Creating Compelling Presentations: A Storytelling Approach

Introduction

• Big consulting firms excel at creating presentations.
• Importance of storytelling in presentations.
• Aim: Teach craft presentations with takeaways, insights, and narrative.

About the Speaker

• Paul, instructor at The Analyst Academy.
• Specializes in PowerPoint presentation design and data visualization.
• Offers training for consulting, strategy, and finance teams.

Goal of a Business Presentation

• Make it easy for the audience to understand the message.
• Business presentations often contain complex data.
• Structuring is crucial for clarity and engagement.

Key Concepts for Effective Presentations

1. SCQA Framework

• Situation, Complication, Question, Answer
• Provides a narrative structure.
  • Situation: Current state.
  • Complication: Changes or challenges.
  • Question: What needs to be addressed.
  • Answer: Resolution to the question.
• Example: Disney theme park decision.
  • Situation: Desire to grow revenue.
  • Complication: Need to choose location.
  • Question: Where to open the park.
  • Answer: Detailed recommendation.

2. The Pyramid Principle

• Communicate starting from the main idea.
• Supporting details build upon the main idea.
• Example: Disney theme park.
  • Main Idea: Build park in Rio de Janeiro.
  • Supporting Points: Major tourist destination, strong Disney brand.
• Benefits:
  • Provides context before details.
  • Helps audience understand conclusions.

Application and Real-Life Examples

Example Presentation from BCG

• Context: Non-profit organization investing in OER (Open Education Resources).
• Introduction Slide: Context of work, situation, complication, and question detailed.
  • Situation: Growth in OER.
  • Complication: Need for further integration in education.
  • Question: State of ecosystem and progress measurement.

Structuring Effective Presentations

• Sequence:
  • Introduction slide.
  • Main idea followed by supporting details.
• Common in major consulting firm presentations.
• Variations may occur depending on factors like executive summaries or appendices.

Conclusion

• Paul used the SCQA and Pyramid Principle in his video structure.
• Encouragement to learn more through advanced courses at The Analyst Academy.
• Offers both individual and team training, with real-life examples and exercises.
• Free content available across various platforms.

Call to Action

• Check The Analyst Academy for courses
• Explore free content on various social media and blog platforms.