Presentation Guru

Powerful presentation formats you didn’t know about (but should).

We live in a world of public speakers who are so good at presenting information, they’re famous for it.

There’s something about their style and delivery that just gets us to listen. As public speakers, they’re skilled and well-practised. They don’t stammer, mutter or use filler words but are loud, clear and confident.

That’s one part of what makes them so good. The other part of what makes them exceptional presenters are their effective presentation formats. How an idea is packaged and presented, along with the visuals that are used to present it establish a presentation’s format. The number of slides, the types of slides, the design of the slides, and how frequently the slides change are part of the format.

The best speakers structure their presentations in ways that help them deliver their key points clearly, and keep their audience attentive and engaged throughout.

That’s why I decided to share some of the most popular (and not so popular) presentation formats that people use today, with you. I’ll also share presentation styles from a few well-known speakers and influencers who haven’t coined their presentation format, but are worth drawing inspiration from.

These presentation formats can help you with talks at conferences, delivering keynotes, hosting webinars and way more. They’ll help you with developing your personal brand and become an even more engaging speaker.

1) Guy Kawasaki’s pitch deck and the 10-20-30 Rule

Guy Kawasaki Pitch Deck Template

The Guy Kawasaki pitch deck is part of Kawasaki’s pitching format called the 10-20-30 Rule . It’s a simple guide for making your pitch to investors punchy and to the point.

Guy Kawasaki knows a thing or two about pitching to investors. He started multiple companies himself, including a venture capital firm – Garage Technology Ventures . Over the years, Garage Technology Ventures has invested in recognizable names like Pandora and Tripwire.

That’s one reason why his ideal pitch deck is so popular. He has decades of experience pitching and has listened to plenty of pitches. He knows what the good ones have, and what the bad ones lack.

Another reason Guy Kawasaki’s pitch deck is so well-liked is it’s simplicity. The pitch deck is just ten slides, and that’s the first rule in his 10-20-30 Rule. The second rule is to not speak for more than 20 minutes. And rule three is to only use fonts no smaller than 30 points.

Guy Kawasaki’s 10-20-30 Rule

• Use only 10 slides (no more than 15)
• Only talk for 20 minutes
• Use nothing smaller than 30 point font

With such a simple set of rules to follow, it helps entrepreneurs laser-focus on their business idea, along with the facts and figures that matter. In the entrepreneurship space, having that sort of structure goes a long way.

Now coming back to the actual pitch deck, what goes on the ten slides? Only the most fundamental pieces of information.

• Title Slide
• Problem/Opportunity
• Value Proposition
• Underlying Magic
• Business Model
• Go-To-Market Plan
• Competitive Analysis
• Management Team
• Financial Projections and Key Metrics
• Current Status, Accomplishments, Timeline and Use of Funds
• Thank you Slide

You can bookmark this redesigned Guy Kawasaki Pitch Deck Template from Venngage . It’s previewed above and follows his exact format (and includes example slides to help you out).

2) The Pecha Kucha presentation format

The PechaKucha presentation format was inspired by two Tokyo-based architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham, back in 2003. In an attempt to streamline architectural design presentations, they decided on a format that emphasizes visuals and minimizes text and talking.

What they introduced was a presentation consisting of twenty slides, that are only shown for 20 seconds each, and so a presentation that lasts exactly six minutes and forty seconds. Always.

The concept quickly caught fire and spread throughout Tokyo, then Japan, then the world! Now it’s a hugely popular presentation style that hundreds of thousands of people give (and attend) every year through countless cities.

It has also moved beyond the business and professional setting. PechaKucha presentations also include people talking about their passions, interests, ideas and more. This article shows some great examples of PechaKucha presentations and where you can find a PechaKucha event near you.

The benefits of the PechaKucha presentation format

One basic sales fundamental is knowing your audience well, which is what inspired the PechaKucha format.

The two architects, based out of Japan, wanted to give more meaningful presentations to their clients. That meant highly visual slides that made more of an impact, with concise language that carried more weight. They also wanted to make the best use of their client’s time, rather than have them sit through a boring presentation for an hour.

The PechaKucha presentation helps you accomplish three things as the presenter:

• They become really great speakers who know their topic very well.
• Their slides are visually engaging, memorable and relevant.
• They don’t waste their audience’s time and energy with long presentations.

