type of presentation seminar

7 Different Types of Presentation

The passionate art of presentation – where you stand in front of an audience, take a deep breath, and talk about something you’ve prepared on. It can be on anything and everything under the sun – the global economic crisis, the history of the Renaissance, a story of how you overcame hardships in life, you name it. These are all presentations, yet each of them is a different kind. So, exactly how many kinds of presentations are there?

If you’re someone who truly wishes to master the art of presentation, it is quite important that you learn in-depth about each and every one of these 7 styles. In this article, we’ll cover all of these in detail so that you’ll know exactly which techniques to apply and go about for each one. Are you ready to be a master of presentations? Let’s begin.

In-depth Look Into The 7 Different Types of Presentation

1) educational presentations.

Use Cases: To present new or existing ideas, share ground-breaking research, and discuss innovative concepts.

Tone: Informative, engaging, inspiring.

Often, you’ll see these kinds of presentations being used in academic settings such as conferences, lectures, and seminars. We’re sure you must have sat through quite a few of these presentations during your time at school or university. The idea of these presentations is to share knowledge, provide information, and also inspire the audience to learn something new. 

Examples of educational presentations:

2) Instructional Presentations

These presentations are designed in such a way that they help your audience learn how to perform specific tasks or achieve a particular goal. You’ll often see these being used in workshops, training sessions, and even tutorials. The instructor will give detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to do something, and the audience is expected to follow along. 

3) Motivational Presentations

Tone: Informative, uplifting, emotional.  

A lot of corporate events and personal development seminars use this particular type of presentation to get their message across. If used properly, it’s quite effective in getting a call to action across to your audience. 

Examples of motivational presentations: 

4) Problem-Solution Presentations

You can find these kinds of presentations usually used in business meetings, science conferences, and sometimes also in political debates (such as the election face-off between the presidential candidates), where they identify problems and argue for solutions.

5) Progress Presentations

Tone: Informative, precise, forward-looking.

Most business managers and project teams use these progress presentations to keep everyone updated on what’s been happening. It helps a lot in managing expectations and making sure everyone’s on the same page.

6) Story-telling Presentations

Use Cases: To share personal experiences, narrate historical events, or even tell a story that conveys a particular message.

There’s really no particular place where these presentations are seen more. From classrooms to corporate seminars, and even in casual social gatherings, you’ll see story-telling presentations connecting with people.

Examples of story-telling presentations:

7) Visual Presentations

When it comes to scientific research, market analysis, or even something like architectural design, you need to use visual presentations to break it down and make it easy to understand for your audience. Even for fields like graphic design and photography, these presentations ensure that your work speaks for itself.

Key things to keep in mind while delivering visual presentations:

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions (faqs), q.1. what is the most common type of presentation.

A. Educational or Informative presentations are usually the most common types of presentations that you’ll find. This is because from primary school onwards, you’re exposed to these presentations almost every single day from your teachers!

Q.2. Which is the hardest type of presentation?

A. The hardest presentation is subjective because it depends on your skills as a presenter and also on the topic that you’re speaking about. Generally speaking, motivational presentations are considered pretty hard because you have to connect deeply with your audience, which requires a lot of experience to do well.

Q.3. How to give a good presentation?

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

Updated: December 16, 2020

Published: May 05, 2016

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.

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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

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