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Part VII

PART VII: Communication and Speaking

Chapter 13: Speaking Is Not Reading

One of the most obvious presentation weaknesses is reading the slides. If the slide says: “Revenue increased 14% from 2024 to 2025”, and the speaker says:  “Revenue increased 14% from 2024 to 2025”, the audience has learned nothing from the speaker. Instead, the speaker should explain the significance: “The headline is that revenue is growing, but the growth is coming from lower-margin customers. That means the company has a growth problem that looks positive on the surface but is actually reducing profitability.” The slide provides the evidence. The speaker provides the meaning.

The Slide + Speaker Rule

Think:

SLIDE = WHAT
SPEAKER = SO WHAT

The slide shows the evidence. The speaker interprets it.

Chapter 14: Speak to the Judges, Not to the Screen

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Your default eye contact should be with the judges. Look at the audience. Then occasionally use the screen to reference something specific. Don’t turn your back and talk to the slide. Your body should remain oriented toward the audience as much as possible.

Eye Contact

Eye contact communicates:

  • confidence;
  • credibility;
  •  engagement;
  • ownership.

Don’t stare at one judge. Move naturally around the room. Connect with different judges. When making an important point, look directly at the audience.

Chapter 15: Your Voice Is a Visual Tool

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Speaking isn’t only about words. Judges hear:

  • pace;
  • volume;
  • emphasis;
  • pauses;
  • tone;
  • energy.

If every sentence is delivered at the same pace and volume, the presentation becomes difficult to follow.

Pace

Slow down when making an important point. Speed up slightly through familiar or lower-value information. Do not confuse speed with confidence. Speaking faster doesn’t make the presentation more impressive. It makes it harder to understand.

Pause

A pause can be powerful. Use one before:

  • an important recommendation;
  • a major number;
  • a key insight;
  • the final sentence;
  • a transition.

Silence gives the audience time to process.

Emphasis

Don’t emphasise every word. Choose the important words. For example: “This is not a growth problem. It is a retention problem.” The contrast creates emphasis.

Chapter 16: Speak in Headlines

Judges should be able to follow your argument without remembering every detail. Use verbal signposts.

Examples:

  • “There are three reasons this matters.”
  • “The first is financial.”
  • “The second is strategic.”
  • “The third is implementation.”

Or:

  • “So what does this mean?”
  • “This leads us to our recommendation.”
  • “There is one risk we need to address.”

These statements help the audience navigate your thinking.

The Audience Follow Test

Ask someone who hasn’t seen the presentation to listen to it. Afterward ask:

  • What was our recommendation?
  • What were the three most important points?
  • Why did we choose that recommendation?

If they cannot answer, your presentation may be logically sound but poorly communicated.

Absolutely. Part VII is a natural shift from designing what the judges see to controlling what they hear and experience.

I would build Chapters 13–16 around a central idea: the speaker adds value to the slide. The presenter should interpret, emphasize, connect, and guide—not narrate what is already visible.

PART VII: Communication and Speaking

A strong deck does not present itself.

Once the slides are built, the team must bring the argument to life. Your voice, eye contact, pace, pauses, emphasis, and transitions all influence whether the judges understand and believe the recommendation.

The objective is not to sound rehearsed.

It is to sound like you understand the business, own the recommendation, and are having a professional conversation with the decision-makers in the room.

Part VII focuses on four disciplines:

  1. Interpret the slide instead of reading it.

  2. Speak to the judges, not the screen.

  3. Use your voice deliberately.

  4. Guide the audience through the argument.

The slide provides the evidence. The speaker provides the meaning.

Chapter 13: Speaking Is Not Reading

One of the most obvious presentation weaknesses is reading the slides.

If the slide says:

Revenue increased 14% from 2024 to 2025.

and the speaker says:

"Revenue increased 14% from 2024 to 2025."

the audience has learned nothing additional from the speaker.

They can read.

Your job is to explain what the number means.

A stronger speaker might say:

"The headline is that revenue is growing, but that growth is coming primarily from lower-margin customers. So while the top line looks positive, the customer mix is actually putting pressure on profitability."

Now the slide and speaker are working together.

The slide provides the evidence.

The speaker provides the insight.

The Slide + Speaker Rule

Think:

SLIDE = WHAT
SPEAKER = SO WHAT

The slide shows:

  • the number;

  • the chart;

  • the comparison;

  • the timeline;

  • the evidence.

The speaker explains:

  • why it matters;

  • what changed;

  • what caused it;

  • what it means;

  • what decision it influences.

