How do listeners typically respond when a speaker uses stories as part of a business presentation?

1. Career development
2. 6 Types of Workplace Presentations (With Tips)

By Indeed Editorial Team

Updated September 8, 2021 | Published December 12, 2019

Updated September 8, 2021

Published December 12, 2019

If you’re giving a big presentation, you have a lot of decisions to make. You’ll need to consider the type of presentation you will be giving, what type of speaking skills you have, what presentation style you have and what aids, if any, you will be using. In this article, we provide descriptions of business presentations, presentation styles and a few tips for giving an effective presentation.

Why use presentations in business?

Professionals use presentations for four basic purposes:

To inform

Informative presentations are common in the corporate world, typically to inform listeners about a specific event, project or to give the audience basic information. For instance, a stockbroker might use an informative presentation to tell clients about projected changes in the stock market.

To instruct

Instructional presentations exist to give those in the audience specific directions or orders, possibly in teaching audience members new skills or presenting key information. This type of presentation may run longer than other types, depending on how complex the subject is. An instructional presentation from a building contractor, for instance, might detail all the steps needed to plan construction, install water and electrical systems and more.

To persuade

Persuasive presentations are those in which the speaker works to convince members of the audience to accept a proposal or the speaker is trying to make a sale. For example, a city councilperson may use a persuasive speech to urge the rest of the council to allot more tax money for a new park.

To aid decision making

Professionals may use decision-making presentations when their company needs to settle on specific policies or to make choices about the company’s organizational structure. These types of presentations are interactive because the presenter introduces an idea or set of ideas that the entire group in attendance will need to work on.

Types of presentation styles

In general, there are six presentations styles:

1. Coach

Coach-style presentations work best for presenters who are enthusiastic about the topic they are speaking about. To make this work for you, you will need to find a balance between speaking and getting reactions and feedback from the audience. You will also need to speak and share information at an appropriate pace.

The coach-style presentation is popular among motivational speakers. You might need to rely on coach-style presentations if you are at a conference or in any situation where you need to assuage the fears of your audience. Sometimes, salespersons or sales representatives use this style.

2. Connector

The connector-style presentation is one in which the speaker highlights what they have in common with the audience. Listeners feel that the speaker is “one of them” and are thus more receptive to the presenter’s message.

This type of presentation might also include a freeform question and answer session. Listeners may feel comfortable participating because the speaker typically uses gestures when they speak, which can encourage audience members to participate in the discussion.

To use this style effectively, you should be organized and pay close attention to detail, but be comfortable on stage and in the audience. For example, you might need to use this style if you are a community outreach specialist. You will need to talk to leaders of the community to promote awareness of your organization and to convince members of the community to take part in a particular action.

3. Freeform

Freeform presenters generally know what they want to say without a great deal of planning, rules or structure. If you would like to try this style, consider keeping yourself to two or three key points, use some humor, and share some stories with your audience. However, if you need a few reminders of what to say, feel free to have a few flashcards on hand, but make sure that the information on those cards is concise.

The freeform style might work best for you if you are a sales representative in informal situations. If you have a thorough knowledge of what your company does and you have your talking points memorized, you may not need to take too many notes since you have practice speaking about your product.

4. Instructor

The instructor style may be best for people who need to convey a complex message to persuade the audience to consider or adopt a certain viewpoint. To use this style effectively, consider using figures of speech, metaphors and visual aids to help the audience conceptualize what you are talking about. Also, find a way to balance focusing on the subject matter and your audience.

This approach could be ideal if you are an educator, since teachers essentially give daily presentations to their class. During your presentations, you would break down detailed topics to inform your audience.

5. Storytelling

The storytelling style is a great way for speakers to connect with their audiences. This style works best when you provide anecdotes that align with your main points and if you can use words that elicit emotion for the listener.

If you work in a communications field, the storytelling style might work best for you. An example of the storytelling style at work is radio-announcing, especially sports announcing. Many sports announcers not only talk about the basics of the sport they are covering, but they often use anecdotes from their past to relate to current developments.

6. Visual

Speakers who use this style tend to use large and colorful slides with small quantities of text. This is a great style for speakers who believe slides should only compliment their speech or who have a short time to prepare and present. For example, if you are an ecologist giving a presentation to a city planning commission, you could have slides of local wildlife and/or graphs that depict the environmental impact of the new town hall.

