Relational Presentation incorporates a variety of interactive techniques collectively known as Visual Interactivity. The overall idea is for the presenter to constantly read the audience and adjust visual display to meet their needs best. For example, if attendees at a training event seem to be having a hard time paying attention (you are training in the after-lunch slot or perhaps the room temperature is too warm), switching out to a funny video clip gets attendees laughing and usually revives their energy and attention.

In workshop sessions, we also explore four different kinds of visual interactivity using relational techniques:

Passive: A relational presenter constantly looks for nonverbal cues such as eye contact, attention, body posture, smiling, looks of confusion, yawning, and so forth, to gauge whether or not to make adjustments to the selection and order of content.

Active: When an audience member gives verbal feedback, such as asking a question or making a comment, the presenter attempts to respond visually with something in his or her presentation network—“Ah yes. Let me show you something that might help answer that question…”

Full-Visual: This style of interactivity is the holy grail for a relational presenter. The audience members themselves actually begin using the presenter’s own slides to visually express their ideas or clarify their questions. In other words, the viewers become visually expressive as well. They may make comments, such as “Go back to the slide that showed…” or “Our situation is probably closest to example three.  Can you go into more detail on how that works?”

Multiple Presenters: In this case, two or more presenters control the same network so that they interact visually with each other and with the audience, all at the same time. The results can be wonderfully dynamic.