This is where analysis becomes communication.

Don't Describe the Chart

Imagine a chart showing customer churn rising from 8% to 15%.

A weak presenter says:

"As you can see, churn was 8% in 2024, increased to 11% in 2025, and is now 15%."

The judge can see that.

A stronger presenter says:

"Customer churn has nearly doubled in two years. More importantly, most of that increase is concentrated among our highest-value customers. Unless we address retention first, spending more on acquisition simply puts more customers into a system that is losing them."

Now you are interpreting the chart.

Move From Evidence to Meaning

A useful speaking pattern is:

EVIDENCE

What does the slide show?

↓

INSIGHT

What have we learned?

↓

IMPLICATION

Why does it matter?

↓

ACTION

What should we do because of it?

For example:

Evidence: Customer acquisition costs increased 22%.

Insight: Acquiring growth is becoming increasingly expensive.

Implication: Continuing to rely on acquisition will put additional pressure on margins.

Action: Shift resources toward retaining the organization's most valuable existing customers.

That is much more powerful than simply describing the 22%.

Talk About the Slide, Not Through the Slide

You should know the purpose of each slide well enough that you do not need to read it.

Before presenting a slide, complete this sentence:

"The reason this slide matters is __________."

That is often what you should talk about.

For example:

Slide: Market Share by Competitor

Why it matters:
The market is fragmented enough that a differentiated entrant can still capture meaningful share.

That insight—not every number on the chart—is the presentation.

Don't Memorise Every Word

Avoid replacing slide reading with script recitation.

If every sentence is memorised word-for-word, one forgotten phrase can disrupt the entire delivery.

Instead, know:

  • the message of the slide;

  • the evidence;

  • the implication;

  • the transition.

Think in ideas, not paragraphs.

You want to sound like someone explaining a recommendation they understand, not someone trying to remember a speech.

The Four-Point Speaker Preparation

For every slide, know:

MESSAGE

What is the headline?

PROOF

What evidence should I reference?

SO WHAT

Why does it matter?

TRANSITION

Where are we going next?

If you know those four things, you know the slide.

Discover Your Mad Skills Principle

Never compete with your own slide.

If the audience can read something themselves, use your speaking time to add meaning.

Chapter 13 Takeaway

The slide and speaker have different jobs:

SLIDE = WHAT
SPEAKER = SO WHAT

Don't narrate your slides.

Interpret them.

Explain what the audience should learn from the evidence and how that insight affects the decision.

Chapter 14: Speak to the Judges, Not to the Screen

Your slides are not your audience.

The judges are.

Yet nervous presenters often turn toward the screen because it feels safer. The slide becomes a giant set of speaker notes.

That weakens the connection with the people you are trying to persuade.

Your default orientation should be toward the judges.

Look at the audience.

Use the screen when you need to reference something specific.

Then return your attention to the audience.

The screen is a reference point. The judges are the conversation.

Eye Contact

Eye contact communicates:

  • confidence;

  • credibility;

  • engagement;

  • ownership.

More importantly, it creates connection.

When you say:

"We recommend entering the market through a strategic partnership."

say it to the people who need to make that decision.

Not to PowerPoint.

Use the Screen Deliberately

There are times when looking at or gesturing toward the screen makes sense.

For example:

"The important point is here—the downside scenario still produces a positive NPV."

Reference the visual.

Then return your attention to the judges:

"That gives us confidence that the investment remains financially viable even if growth is slower than expected."

The screen provides the proof.

You deliver the conclusion.

Don't Talk to Your Notes

Notes can become another substitute for audience connection.

If you need notes, use them as prompts rather than a script.

A prompt might say:

Churn → High Value → Profitability → Retention

That reminds you of the logic.

A paragraph encourages you to read.

Share Your Attention

Do not lock onto one judge for the entire presentation.

Move naturally among the people in the room.

You do not need to mechanically rotate:

Judge 1 → Judge 2 → Judge 3 → Judge 4.

That can look unnatural.

Instead, make genuine contact with different people as the presentation progresses.

When delivering an important statement, settle.

Look directly at the audience.

Deliver the point.

Body Orientation

Your body should reinforce where your attention is.

Avoid spending long periods:

  • facing the screen;

  • turning your back;

  • looking down;

  • speaking sideways.

Stay open to the audience.

When referencing the screen, turn enough to see what you need, but maintain the connection whenever possible.

Present to the Role

Remember the audience work from Chapter 4.

