Presentation Skills: S-style

In the previous articles in this series we’ve covered the basics audience analysis, a short introduction to the DISC-model and already discussed the D and I styles. In this article, the S-style of the model, which stands for Stable, will be looked at in more detail. People who have a high S-style can be described as reliable and in balance. This makes them easy to work with in a team because they are loyal and prioritize cooperation, even more so because in general they are patient individuals. They value stability and will most likely protect the status quo.

In the previous article, we talked about people with high I-style. These people are people-oriented and so are people with high S-style. This means that you should make sure to focus on emotions, collaboration and the relationships between different parties involved. But most of all, before the presentation even starts, you should create a welcoming atmosphere. In contrast to people with high D-style for example, who would want to get straight to the conclusions and keep it as short as possible, people with high S-style favour a friendly welcome and some small-talk to get to know each other.

Next, people with high S-style like predictability and structure because this makes it easier to keep everything in balance. So when starting your presentation, make sure you have a table of contents and provide some information on what you will talk about. Pay special attention to the structure of your presentation because this is where you will win over people with high S-style. This also plays a role in building trust with your counterparts, because they will be more likely to trust you when you are transparent.

Lastly, as mentioned above, emotions and empathy always play an important role, but even more so in this scenario. So make sure to attend to everyone’s experiences and demonstrate that you understand other points of view. You don’t have to necessarily agree with them, but make sure you make time to listen to them. This links with active listening, which is of course always a valuable skill to have, but especially when dealing with people with high S-style.

Hopefully the information discussed above will give you more confidence in adapting a presentation for people with high S-style in the future. In the coming article we will discuss the last style the DISC framework! If in the meantime you would like to learn more about us, don’t hesitate to take a look at our website and our offers, among which is a workshop about presentation skills and DISC styles!