Identifying individuality is key with speaker presentations

She says there are four basic personality categories: driver, analytical, amiable and expressive.

For example, drivers are goal-oriented, will purposefully manage their facial expressions, speak frequently with purposeful gestures, while amiable personalities are more sociable, have dynamic facial expressions and have an unhurried speaking style.

Newton relates one of her experiences. "A team I was coaching had invited a large group of CEOs to discuss the corporate bond market. Most of them would have strong 'driver' traits, with some 'analytical' thinkers," she recalled.

"The presentation had to be brief and to-the-point while giving the drivers a big-picture overview, with the bottom line following straight afterwards, and then show them where they could make decisions around options."

Every detail had to be checked for the analyticals, down to spelling and font size, with the detail behind the big picture included in the handouts.

If the audience had been sales directors they would probably also have the 'driver' tendency, but there would also have been a strong 'expressive' element, so the presenter would have to build a strong rapport with them.

Speakers should bear in mind their own personality style, and not assume that everyone likes communication delivered the way they do.

The business world has become increasingly 'high-tech and high-touch', and the need to up-skill customer-facing staff at the 'people connections' interface, in line with the increasing service and knowledge expectations of customers, has become paramount.