Trainers and speakers have their own unique delivery styles. That raises a question. Is there a delivery style which works better than another to communicate information and impart learning?

There are a number of criteria which will determine this, such as audio, visual and kinaesthetic delivery, pace of speech, interesting voice, solo or teamwork experience, style of information left with the audience, image of presenter and environment of delivery; to name some of them; but 'the' most important factor of delivery style is the personality of the presenter.

The personality takes into consideration beliefs, attitudes, experience, learning style, education, emotion and behaviour.

The only one we can see is the behaviour; which comes over loud and clear.

there are 4 core behaviours, of which we all have one main core and a second (and sometimes third) modifying behaviour. The behaviour determines the way we 'tend' to behave in front of others and the way we handle our emotions.

In a strange or unfamiliar environment, we may mask our behaviour, until we're comfortable that our normal behaviour is acceptable with the people in that environment. It may be that as a speaker, you're aware you have to change your behaviour, to facilitate a better learning or entertainment process.

Most speakers and trainers aren't aware that they have a predominant presentation style and simply think that theirs is the 'only' one.

The four behaviours are described in DISC language.

DISC is an acronym for

Dominance

Influence

Steadiness

Compliance/conscientiousness

A presenter; without understanding their own behaviour, and that of others with different behaviours, will present according to their own behavioural style. This will irritate and frustrate 40-50% of the people they train.

Examples:

Dominant trainers are outgoing, task orientated, fast paced, demanding, sometimes aggressive, blunt, confrontational and egotistical. They can frighten people into submissiveness. They think that there way is the right way, and the only way. They tend to ‘tell’ rather than suggest or recommend, and they don’t tend to do much with teamwork. They can be very pushy with a low tolerance level. They tend to teach with a loud voice. They like to listen to their own voice. They can easily upset students with their controlling, dismissive gestures. They will often pace the room in a mildly threatening manner. They can be very challenging and competitive which may deter others from contributing. At times they can be foreboding. They don't allow much time for understanding because of their impatience.

Power Point style is big, brash and bold.

Dominant students have the same behavioural traits which come out in a different way in a receiving environment. They may be antagonistic, control the session, confrontational and want to score points. They cut into other people's conversations and override them. They will answer questions directed specifically to others, to appease their ego. They don’t like steady training styles. They want a faster pace with some 'punch' to it. They want to be challenged so they can stroke their ego. They don't like compliant trainers because there's there's too much detail for them to handle. They're looking for a fast return on their time and want to see quick results. They want the 'bottom line', the meat of the training; pragmatism with techniques and skills that will work immediately. They generally finish first when they are given tasks or questionnaires.

Influential presenters are outgoing, people orientated and can’t keep to a structure. They spend more time on what they like best. They talk too much and are easily distracted. They can be flamboyant, passionate and overly enthusiastic with unrealistic expectations. Very impressionable and too trusting; they want to make friends with everyone and must be liked by everyone, so they spend too much time making sure everyone is happy all the time. They naturally have the most interesting of presenters' voices because of their passion and enthusiasm. They will often move around the room and get too close to the students, in an attempt to  bond with them by touching them.They tend to have a natural sense of humour. They can be likable, charming and persuasive. They struggle with detail and much of their presentation resolves around them personally. They are very animated, wear their heart on their sleeve, and will talk about personal and intimate experiences in front of total strangers. Other behaviours often find this embarrassing. They love to be the centre of attention: "Look at me! Look at me!"

Power Point style is colourful and arty, often with spelling and grammar errors.

Influential students talk too much; interrupt the class, and often steer the comment towards being able to talk about themselves. They like to be the centre of attention and want to get to know everybody. In an open seminar, they'll make contact with many people, yet hardly follow any of them up; which is why other behaviours see this as an example of them being shallow. They are often poor listeners. They can’t sit still for long and will fidget and even stand up and walk around. If it can be said with two words, the influential student will say it with 200. They will answer questions, specifically directed at others, in the hope that it will impress people and get them to like them more. They don’t like steady presenters. They send them to sleep. They don't like compliant presenters because the detail and structure easily bores them. They tend to have the most untidy desk or table.

Steady presenters are passive, reserved and people orientated; slow paced, structured and prefer to involve teamwork in their training. They are very agreeable, so go along with what others say. They are easily steered by the students. They avoid confrontation. They tend to get along with everyone. They are unemotional in their appearance, so you have difficulty ‘reading’ their emotions. Their training style is unenthusiastic and very relaxed which can cause drowsiness for the students at times. They tend to be very predictable in what they do. They are very supportive, stable and look to serve others. They have great difficulty saying 'no'.

