How to create Storylines for Business Presentations (Consulting and PowerPoint skills)

[@FirmLearning]

Interested in my full course on how to create Consulting-style slide presentations? Check it out: link.firmlearning.com/slides

[@EBzerozero]

I joined McKinsey about 30 years ago and that is one of the first thing I was taught. I still use it today. Back in the day, we would not call them "action titles" but "leads" . I would say that developing a solid story line is the most important step in a presentation, followed by creating good action titles. But you need both.

[@FirmLearning]

Thank you so much for your valued input! Great to hear more from people who have experience in consulting! :)

[@zayanhiin8950]

By the way, I signed up for an academy McKinsey I knew that the training course is for 6 months... 🤔 I tried to search for the content of the course and the benefits that accrue to the trainee, but I did not find anything about them.. I have a request + a question for anyone who can explain to me about them and their course and is it really worth all the time

[@saadabugadeh8390]

​@@zayanhiin8950 I graduated from Mckinsey forward program, which is designed by Mckinsey academy. It is definitely worth it.

[@Gagan_1498]

Can we connect ?

[@francis2k488]

@@saadabugadeh8390 How much does this training cost?

[@funk4t934]

Here's a tip: When presenting to a group of executives, we used to start by handing out copies of the presentation to everyone so they could follow along. We stopped doing that. If they have the presentation in their hands, they may not pay attention to YOU while you go through it. You'll be on page two, and someone else will be skimming page 6. You just lost control. Instead, we start by assuring everyone that we will email them a copy of the presentation after the meeting so they can review it again at their convenience. Now in the age of Covid, where we are have more TEAMS type video meetings, we can simply share the screen while moving through the presentation and email them a copy after. Heinrich hit on a very important point ... be concise! Usually the fewer words the better. Crap! .. I think I just broke that rule! ... Es tut mir leid!

[@FirmLearning]

Completely agree! Thanks for your insight!

[@vkj108]

Well said ..!!

[@jacksonitro]

Sometimes perfection is in the simplest

[@kwrer6087]

Check this out - Create Your Video Presentation & Make Them Very Appealing gawdo.com/collections/video-production-services/products/video-marketing-services-professionally-create-your-video-presentation Imagine you are giving a presentation before a large group of people your slides are full of text? How it’s going to create an impression of you? It can bore the audience, why because it is lacking that vibe that could hook the audience. So what’s that hook? Text, infographic? No. Those are Visuals, be it video or still images, turn out to be more powerful than a written text. Pictures and videos tend to attract the attention of the audience. Be it a corporate presentation or a simple presentation in a school, videos or images play a quintessential role without which a presenter appears mundane.

[@martinmusli3044]

:D Well said

[@rajadawn]

I can argue that nowhere on the internet will you find this detailed and focused and well taught clip on how to create slide titles for presentation. Good Job!!

[@FirmLearning]

Super kind of you, thank you for watching Raja! Best, Heinrich

[@judyl.7811]

0:10 action titles are most important elements in business slide presentation. 0:50 3 main parts: 1. relevance of action titles, 2. tangible tips on how to create, 3. exercises. 1:10 presentation should have storyline and the action titles bring the story to life. the point is, you will understand by just reading the action titles. 2:00 they will have many to read, such as project updates, progress report, deliverables. 2:30 horizontal logic: action titles; vertical logic: when they find interesting and read downward. 3:10 it is a summarization/ complete sentence. 4:05 so what: a project lead or a partner asks you an asso or consultant. 5:55 very hard statement are traps because some are might weird outliers. 8:00 don't just write the sentence for the sake of writing. 9:25 my try on action title: market analysis in the largest two business region. 10:45 action title: expansion to north american and asia pacific creates a positive EBIT potential. 11:15 ... of 22 mn.

[@FirmLearning]

🙌

[@FirmLearning]

As said in the end of the video, this video is an update on one of the first videos I released on this channel back in early 2020. Out of personal interest - did you watch the original video on this topic?

[@lukasmoller9434]

@Firm Learning „If in trubble, use a bubble“. Is this prove enough? :D

[@FirmLearning]

@@lukasmoller9434 Hi Lukas, that was another video, but yes that was also one of the early ones - love it!! :) Thanks for being a regular! Best, Heinrich

[@ajb229]

Yes

[@CptInsano835]

Yes

[@JohnLincolnUSA]

I use this method even though I was never in consulting. You are spot on and many folks just don’t get this! It’s the story. Period!

[@FirmLearning]

Start using think-cell with an extended free trial and Firm Learning-exclusive single licenses: link.firmlearning.com/think-cell-2022

[@matthewmurphy6681]

i'm a designer that has to do many of these from client briefs. i might not need to come up with these but it has definitely added a skill i can now use for my clients that might not be as skilled. thank you.

[@toshikitsutsumi2043]

Danke! As an incoming BCG asosciate who is graduating from undergraduate, I feel very prepared learning with your videos. Would love to see more on presenations and next-level insight!

