Personal Impact and Credibility in European / US Communication
and Presentation Styles

(an overview)

Mary-Louise Angoujard, Chief Executive, Rapporta Limited

In cross-cultural encounters, it is wise to be aware of differences in general communication and presentation styles – and to prepare accordingly.

“The British and American cultures are assumed by both continental Europeans and Americans to be more similar than they really are”, according to senior consultant Brett Seamons of RHR International (pioneers in the field of corporate psychology.  “It has been said by many of my European clients that Americans can be fake, or too open in disclosing personal details. On the other hand, Americans have told me that Europeans generally are harder to get to know, and don't open up as much.  Fundamentally, the definition of social intimacy (that which is appropriate in western business practice) is different for each group and each individual.”

American tourists are generally viewed as extremely direct, sometimes brash, egotistical, demanding, over-familiar and even braggarts (on the grounds that “everything is bigger, or better, or more advanced in the States”).

In a business environment, Americans have the reputation of being good-natured, confident, focused and articulate. They are particularly recognised for their presentation skills. “Americans are great at giving clear, concise presentations and they tend to be good at engaging their audience,” says Luc Gesvret, a General Manager with the Accor Group, with responsibility for running Sofitel hotels in London and Bucharest before moving to Novotel Moscow.

But “Americans can also appear over-confident at times,” Says Mr. Gesvret. “Often, they don’t seem able to acknowledge or recognise what other people do well. It’s as if they still see themselves as the “big boys on the block”, ahead of everyone else – which is not always the case. For this reason they can sometimes come across as a bit condescending.”

Generally, Europeans admire the ability to project confidence and present oneself with impact. At the same time, in business presentations, there is often some scepticism about content and the depth of thinking behind American presentations.

Alison Holmes is Managing Director of BritishAmerican Business Inc, a membership organisation serving its 800 transatlantic members in both London and New York . She comments, “One difference between Europeans and Americans in terms of presentation skills is the different value they place on content. Europeans feel that ideas should speak for themselves and focus on the argument. In contrast, Americans tend to think that the way something is presented is a reflection on the idea.

In trying to bridge that gap Americans tend to confuse information with argument and overload on 'facts' while Europeans confuse a smooth presentation with shallowness of thought. It is a difficult issue to resolve, because to say something is 'flash' is really to suggest it has no content while those with less 'energy' are deemed to not care or to not have ideas that warrant 'real' attention. The fact is, business needs both kinds of thought processes to succeed and a match between the ideas in the presentation and the audience is essential.”

Business speakers should also remember that there can be significant differences in communication styles based on region; for example, differences between people in the North and South, and the East and West Coasts in the US are well worth noting. In England , Northerners are typically perceived to have a more direct, no-nonsense style than, say, people in the Southeast. In the rest of Europe , there are not only cultural differences to consider between countries, but also within each country.

In both the States and Europe , it pays to do your research thoroughly, be flexible and take regional and cultural norms and attitudes into account.

Presentation skills can also have a tremendous impact on career progression, as one international training director reveals: “ A couple of years ago our VP of European Marketing & Development (an American), openly admitted that presentation skills could actually make or break your career in the Company!“

She acknowledges that the worst presenters in her company do not “get on” and on consideration, one reason could be that senior management spend their lives in meetings -- and exposure to them is often only through a 10 minute Powerpoint presentation. ‘Death by Powerpoint’ is a real issue, and advances in technology do not necessarily mean advances in Powerpoint skills” (quite the reverse in some cases).

*According to BBC Radio 4, it is estimated that there are 30 million (yes thirty million) Powerpoint presentations conducted in the world every day. (Is this the most effective way to inform, lead and motivate people?)

It’s just a thought, but the most notable speakers in recent history (Martin Luther King and Winston Churchill are shining examples) were able to engage, inspire, inform and motivate (international) audiences – with not one Powerpoint slide between them!

It’s not uncommon for brilliant but quiet people to be passed over in favour of someone who only “talks a good job”. Many times, this is because they don’t get development in personal impact and presentation skills to complement their technical abilities. This is not about someone changing his or her personality!

Rather, it’s about recognising and bringing out those aspects of their personality that already work well.

Often people can be unaware of simple things that detract from their personal impact. One of Rapporta’s clients, a German with many years’ experience presenting in English, was unaware that he tended to end sentences on an upward intonation (as if asking a question). While common in German, this practice made him sound unsure of himself when speaking English! Following the session, he reported much better responses from his Chief Executive (an American) and his audiences in presentations.

A British HR Manager with considerable international experience reports that in his experience, Americans tend to be noticeably more articulate, especially when discussing their goals, personal feelings and insights. He went on to comment, “Americans still have the lead in terms of a polished, yet authoritative and believable performance, but things are definitely improving in Europe.”

It’s not unusual for our clients to make significant improvements in their communication and presentation approach, in just a few sessions with us. This is due to Rapporta’s unique approach to helping them blend their content and style with better audience awareness, in order to achieve their objectives. As Alison Holmes remarks, “The best of transatlantic business recognises this skill is not a national trait, but encourages everyone to be as effective as they can be.”

For more information about improving your presentation skills and personal impact, contact Mary-Louise at Rapporta on (+44) 020 8788 7433 , email mla@rapporta.com or visit www.rapporta.com.