You are not simply speaking to "judges."

You may be speaking to:

  • the CEO;

  • the CFO;

  • the board;

  • a client;

  • a government official;

  • a nonprofit leader.

That should affect your communication.

Instead of:

"The company should invest $5 million..."

consider:

"For your organization, this requires an initial investment of $5 million..."

That small change reinforces the role-play.

You are advising them.

Discover Your Mad Skills Principle

Present to people, not PowerPoint.

The deck supports the conversation.

It should never become the conversation.

Chapter 14 Takeaway

Your default attention belongs on the judges.

AUDIENCE → SCREEN → AUDIENCE

Reference the visual when necessary.

Then return to the people making the decision.

Connection creates credibility.

Chapter 15: Your Voice Is a Visual Tool

A presentation can be perfectly written and still sound flat.

Speaking is not only about words.

Judges also hear:

  • pace;

  • volume;

  • emphasis;

  • pauses;

  • tone;

  • energy.

These elements create verbal hierarchy.

Just as visual hierarchy tells the audience what to look at, your voice tells them what to listen to.

Your voice highlights the argument.

Pace

Not every part of the presentation deserves the same speed.

Slow down when delivering:

  • the problem;

  • an important insight;

  • the recommendation;

  • a major financial result;

  • an important risk;

  • the close.

You may move somewhat faster through familiar or lower-value information.

But do not confuse speed with confidence.

Speaking faster does not make you sound smarter.

If the judges cannot process what you are saying, the information is lost.

The Speed Trap

Case teams often rehearse over time.

The response?

Speak faster.

That is usually the wrong solution.

If a ten-minute presentation takes twelve minutes, you probably have a content problem, not a speaking-speed problem.

Return to Chapter 2:

The problem isn't time. It's focus.

Cut lower-value material.

Protect the important moments.

Pause

Silence can be powerful.

A short pause gives the audience time to process what they have just heard.

Consider:

"Our analysis identified three possible strategies."

Pause.

"Only one solves the root cause."

The pause creates emphasis.

Use pauses before or after:

  • an important recommendation;

  • a major number;

  • a key insight;

  • a contrast;

  • the final sentence;

  • an important transition.

Do not be afraid of silence.

Emphasis

Do not emphasise every word.

Choose the words that matter.

Compare:

"This is not a growth problem. It is a retention problem."

The contrast creates meaning.

Or:

"Even in our downside scenario, the investment generates a positive NPV."

The emphasis tells the audience what matters.

Volume

Your volume should be strong enough to reach the entire room.

Again:

Build for the back row.

The principle applies to speaking as much as slide design.

You should not sound as though you are shouting.

But nobody should have to strain to hear you.

Tone

Your tone should match the message.

A serious risk should not be delivered with the same energy as an exciting growth opportunity.

Likewise, your recommendation should sound like a recommendation.

Compare:

"So...we kind of think maybe Option B is probably the best..."

with:

"We recommend Option B."

The second communicates ownership.

Energy Is Not Volume

Energy does not mean:

  • shouting;

  • speaking rapidly;

  • exaggerated gestures;

  • artificial enthusiasm.

Energy comes from:

  • engagement;

  • conviction;

  • variation;

  • presence;

  • genuine interest in the recommendation.

You want the judges to feel that you believe the solution is worth discussing.

Mark the Important Moments

During rehearsal, identify the moments that deserve deliberate vocal emphasis.

For example:

THE PROBLEM

Slow down.

THE KEY INSIGHT

Pause before it.

THE RECOMMENDATION

Deliver clearly and confidently.

THE FINANCIAL RESULT

Let the number land.

THE CLOSE

Slow down again.

This prevents the presentation from sounding like ten minutes of uninterrupted information.

Discover Your Mad Skills Principle

If everything sounds equally important, nothing sounds important.

Use your voice to create hierarchy.

Chapter 15 Takeaway

Use:

PACE + PAUSE + EMPHASIS + VOLUME + TONE + ENERGY

to guide the audience.

Your voice should help judges hear the structure of your argument even when they are not looking at the slides.

Chapter 16: Speak in Headlines

Strong presenters help the audience navigate.

They do not assume the judges will automatically understand how every idea connects.

They use verbal signposts.

For example:

"There are three reasons this matters."

Now the audience expects three ideas.

Then:

"The first is financial."

"The second is strategic."

"The third is implementation."

The audience always knows where they are.

Give the Audience a Map

Imagine driving somewhere unfamiliar without road signs.

Even if the road eventually takes you to the correct destination, the journey feels uncertain.

Presentations work the same way.

Useful signposts include:

  • "There are three things you need to know."

  • "The headline is..."

  • "The key insight is..."

  • "So what does this mean?"

  • "This brings us to our recommendation."

  • "There is one major risk we need to address."

  • "Financially, there are two numbers that matter."

  • "Our implementation has three phases."

  • "Let me bring this back to the original problem."

These phrases reduce the effort required to follow your thinking.

Signpost the "So What?"

Transitions should do more than announce the next slide.

Weak:

"Now I'm going to talk about alternatives."

Stronger:

"Because retention—not acquisition—is driving the profitability problem, we evaluated three strategies focused on improving customer lifetime value."

The transition connects the analysis to the alternatives.

Weak:

"Now we'll move into implementation."

Stronger:

"The economics support the investment. The next question is whether the organization can execute it."

Now the transition advances the argument.

Use Contrast

Headlines become particularly powerful when they create contrast.

For example:

"Revenue is growing. Profitability isn't."

"The opportunity is large. Our initial target should be small."

"The technology is not the problem. Adoption is."

"This is not a cost-cutting strategy. It is a productivity strategy."

Contrast helps the audience remember the insight.

Number Your Ideas

When you have several important points, tell the audience how many are coming.

For example:

"There are three reasons we recommend Option B."

Then clearly identify:

"First..."

"Second..."

"Finally..."

This gives the audience a mental structure.

It also makes the presentation easier to remember.

Transitions Belong to the Team

Transitions become particularly important when speakers change.

Avoid:

"And now I'll pass it over to Sarah."

That tells the judges who is speaking next.

It does not advance the argument.

Instead:

"The strategy creates an attractive opportunity. The question is whether the economics support the investment. Sarah will take you through that analysis."

Now the handoff has a purpose.

The presentation remains one story even though the speaker changes.

The Audience Follow Test

One of the best tests of communication requires no slides.

Ask someone who has not worked on the case to listen to your presentation.

Afterward, ask:

  • What was our recommendation?

  • What problem were we solving?

  • What were the three most important insights?

  • Why did we choose this recommendation?

  • What will it accomplish?

Do not ask:

"Did you like it?"

That is not particularly useful.

Ask what they understood and remembered.

If they cannot explain the argument, your presentation may be analytically sound but poorly communicated.

The No-Slides Test

Take the test one step further.

Rehearse the presentation without displaying the deck.

Can someone still follow:

PROBLEM → INSIGHT → DECISION → RECOMMENDATION → IMPLEMENTATION → IMPACT?

If yes, your speaking is carrying the argument.

If not, you may be relying too heavily on the slides to provide the structure.

Discover Your Mad Skills Principle

Never make the audience figure out where you are going.

Tell them.

Guide them.

Then take them there.

Chapter 16 Takeaway

Speak in headlines.

Use:

  • signposts;

  • numbers;

  • contrasts;

  • transitions;

  • verbal summaries.

Help the audience understand not only what you are saying, but how the ideas connect.

A strong presentation should be easy to follow even when the judge looks away from the screen.

Part VII: Practice Before Moving On

For this section, I would make the practice exercise a little different from the previous parts because these skills need to be heard and observed, not just reviewed on paper.

The No-Slides Rehearsal

Deliver five minutes of your presentation without showing the slides.

Have someone unfamiliar with the case listen.

Then ask them:

What is the problem?

What is our recommendation?

Why are we recommending it?

What is the most important evidence?

What will the recommendation accomplish?

If they cannot answer, work on the communication before working on the deck.

The Speaker Audit

Have a teammate observe each presenter and look specifically for:

INTERPRETATION

Are they explaining the so what, or reading the slide?

EYE CONTACT

Are they speaking primarily to the judges?

VOICE

Do pace, pauses, emphasis, tone, and energy change appropriately?

SIGNPOSTING

Can the audience hear the structure of the argument?

TRANSITIONS

Do speaker handoffs advance the story?

OWNERSHIP

Does the presenter sound like someone who understands and believes the recommendation?

Then rehearse again.

The goal is not to eliminate personality or make every team member sound the same. In fact, you want each person to remain natural.

The goal is to make four individual presenters sound like one team telling one story.

Don't rehearse until you can recite the presentation. Rehearse until you can communicate the argument.

That gives Part VII a strong ending and also sets up the next logical section nicely: team delivery, choreography, transitions, movement, and rehearsal—if that is where Part VIII is headed.

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