Power Point style is 'middle of the road' , relatively small letters with conservative colours.

Steady students blend into the background and keep relatively quiet. They rarely offer questions for fear of being the centre of attraction. Because of their agreeable behaviour, they will often agree with the trainer, even if they don’t. Anything for a quiet life. They dislike dominant training styles. They find them too fast and intimidating. They don’t like influential training styles. They find them too emotional and touchy-feely. They hate having to present to the rest of the group. They are of the last to finish when given tasks to do.

Compliant presenters are passive, reserved and task orientated. They tend to offer the most uninteresting training style to the other behaviours. They are structured, irrespective of what the students want. If there’s an area of difficulty for the students, which is taking up time, they will be concerned about getting back on schedule, more than the importance of transferring the knowledge. Their training is data, fact, information and proof driven. They don’t like influential people as they consider them shallow. Their training voice is often monotone and quiet with few accompanying gestures. They must be accurate and precise in what they do. They hate being criticized. They will stand or sit in one position. Their style tends to be information driven, rather than accompanied by understanding. They may be likened to a typical school teacher.

Power Point style is clear and sharp, but very small with too much on the screen. Colours are passive but clear. Spelling and grammar is always accurate.

Compliant students have the neatest arranged desks. They don’t like attention being drawn to them. They hate being touched. They don’t like ideas, maybes and theories. They want facts, information, formality and proof. They dislike dominant and influential training styles. They find dominant trainers too overpowering and confrontational, and influential trainers too touchy-feely and shallow. They hate getting involved in trivial games, especially if it involves touch or presentation. They are often the last to finish when given tasks to do. They dislike having attention drawn to them. When given tasks to do outside the training or presentation, they will complete them on time, every time.

I mentioned earlier that almost everyone has a secondary behaviour, which modifies or even replaces the core behaviour at times, so please consider this. A presenter with a strong dominant and an equally strong influential behaviour can easily switch from one style to the other whist presenting.

The key is to learn and understand your own behavioural style, and learn the other behavioural styles, which are different from yours. Then you need to learn to recognize the other behavioural styles and adapt to them to increase understanding, communicate better and increase appreciation. This gives us a high degree of emotional intelligence. This allows you to understand how the audience are receiving your presentation; when you need to change behaviour at times and ensure you try to bring in all of the four behavioural styles at times.

The mark of a great trainer or presenter, who's spent enough time with the students, would be when the students are asked to describe the behaviour of the presenter; and each different behavioural student type sees the presenter as the same or similar behavioural type to themselves.

We'd refer to this presenter as a chameleon. Able to keep changing behavioural style, to appeal to a wide audience.

When presenting to, or training a mix of the different behavioural types:

Dominant students need to be kept in control and given bullet points. Their ego needs 'stroking'.

Influential students need to have their incessant talking controlled and the training be fun. They need to have public recognition.

Steady students have to be 'drawn' to answer open questions and 'drawn' to get their ‘real’ agreement. They need to be encouraged to say 'no' and disagree when necessary.

Compliant students have to be 'drawn' with open questions to get more than one-word answers. You must be able to back up your training examples and stories with proof. They won't necessarily ask for it, but because they are thinking it, you need to give it from time to time anyway, otherwise they'll think of you as shallow.

Remember there’s always the 80/20 rule with anything like this. There is always the exception to the rule. 80% of the time the above guidelines will apply. People's beliefs and values may have an influencing effect which may also steer away from these guidelines from time to time.

This is, a nutshell of information. Oh and by the way....For the compliant and conscientious types; search the internet for William Mouton Marsden, Bill Bonstetter, Carl Yung and Sigmund Freud. And if I got any spelling errors, please forgive me.

To be coached to a professional level, to lead to accreditation, takes 5 days. You can still learn a lot in one day.

I coach HR and Trainers one-to-one at £600 per day plus expenses; groups of trainers at £1200 per day plus expenses, if it’s 5 days.

If you want to know more about how you or your work team can raise their emotional intelligence, please contact Glenn Harrison for an informal chat.

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Glenn Harrison

Author/Coach/Trainer/Motivational Speaker
Certified Accredited Behavioural Analyst

Glenn Harrison is available as a world-wide, international motivational speaker to give a hilarious, educational speech on Behavioural differences; Motivation; Body Language; Sales; Teamwork and Self-development.

We train all over the world; at no additional cost other than economy travel and overnight expenses.