52. Presentation Advice from Titian: Position, Position, Position

Influential Italian Renaissance artist Titian (1490–1576) painted a portrait of Pope Paul III that established a point-of-view technique used by today’s photographers and cinematographers—a technique that every presenter would do well to heed.

In the portrait on display at the Louvre museum in Paris, the point of view of Titian, the painter—and, therefore, the viewer—is looking up at the pope, emphasizing his high social status. Conversely, the pope is looking down at the painter—and the viewer.

The audio guide to the exhibit calls this position the “sociological role” because the angle reinforces the pope’s exalted position. To prove the point, the guide goes on to describe the impact of the portrait: “When Titian brought the painting out in the open air for varnishing, passersby bowed down and removed their hats in reverence.”

In presentations, your goal is not to create reverence, but empathy with your audience. Empathy occurs when you are at the same eye level as your audience. For maximum impact, therefore, sit when you present—unless you are in a large presentation venue. If the size of your audience or the sight lines of the room challenge your ability to see everyone, stand when you present so that you can look every member of your audience straight in the eye. Eye contact trumps position.

However, standing introduces a new psychological element. In photography and cinematography, when the camera points down at the subject, it is called an “inferior angle,” when the camera points up at the subject, it is called a “superior angle,” like Titian’s portrait of the pope.

Most mission-critical presentations—where a “yes” or “no” hangs in the balance—occur in small groups seated around a conference table. In such settings, presenters often stand and look down at their audience, creating an inferior angle—a negative position for the valued decision makers. So when you present in small groups, sit and engage with every member of your audience at eye level.

They won’t remove their hats in reverence, but they will find you empathic. To paraphrase the old adage about real estate, in which location, location, location is paramount; in presentations, position, position, position is paramount.