6 Types of Presentations: Explained!
Presentation (n)
“a speech or talk in which a new product, idea, or piece of work is shown and explained to an audience.”
-Oxford English Dictionary
As conference season kicks into high gear and end-of-year presentations loom, many of us are stepping up to share ideas, insights, and progress with audiences. Whether you're prepping for a big industry event or closing out the year with updates, knowing the different types of presentations—and the specific goals they’re best suited for—can make all the difference. Understanding how to tailor your presentation can help you leave a lasting impact, especially during this busy season of sharing and reflection.
Most presentations have one of three primary purposes: to inform, to persuade or to relate to others.
If you research “presentation types” you will see a variance in what is out there and how people define what they are. But generally, all presentation types fall into one of these three goals.
To inform is to share information with others to enhance their knowledge or understanding of the information, concepts or ideas presented. When you inform someone, you assume the role of the teacher by defining, illustrating, clarifying, or elaborating on a topic.
To persuade someone is to change or reinforce the person’s attitudes (likes and dislikes), beliefs, values, or behaviors. A key difference between informing and persuading is that in a persuasive presentation you want the listener to do more than merely remember what you say, you want to alter or emphasize what the listener likes, believes, values or does.
In addition to informing and persuading, there are special occasions on which you may be called on to relate to those in the room. These special occasions can be informative, such as when you introduce someone before they speak, but more often they will be ceremonial, such as when you are presenting or receiving an award, giving a toast, or giving thanks or congratulations. In addition, keynote and motivational speeches are presentations given to relate to others.
With the three primary goals of presentations defined, let’s discuss six of the most common types of presentations.
6 Types of Presentations
Informative
Instructive / Demonstrative
Persuasive
Motivational / Inspirational
Decision-making
Progress
Informative
An informative presentation is educational, concise, and to the point. Unlike other presentations that may be more focused on convincing a listener of something or inspiring them, the goal of an informative presentation is simply to share information.
Instructive / Demonstrative
Instructive or demonstrative presentations teach the audience something, so they are fairly similar to informative presentations. However, they go beyond sharing facts and enter the realm of instruction. The audience attends with an understanding that they are going to learn something they will be able to put into practical application.
Persuasive
Lots of presentations are given with the intent to convince the audience to take an action or to buy something. These would be considered persuasive presentations. Often, persuasive presentations present a problem and then explain their solution.
Motivational / Inspirational
If you’ve ever watched a TEDTalk, you’ve seen a motivational or inspirational presentation. These speakers are not only sharing what they know, but they’re also inspiring and motivating their audience to think and maybe even change their behavior. This is largely accomplished through connecting with the audience on a human level.
Decision-making
When a decision needs to be reached it’s important to have all the facts in front of you. A decision-making presentation is used to share a specific problem and all possible options for a solution. Then, the presentation walks through the various outcomes of those options so that a decision can be made.
Progress
Finally, one of the most common presentations is the progress presentation. These are so often given that we might not even think of them as a presentation type. You’ve likely been asked to give updates on what you’re working on more often than you can count. The progress presentation is used to share updates, deadlines, data collected, obstacles, and any additional tasks that are yet to be tackled.
Whatever type of presentation you’re tasked with and whether the goal is to inform, relate or persuade; these are the steps we recommend to ensure success:
