Chapter 3: Before You Build the Deck, Decipher the Presentation

Just as you should not solve a case before understanding it, you should not build a presentation before understanding the communication challenge. Teams often move directly from analysis into PowerPoint. They already have:

a problem statement;

several frameworks;

financial analysis;

alternatives;

a recommendation;

an implementation plan.

So they begin turning those pieces into slides. But there is another step first. You need to ask what kind of presentation this case actually requires. The answer should shape everything that follows.

The Communication Decode

Start by deciphering seven elements.

1. The Case

What is the actual problem? Build your presentations around the real decision, not the issues mentioned in the case. Ask:

What is the central challenge?

What is the root cause?

What must management resolve?

What happens if nothing changes?

The clearer the problem, the clearer the presentation can become.

2. The Audience

Who are we presenting to? This affects:

language;

level of detail;

evidence;

financial emphasis;

implementation depth;

risk discussion;

tone.

A CFO and a marketing executive may both support the same recommendation for very different reasons. Know who is in the room.

3. The Decision

What does the audience actually need to decide? Perhaps the decision is:

whether to enter a market;

whether to approve an investment;

which strategic alternative to pursue;

whether to restructure;

how to restore profitability;

how to implement an existing strategy.

The presentation should make that decision easier.

4. The Context

What is happening around the decision? Consider:

urgency;

organisational change;

competitive pressure;

financial stress;

stakeholder conflict;

regulation;

uncertainty;

reputational concerns.

Context influences what deserves emphasis. A crisis presentation may need to lead with immediate action. A long-term growth case may need more strategic comparison.

5. The Time

How much time do we have? A 10-minute presentation is not simply a shortened 20-minute presentation. It requires different choices. You may need to:

reduce the number of slides;

simplify the analysis;

combine sections;

prioritise only the strongest Evidence;

leave more supporting detail for Q&A.

The shorter the presentation, the more disciplined the communication needs to become.

6. The Competition

What are judges likely to compare between teams? Case competitions are comparative environments. Judges may see several teams responding to the same problem. Ask:

Where are teams likely to converge?

Where could our thinking be differentiated?

Which assumptions are likely to be challenged?

What Evidence might separate a credible recommendation from a generic one?

Do not try to be different simply for the sake of novelty. But understand where the judges may need more proof.

7. The Objective

What do we need the judges to believe? This is one of the most powerful questions in the entire manual. Complete: At the end of our presentation, we need the judges to believe that __________. For example: ACME's primary problem is retention rather than acquisition, and a targeted loyalty strategy is the most financially attractive and executable response. Now the entire presentation has a purpose. Every slide can be tested against that belief.

Deciphering Case Characteristics

Different cases create different communication demands. This is why there is no universal presentation template.

A 6-Hour Case vs a 24-Hour Case

A shorter case may contain:

less research;

fewer detailed calculations;

a simpler deck;

more reliance on assumptions;

greater emphasis on clarity and prioritisation.

A 24-hour case may allow:

deeper research;

more robust financial analysis;

stronger visual Evidence;

additional sensitivity testing;

more developed implementation.

The communication strategy should reflect the depth of the work.

A 10-Minute Presentation vs a 20-Minute Presentation

A ten-minute presentation may require aggressive prioritisation. A twenty-minute presentation allows more explanation but creates another risk: More time does not mean you should add more information simply because you can. The additional time should improve understanding, not increase clutter.

A Financial Turnaround Case

May require greater emphasis on:

financial health;

cash flow;

margins;

cost structure;

liquidity;

financial impact;

sensitivity.

The audience needs to believe the economics.

May require more emphasis on:

mission;

stakeholder impact;

social outcomes;

financial sustainability;

trade-offs.

The audience may evaluate value through more than profit alone.

A Case With an Obvious Recommendation

Sometimes the strategy is relatively clear. The real challenge may be how to make it happen. In that situation, the presentation may devote more time to:

implementation;

capabilities;

timing;

ownership;

risk;

change management.

A Case With Several Strong Alternatives

When several options are strategically credible, the audience may need more visibility into:

alternatives;

decision criteria;

trade-offs;

financial comparison;

risk.

The decision logic becomes central to the presentation.

A Case With Strong Human Impact

A case involving:

employees;

patients;

communities;

customers;

vulnerable stakeholders

may benefit from a stronger human connection. The opening may need to remind the audience that the decision affects real people. Remember, emotion must support the argument, not replace it.

A Complex Financial Decision

A complicated investment, acquisition, or valuation case may require more visual Evidence. The audience may need:

clear charts;

scenario comparisons;

valuation ranges;

cash-flow visuals;

simplified financial tables.

The more complicated the analysis, the more important visual simplification becomes.

The Deciphering Rule

Don't memorise a presentation template. Learn to decipher what the case requires. The structure must emerge from the communication challenge.

The Presentation Deciphering Questions

Before building the deck, answer these questions:

Who are we speaking to? Identify the actual decision-maker.

What do they care about? Understand their priorities.

What decision are they making? Define the decision clearly.

What is the most important thing they need to understand? Identify the central insight.

What is the strongest Evidence supporting our recommendation? Find the proof.

What is the most important objection they may have? Anticipate resistance.

What must we communicate visually? Identify information that is easier to understand through a chart, table, timeline, or diagram.

What can we leave for Q&A? Preserve useful supporting depth without overwhelming the main presentation.

What can we leave out completely? Recognise analysis that has already served its purpose.

These questions should shape the presentation before you open PowerPoint.

The Communication Brief

A useful exercise is to summarise your answers on one page.

Audience: We are presenting to: __________

Decision: They need to decide: __________

Core Problem: The central problem is: __________

Core Message: We need them to believe: __________

Strongest Evidence: The most compelling proof is: __________

Biggest Concern: The objection we must overcome is: __________

Time: We have: __________

What We Can Leave Out __________

This becomes your communication brief. It gives the team a common understanding of what the presentation needs to accomplish.

Discover Your MAD Skills Principle

Decipher the presentation before you design the presentation.

PowerPoint should be the output of your communication decisions, not the place where you make the decisions.

The Bottom Line

A presentation should reflect: Case + Audience + Decision + Context + Time + Competition + Objective. Change one of those variables and the communication strategy may need to change. The goal is not to find the perfect template. The goal is to build the right presentation for this situation.

Chapter 3: Before You Build the Deck, Decipher the Presentation