Part X

PART X: Building The Presentation

Chapter 14: The Opening

Video: Stop Losing Judges in the First 30 Seconds: Nail Your Case Opening

Your title slide is often visible longer than any other slide. Don’t waste that opportunity. The title slide should immediately communicate:

• what the presentation is about;
• who the audience is;
• who your team is;
• what role you are playing;
• the date;
• and the context.

Your Audience Is a Person

Don’t just write: ACME Corporation. Define the actual decision-maker. For example: To: CEO and CFO, ACME Corporation or:To: VP Operations, facing declining margins. If the case gives you names, use them. This changes how the judges interpret the rest of your presentation. You are not presenting to a company. You are advising people in specific roles who have specific concerns.

Chapter 15: Story, Connection & SCQA

Video: Build a Clear Thinking Pyramid: The Minto Pyramid Principle for Case Solutions

A strong opening can connect the case to:

• the organisation’s mission and values;
• the customer;
• the product;
• the service;
• the human impact;
• or a relevant experience.

But the connection must serve the case. Don’t tell an interesting story simply because it is interesting. The opening should connect to something important and be a personal or emotional connection for the audience.

SCQA

A useful structure for organising the opening is:

• Situation
  • What is happening?
  • The situation should be clear and indisputable.
• Complication
  • What has changed?
• Where is the tension?
  • What makes the current situation unsustainable?
• Question
  • What needs to be solved?
• Answer
  • What is your solution?

SCQA creates a bridge between context and recommendation.

Executive Summary

Start with an executive summary as the judges want to understand quickly:

• What is happening?
• What matters?
• What do you recommend?
• What will it accomplish?

Your executive summary gives them the destination before you take them through the journey. A good executive summary can include:

• The Problem
• A High-Level Recommendation
• Key Actions
• Expected Impact

Keep it CRISP.