Things to consider when choosing your presentation style

There are various other factors you will need to consider before settling on the type of presentation style you will use, including:

The meeting you will attend

Each of the six types of business presentations has a different level of audience interaction. Depending on the type of interaction you want from your audience, some styles might work better than others. For instance, a connector-style presentation may work better for a smaller group since the speaker only needs to focus on a few people.

Where you will be giving the presentation

Your presentation’s location partially informs the type of your presentation. If you must address a crowd in a conference hall, you will likely have to address a large audience, which could lead you to a style suited well to large groups, such as the storytelling or visual style.

The number of people in attendance

Depending on the size of your audience, you might be able to have a limited amount of interaction with audience members, if at all. You may also be unfamiliar with your audience, which lends to the level of formality.

The level of formality

If you are attending a formal conference, the instructor or visual styles might work best. You might also consider handing out information, like papers that include your main points, so listeners can follow along and remain engaged during your presentation.

The type of information you will be sharing

If you are sharing a significant amount of information, the instructor style might work best for your presentation. The freeform style will work best if you do not have to remember too much but are familiar with the subject matter.

The level of experience you have

Depending on your experience with public speaking, you might need aids to help you. For example, if you’re just starting out in your field, you might include research from experts and cite them in your presentation to boost your credibility.

Visual aids

Things like slide shows and video clips can help you keep the audience’s attention and enhance your speech. Certain presentation styles may lean heavily on visual aids, while others do not require them.

Tips for giving an effective presentation

Your presentation’s success will also be determined by the steps you take to prepare. Consider these eight tips to ensure you give an engaging, successful presentation:

1. Compile notes

To prepare for a presentation, you might want to take notes and prepare them for use during the presentation. Notes can be brief, with simple directions like “discuss last quarter’s sales” or “ask the audience about their experience with customer management software.” It is generally best to keep the notes simple and in small quantities so you can engage with the audience more thoroughly.

Related: How to Take Notes

2. Know your audience

Your audience will typically be others who work in the same industry. Alternatively, if you are working in sales, you may be talking to customers. Either way, you need to do some research beforehand and understand your audience’s needs and expectations of what you need to tell them. Understanding your audience’s viewpoints and interests will help you tailor your speech and guide you when crafting your presentation.

3. Respect your audience

For successful presentations, you will need to relate to your listeners and get them to relate to you in return. Respecting your audience entails speaking to them rather than at them. You may also want to ask questions during your presentation so you can gauge your audience’s knowledge and build upon the discussion that way. This shows that you want audience members’ input and you are listening to them, too.

4. Decide on the level of interaction you want

Depending on the length of your presentation, what you want to gain from it, how much you want to talk and the type of information you will be sharing, you may need a lot of interaction with the audience. For instance, while holding a decision-making presentation, you might need interaction throughout, especially if the other attendees are there to help you decide on a plan, direction, vendor or product.

If your presentation is brief, you might want to wait until the end to ask for questions. In any event, make some time for a question and answer session, especially if you give a long presentation. If you will be discussing a complex topic, you might want to pause to give audience members a chance to ask questions throughout the presentation and process what you just discussed.

5. Know your strengths and challenges

Before your presentation, consider how comfortable you are with addressing an audience of a specific size, sharing information with people you may not be familiar with and how good you are connecting with an audience. If you need help engaging the audience, consider using visual aids to strengthen your presentation. However, you should only use visual aids moderately. Ultimately, your speech and human interaction will make your presentation a success.

6. Practice more than once

Regardless of your skill level, practicing your presentation before the event can help build confidence and identify areas you may need to develop. Find a way to practice in front of friends, family and colleagues so you can get their input.

Practice with any visual aids you use so you can get the timing right. For instance, if your presentation includes you indicating what is on each slide, make sure your speech and the order of slides are synchronized. You might also want to record yourself to see if you have any nonverbal communication behaviors that affect your message.

Practicing will also help you remember your talking points so you can interact with the audience more.

Related: How to Improve Your Public Speaking Skills (With Examples)

7. Check out the venue

You should check out the presentation room before the conference starts if you can. Arrive early so you can survey the size of the venue and its acoustics so you know how loud you’ll need to speak. You should also run tests to see if the available technology works and gauge the best place to stand so your audience can hear you and see any visual aids you may have.

8. Prepare for any and every scenario

Try to plan for any events that may impact your presentation. For instance, the power can go out or the audio/visual equipment could stop working. It can benefit you to have a backup plan, which can include a printed set of slides, a CD of the presentation, a thumb drive with information on it or a laptop with slides on it.

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