How does the Pecha Kucha presentation format help me as a presenter?

Using the PechaKucha format means you need a very clear understanding of what you want to communicate. This means searching your thoughts, practising your talk many times, and editing your talking points until your left with exactly what you need.

The visuals also play a huge part. They have to work with your talk, you can’t go back to them, and you don’t have much time to explain each one of them in great detail. That means designing visuals or choosing images that capture and hold your audience’s attention.

What you’re left with is a six-minutes-and-forty-seconds-long presentation that your audience will be grateful for.

Whether you’re presenting a new concept, a learning topic for your team or a brief keynote, making a pitch, or explaining something, the PechaKucha presentation is an effective mode of delivery. Granted, you can’t expect to present on anything and everything using this format. But in client meetings, meetings with your team, talks at networking events, the PechaKucha presentation style is a great choice.

3) Lessig Method presentation style

Lawrence Lessig is the pioneer behind the ‘Lessig Method’ presentation format. Unlike Guy Kawasaki’s pitch deck and the PechaKucha format, there are no slide limitations. The formatting is minimalist in design, but slide count is thrown out the window.

What you have instead is an emphasis on visuals and your key points. The slides are meant to synchronize with your talk, so that specific key terms appear as you’re actually saying them.

The Lessig Method helps to reinforce your message and establish pacing, keeping up the energy of your presentation and your audience tuned in. It helps minimize the opposite situation that many speakers experience, lingering on one slide too long, with the audience’s attention dropping off.

You can check out an example of Lessig himself using the Lessig method during his Ted Talk:

Note the simplicity of the images that Lessig uses in his Ted Talk, too. They are unadorned, high-quality, impressionable images that stick. It grabs the audience’s full attention. It also lessens the load on ‘designing’ a presentation.

4) Takahashi Style Presentation

Masayoshi Takahashi, a programmer in the early 2000s, had to give a presentation at Ruby Conference . Whether it was a matter of preference or just a statement, Takahashi chose not to use tools like PowerPoint. Instead, he developed a plain-text presentation deck that only had large, bold text on all of them. The text was similar to Japanese newspaper headlines. Each slide would emphasize a point, reinforcing his message and the key takeaways for the audience.

You can check out the original slide deck below:

This approach gets compared to the Lessig method often, but the key difference here is pacing. As I mentioned before, the Lessig Method is fast-paced and dynamic. It emphasizes keywords and also maintains the energetic cadence of your presentation. Whereas, the Takahashi method emphasizes each point through huge, bold text that jumps out at the audience. In a sense it’s ‘visually loud’ and hits your message home with a slightly different approach.

Influential Thought Leaders and their Presentation Styles

1) seth godin – marketer, author, and entrepreneur.

Seth Godin is a well recognized thought leader in the space of marketing, business and technology. He has authored numerous books, owned businesses, and is a top-tier marketer and writer.

As an exceptional speaker, he also has a presentation style that’s worth emulating.

Horrifyingly boring, text-heavy PowerPoint presentation decks were taking over offices and conferences. After years of seeing lousy PowerPoint presentations, Godin decided to do things his own way.

Slides should be visual. On his blog , Seth Godin famously states, “[…] make slides that reinforce your words, not repeat them”

That pretty much sums up his approach to presentation slide design. Only you can deliver your message, there’s no way around that. You can see what I mean by just checking out his Ted Talk:

Within a few minutes, you’ll see the images are vibrant, bold and simple. They are great examples that don’t require any design skills. Instead his visuals amplify his message, making it easy to remember what it was all about. They really carry each of his points.

I don’t think his approach disagrees with the Lessig or Takahashi methods (which make heavy use of text), but is a response to the misuse of text you find even in presentations today.

2) Ann Handley – Keynote business speaker, writer, marketer

Ann Handley is a best-selling author, the Chief Content Officer at MarketingProfs, and co-founder of Clickz (amongst other things). She is a talented communicator and a great speaker, too.

I really like her slide deck for her Slay the Ignosaurus talk she gave in San Francisco last year. You can see her whole presentation deck on her blog .

Two things make her presentation slides strong and impressionable.

• The introduction of a novel creature, i.e., Ignosaurus
• The recurring slides of the Ignosaurus

The Ignosaurus is a unique symbol for a problem Handley wants to address. It also sets the tone for the entire presentation.

