Presentations, like people, are not created equal (how that crazy idea ever made it past committee in the Declaration of Independence is still a mystery!). We are quick to define different types of business communication; ChatGPT says there are 12 types, including persuasive, facilitative, ceremonial, and scripted. But I asked him (her?) to come up with 20, and he was complicit, adding categories like advisory, experiential, and analytical.

Click here for a 4:40 video that compares the three types of presentations and identifies the one problem that plagues every type of presentation (and what to do about it).

But when I observe meetings and speakers, they all seem to be the same. And the type of presentation you think you are creating will determine what sort of outcome you produce. Identity change precedes behavior change (my most significant nugget from James Clear's Atomic Habits, p. 34).

Whether you're onboarding clients, equipping your team, or selling your next big idea, the type of presentation you choose shapes everything - from your tone to your tactics to your timing. Years ago (while I was still at The Firm), I culled presentations down to three categories. Recently I had a chance to resurface this idea in a workshop. My assertion is that there are really only three types: Training, Tours, and Demonstrations.

Training — Changing Behavior Through Skill-Building

This is most of what I do. The goal is behavior change. You may not call your meeting or Zoom call or casual conversation training, but if your goal is to get people to do something, then it’s training. 

One of my favorite books from that previous era in my life was Howard Stolovitch’s Telling Ain’t Training. I even went to his conference in Chicago and recognized that so much of what we do in business is just telling people stuff. Listen to the words we use to describe meetings: update, review, go over, run through, explore, touch base. If your stated objective uses any synonym for “talk”, then you are missing the mark on your meeting or event. No one wants to be talked to. 

None of that is training.

Two aspects that are often overlooked in training, and both stem from the central question. First how did you (the expert) learn this behavior or skill?  And second, add the elements that create behavior change to your training: repetition and resources. When I was teaching software, I never saw anyone teach how to use the help system. But that’s the first place someone might go when they don’t know what to do. Today, YouTube and Twitter/X and AI are worth teaching people how to use. And you don’t need to teach everything to get people to do something. Information overload is the curse of training.

How will they learn?

Tours — Lots of Facts without Urgency

A few weeks ago, I was with a client in Boston. I love the city – I honeymooned there, took my family there for vacation, and it’s in my top three of most traveled to cities for business. But when you take a Duck Tour (or Freedom Trail walking tour), you get a presentation. And you don’t have to do anything. If you pick up a nugget, great. If you fall asleep, equally as great. Pay the fee, take it in. Five star reviews only please. You are exposed to all sorts of interesting facts and anecdotes, but there is no impact on your life. Nobody gets mad at a tour, but nobody gets moved by it, either.

This describes a lot of business presentations. Meeting after meeting. Walkthroughs. Introductions. Reviews. Explanations. “Getting us all the same page.”

When I teach this, the most common response I get is, “We have lots of tours around here.”

Tours should be left for tourists. Business audiences expect results.

Demonstrations — Proving Your Point 

Demonstrations are all in the news today. People marching. Laying down across roads. Getting likes and retweets. These people can’t change a thing, but they are hoping to influence those who can. This is what the vast majority of business presentations should be. Winning others to your point of view so that they will support or enact what you want to happen. This is sales. Interviews. 

But a demonstration needs a cause, and its purpose is to persuade through credible evidence. Just saying it once is likely not enough. What is the poignant story?  What is the data that can’t be twisted that proves your point? What is your ask? 

Going through a feature list doesn’t usually compel an audience to vote, buy, or change their mind..

Whatever your presentation purpose—training, touring, or demonstrating—success starts by asking:

What do I want my audience to think, repeat, or do after I speak?

Build your content around that answer. Great presentations aren't about what you say; they’re about what your audience remembers—and acts on.

Analyze your next talk. Match the goal to the audience’s goal and you’ll never go wrong (This ought to be a rule.  Maybe even a rule #1.)

Communication Matters!  What are you saying?

Alan, your Online Stage Coach