How to deliver a presentation as a leader?

You’re two days away from that critical presentation. You and your team have poured countless hours into the project, and now it’s time to unveil your efforts to upper management.

The setting?

A room with 6-10 people, all awaiting your insights.

The question that’s likely burning in your mind:

How can you set the right tone and create an environment that breeds success from the start?

Mastering the Art of Communication Styles

It’s no secret that individuals communicate and interpret information differently.

The nuances of our interactions can set the stage for fruitful collaboration or potential misunderstandings.

Recognizing this is paramount, especially for an ambitious leader such as yourself.

Presenting is not just about how you present - this is critically important and there are many techniques to presenting with confidence.

What is often overlooked though is the communication styles of the audience and how they want information to be presented to them.

This blog looks at the 4 different ways to approach a presentation. Giving you the power to make your presentations more effective.

#1. The Straight-to-Business Approach

Imagine stepping into a room, and someone immediately says, “I value your time, let’s dive in.”

Some of us, when faced with such directness, breathe a sigh of relief. We appreciate the no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point attitude.

These individuals are often not disinterested in you; they simply want to respect your time, remaining focused on the task at hand.

However, tread with caution—overdoing it could lead some to feel undervalued or overlooked.

#2. The Human Connection

On the other hand, some thrive on connection.

For these individuals, initiating a conversation without a genuine “How have you been?” feels cold, even rude.

They long for that personal touch, a moment to discuss their child’s first day at school or a recent vacation. This isn’t a detour—it’s essential for setting the stage. Because when you care, they care.

#3. A Logical Flow

Some minds operate on a “bottom-up” approach.

They want a logical flow of information leading to the ultimate conclusion.

This is especially prevalent among analytical minds, often found in fields like finance - they need the nuts and bolts of an argument.

If you’ve ever faced resistance or countless questions post-presentation, this may be why.

As a top-down communicator - I have struggled to present to the financial directors - often losing them in the first few minutes and being bombarded with questions. Worse still, they would judge me negatively, thinking I was ‘fly by night’ because I would present a conclusion without first indicating that I had done the due diligence of getting the detail - even though I had!

Once I realised that they wanted a flow of logic and leading to a conclusion (vs conclusion first) my pitches were far more successful.

I had taken them with me on the journey and they were happy to join my bus!

#4. Endgame - Destination first

By contrast, some prefer a “top-down” approach. They’ll often ask, “Where are we headed?” before diving into the details.

Give them the big picture first. And then, depending on their interest level, delve into the specifics. They will let you know how much detail they want.

If you don’t, they will get increasingly agitated and frustrated - leading them to check out or be disruptive.

Strategies for Effective Presentation

#1 Recognize & Adapt

When you are preparing for your presentation, take time to identify the communication styles of the attendees. Remember, knowledge is power.

#2 Offer a Prelude

Consider circulating a pre-read, offering a detailed overview of your presentation.

This allows everyone to engage at their own pace and comfort level.

Ensure your document is structured with clear subheads for easy scanning, especially for those who prefer to skim.

Include a short summary and include more detail, for instance on the background or research results, to help the detail-oriented people feel informed.

Providing there is a summary and it's clear that the rest of the detail is optional, then people will engage to the level that they are interested.

#3 Meet People Offline

Taking time to walk people through the presentation offline can be very productive. Especially if a decision is needed at the meeting. It will give people time to think about the situation - some people are OK with making decisions on the spot - others are not. It will enable you to consider their objections and questions.

This is also a particularly useful strategy if the key person at the meeting is EndGame orientated. You will have to focus the presentation towards them - and they may be unwilling to sit through sufficient detail to satisfy the detail-oriented people.

This is a common dynamic with Finance Directors and General Managers.

#4. Early Bird Gets the Worm

Arriving ahead of time allows you those precious moments to engage with attendees, offering a window into their preferences.

A quick chat about a recent holiday or weekend plan can be invaluable.

The people who don’t care about this interaction will arrive on time (or late) - so don’t worry.

#5. Tailor & Triumph

Shape your presentation with the key decision-makers in mind, but don’t neglect the others.

Balance is key.

I recommend always starting with the destination in mind -even if this is not the decision-maker's preferred way of consuming information. You can say what you are doing - so the bottom-up people will not be put off.

Conclusion

Presenting persuasively can be the difference in getting support for your ideas and your team, in getting the extra budget, resource or approval.

Having a good outcome relies on getting people in the right frame of mind from the start. Respecting if people want to dive straight in or if they want a warm-up will get them in the right place.

Then serve up the information in the form they would like to receive it, conclusion first - or building up to the conclusion.

Simple techniques to make a winning presentation.

Good Luck!