The deck’s most effective quality is that it loops back to the Ignosaurus every few slides. This allows Handley to keep bringing the focus back to the problem she’s unpacking for us. As she introduces new concepts and ideas, she ties them back to the main problem. This establishes a strong connection between the issue and the solution she provides.

3)Leila Janah – Founder and CEO of Samasource and LXMI

Leila Janah is a remarkable entrepreneur, founding organizations that align with her personal values, Sama and LXMI.

Sama is a non-profit platform that assists AI teams in deploying machine learning more effectively and reliably. LXMI is a wellness brand that focuses on using natural ingredients, with transparent and responsible production and sourcing practices.

Both organizations emphasize empowering visible minorities, particularly women, to succeed in their fields. She brings together the technology and business sphere with social responsibility and the opportunity to do good.

As someone who is passionate, inspired by her own personal values, and all about representation for the disenfranchised, Leila is excellent at giving talks that resonate on an emotional level.

In 2015, at a Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) presentation, Janah spoke about the concept of ‘impact sourcing’ and its ability to resolve poverty.

Janah immediately connects her audience to something real and tangible, a person, Ken. She goes on to tell us the story about his life, his challenges, his aspirations, and how impact sourcing lifts people like Ken up.

She presents us with someone real, and connects her ideas to real work that has had a positive impact on his life. She doesn’t focus on the hundreds of people Sama has helped or present a number of impressive figures.

She focuses on one person and guides us through his experiences and the very direct way Sama helped improve the quality of his life. Sometimes the very simple and human story can make an impression that broader stories can’t.

Choosing the presentation format that works for you

Choosing the right presentation format really boils down to what you’re presenting and what your message is all about. It also comes down to what suits you best.

Remember, as a presenter your personality and how you like to communicate, should shine through as well. That has to be balanced with keeping your audience’s attention.

People want to listen to you, but you need to make it easy for them. Using a presentation format that helps you crystalize your message, but also holds your audience’s attention is invaluable. There are different, less popular presentation formats out there, but have, in many ways, been inspired by the ones I shared in this post.

And of course, there are thousands of impressive and compelling public speakers and presenters out there. I can’t get to them all, so I have shared with you three that really stuck out to me.

What are some presentation formats that you’ve found worked for you? It can be presentation formats that you came up with! Or maybe you’ve got a favorite presenter I should know about. Share your thoughts with me in the comments below.

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• Powerful Presentation Formats You Didn’t Know About (But Should!) - 19th November 2019
• 6 Design Ideas for a Killer Presentation - 4th September 2018

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12 Common Presentation Styles Used in the Workplace

• Visual Style.
• Freeform Style.
• Instructor Style.
• Coach Style.
• Storytelling Style.
• Connector Style.
• Lessig Style.
• Takahashi Style.

What are presentation styles?

The techniques a business professional employs when giving a speech are known as presentation styles. The best presentation style to use often depends on the topic you’re discussing, your audience, and the preferred method you use to explain the subject matter to your audience. In some cases, you might select one main style for the duration of the presentation or you might select a combination of styles to better explain your subject.

Common types of presentation styles in the workplace

There are many different presentational styles that people can use when giving speeches or presenting their topics. Common presentation styles most workplace professionals may deliver include:

Storyteller

When they have plenty of time to present on their topic, presenters frequently adopt this technique. It’s also frequently employed when a presentation doesn’t require a lot of numbers, data, or statistics to back it up. When telling a story, the presenter frequently uses anecdotes and appeals to the audience’s emotions.

Usually, it begins with a personal story that relates to the presentation’s main theme. If you are aware that your audience doesn’t respond as strongly to charts, data, or statistics, you should use this style instead.

When a speaker has in-depth knowledge of the subject they’re speaking about, they frequently use a freeform style to elaborate on it. Short stories about the author’s own experiences with the subject matter are used to tell personal stories in the freeform style. When presenting in this manner, speakers hardly ever employ slides or data. Instead, they emphasize each point they want to make through their personal stories. This usually makes the speech appear less overly prepared and more spontaneous, creative, and personal.

To support their topic and discussion points, this style makes extensive use of visual components. To help the audience better visualize and comprehend the subject, they use charts, pictures, graphs, and any other visual aids. It’s crucial for presenters using this method to have a solid balance of both text and visuals in order to complete their presentation. This is also a great approach to take if you want your audience to comprehend your complex or in-depth talking points more readily.

