PowerPoint and presentations are a hotly debated topic. Tom Peters has some great insight into presenting here.

But, who is a great presenter? Who do you look to? An interesting point comparing Steve Jobs to Bill Gates is made here (With some good tips), but I am not sure that I agree that Jobs is better than Gates. Jobs takes the ‘simple’, ‘jeans and running shoes’ folksy approach, which resonates well with the Apple market (To use a stereotype that has more than a few grains of truth). Below is a Jobs slide ..

Note the simplicity. Now, one could argue, what else would he put on the slides? The Apple market play is pretty limited.

Gates takes a much different approach, while addressing a much broader audience (consumer, small/medium and enterprise businesses). Below is a slide from CES.

I have seen both present and both have an impact. In the end, it is about style. Jobs resonates with one crowd, Gates with another. For those who have seen me present, I have a specific style and I connect with crowds in a specific way.

Each presenter must become comfortable with their style and then make that style the best that it can be. In my mind, the questions that each presenter should ask themselves is:

1. What is my style? Forceful, analytical, etc.

2. How can I improve it? (Who can you learn from, does it resonate with your target audience)

3. Am I bound to only one style? Do I have the ability to morph to meet the requirements of different audiences?