Presenters who employ the director style take pleasure in organizing their talking points, transitions, and slides to follow a logical and linear flow. Typically, they prepare and adhere to a precise script, with little to no improvisation during the speech. This is frequently used by speakers who have a limited amount of time and a lot of material to cover. To stay in control and stay on topic throughout the entire presentation, they typically plan to discuss a specific talking point at a specific time during the speech.

Data scientist

In this presentation style, talking points are explained and expanded upon using facts, data, analysis, and statistics. Presenters can better convince their audience by using a data scientist presentation style to support their arguments. This presentation style is excellent to use if you’re giving a presentation on a subject that requires additional facts and data to support it. Additionally, it is advantageous for business professional audiences who prefer facts and figures to stories or anecdotes when hearing about topics you are discussing.

Presenters who employ the closer style excel at persuading their audience to act They frequently have a strong understanding of their target audience and are adept at crafting talking points that will engage listeners and influence them to take action. The majority of presenters who employ this technique are aware of their ultimate objective and use their speech to effectively accomplish it.

As the speaker may only briefly cover their main points and conclude the presentation with an enticing offer to the audience, these presentations are frequently much shorter than most.

The speaker interacts and connects with the audience during connector presentations. This typically entails the speaker regularly soliciting questions from the audience and encouraging participation and feedback. Speakers frequently employ this technique to highlight their commonalities with the audience in order to more effectively engage them.

If you’re a salesperson giving a presentation at the beginning of the sales process, this is a great presentation style to use. It aids in understanding the objectives and difficulties of the target audience and instructs them on how to address these issues.

This type of presentation is popular among speakers who want to instruct their audience on a challenging or advanced subject. It entails using well-known expressions, rhetorical devices, metaphors, and illustrations to simplify a complex subject so that the audience can more readily understand it.

In order to support ideas and the overall presentation and keep the audience interested, the decks for this presentation style are typically organized logically. Presenters who are extremely knowledgeable about their subject matter perform best in this style.

Speaking in this manner is ideal for presenters who are passionate about their subject. They frequently enjoy imparting knowledge to their listeners, which increases their enthusiasm for interaction and connection Role-playing and audience participation are two techniques this kind of presenter frequently employs. Instead of focusing on the specifics of a particular topic, they typically try to sell the audience on an overall concept. This method is often used during motivational speeches.

When a speaker wants the audience to comprehend and concur with their viewpoint more fully, they use this technique. Its often used during a sales pitch. Some persuasive speeches employ feelings in order to better relate to and connect with the audience. If persuading or convincing your audience to do something is your primary objective for the presentation, this is frequently the best approach to take.

Interactive

In this manner of presentation, the speaker engages the audience by providing outlines or notes before the speech. To maintain the audience’s interest and ensure that they comprehend the speaker’s talking points, they may also use whiteboards or other visuals.

It also makes it easier for speakers to follow along and feel like a part of the presentation when the audience is kept interested and involved in certain talking points throughout. Additionally, printouts enable listeners to add notes or ask the speaker questions to further their understanding of the subject.

This presentation technique was developed by Harvard Law School professor and founder Lawrence Lessig, who spends just fifteen seconds on each slide. Any text on a slide should exactly reflect what a speaker says. In order to maintain the audience’s attention and engagement, it should keep the presentation positive and moving quickly.

If you have a lot of talking points to cover and little time to do so, this is a great style to use. Its often used by professionals with extensive experience giving presentations.

Different Presentation Styles

What are the 4 presentation styles?

• Communication Style: Action-Oriented.
• Communication Style: Process-Oriented.
• Communication Style: People-Oriented.
• Communication Style: Idea-Oriented.

What are the 6 types of presentation?

• 1) Providing Information. …
• 2) Teaching a Skill. …
• 3) Reporting Progress. …
• 4) Selling a Product or Service. …
• 5) Making a Decision. …
• 6) Solving a Problem.

What are the 3 different presentation types?

• Informative Presentations. …
• Instructive Presentations. …
• Persuasive Presentations. …
• Motivational Presentations. …
• Decision-making Presentations. …
• Progress Presentations. …
• Whichever Presentation Type You Choose, Create it With Beautiful.ai.

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