[@FirmLearning]

That is awesome Toshiki, great to hear that. All the best to you for your start at BCG! Best, Heinrich

[@Cocomerise]

I worked for a VP and received feedback that I need actionable titles for each slide to tell a continuous story through the deck. Great tip and didn’t realise this was essential to storytelling

[@dlin4083]

Thanks for the video. The points I found extremely useful … 1:33 The most import element = Action Titles (Horizontal logic & Vertical logic) 3:10 The definition of Action Titles 3:40 So what? 7:52 Best practice 11:50 Exercise

[@gabrielalexander2735]

Big meeting tomorrow, so I knew there HAD to be something important like this on KZbin… perfect timing Heinrich, thanks! (Totally justifies my procrastination..?) 🙏🏻 😂

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Gabriel, what is better than procrastinating and (hopefully) learning something helpful at the same time :) Thanks for watching! Best, Heinrich

[@marcwun6347]

I'm working in an c level environment now after being in consulting for some and I am always amazed how many people are not doing this. Great video and shared amongst my colleagues. Thanks Heinrich!

[@CoachMahdiHussein]

Great style of delivering content and straight to the point.

[@NI-ek1bh]

I can’t believe this is free! Amazing value with so many layers of knowledge. Thank you, new subscriber!

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear! Thanks for the support!

[@TalkToMeGoose550]

This is an excellent video. Chock full of info without alot of fluff. Thank you!

[@DemetriPanici]

*"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." - Jimmy Dean*

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks for watching Demetri!

[@Daniel-wm9gj]

Genuinely love this channel. Since i have been watching, my slides have improved so much, to the extent that now at my company people always come to me for presentation help / to do slides for them as they love the visuals and content!

[@FirmLearning]

I am so glad that you have found the channel helpful! Thank you for your continued support! :)

[@authenticjourneys]

Wow that must feel incredible!

[@tamafun4745]

Thank you for your leadership on this initiative

[@ugurdonmez6441]

I love when a german enthusiastically speak german when i was looking for asmr videos. No complains though. Great video

[@FirmLearning]

Glad that you enjoyed it!

[@kurthaubrich9829]

I've used a very sloppy version of your method derived by trial and error. Thank you for clarifying some rules and guidelines for doing these. It will speed things up going forward. Will force me to ask the right questions as I revised and refine a presentation. I also appreciate your followers as there is a wealth of information in the comments. THANK YOU!

[@frak7190]

been a fan for a while, just landed my first consulting internship in undergrad at a boutique firm! Can't wait to learn more before I start!

[@FirmLearning]

That is awesome! Congratulations! Thanks for watching and supporting the channel :)

[@joaorataoo]

Very good, very helpful. In a 13 min video you've giving me what I really need to improve my next presentation. Thanks

[@ghiathalsalty5109]

Thanks Heinrich for sharing, seems small tips yet impactful 🌹

[@fataishuaib4728]

Really insightful, Heinrich. Thank you.

[@talkinghat88]

Very concise and skilfully presented. I checked my inbox in case there was already an invoice 👍.

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Eleph, thanks for your comment, very much appreciated. No invoice, but very thankful you joined as a member- appreciate it! :) Best, Heinrich

[@PimpoDiabolo]

I like that you upload confidential slides to you tube :)

[@FirmLearning]

No worries, nothing confidential / no slides from actual client projects used ;)

[@gladsondsouza9106]

One of the best, if not the best, video on presentation skill I have come across so far. 240 upvotes and 0 down votes says a lot about the quality. Keep it up. You should be proud.

[@FirmLearning]

Thank you for your kind words Gladson, super happy to hear the video is helpful! Best, Heinrich

[@adrianbhaskara2755]

This video is just so easy to follow and very useful! Thank you for sharing!

[@carlosumbert9363]

What a legend. Love this channel

[@juliestewart5707]

Thank you for the concise instructional video!

[@FirmLearning]

Glad to hear you liked the video, appreciate it Julie! Best, Heinrich

[@DP-bo4yw]

Excellent video and useful tips. Thank you for sharing.

[@Fasodre]

Thanks for detailed explanation. You rock! I’m learning a lot with your videos!!! Regards from Brazil 🇧🇷…

[@tomato3347]

Very helpful I will try for my next presentation thanks

[@thesonofasniper]

My final round interview for a consultant role is to use data to tell a story. Time to study this video 😅

[@jameschen3290]

It’s really helpful even though I have many business presentation experiences. Thanks!

[@FirmLearning]

That is awesome to hear - thank you for watching James! Best, Heinrich

[@ChristopheJacobson]

Thank you for the tips. Will try and implement them.

[@nikhilkumar201]

Got plenty of value out of this video. Thanks Heinrich!

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear Nikhil! Thanks for watching :)

[@shodapad07]

Thank you Heinrich. Gruß aus Hessen!

[@ziranduan]

Many thanks for this informative video!

[@footlongchen]

Thanks for making these! keep it up

[@FirmLearning]

Will do, thanks for watching Jeffrey! Best, Heinrich

[@GaneshPatil-vl4md]

Thanks for sharing! Many times, we tend to put slide titles 'more of Newspaper Eye Catcher style - Generic with potential to catch eyeballs'. Good to see that Action Titles help us summarize entire slide in a few words enabling possibly a quick decision making or information consumption...

[@mensrea1251]

So this is what a McKinsey-level presentation by Arnold Schwarzenegger would sound like. Interesting.

[@NoMoreMrIceGuy_]

I clicked for the information, but your accent kept me watching. I love it 😂

[@FirmLearning]

lol ;) thanks for watching! Best, H

[@DemetriPanici]

*"If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door." - Milton Berle*

[@FirmLearning]

Well said ;)

[@itzawrapone]

Useful info whether you are a consultant or not. Subscribed!

[@FirmLearning]

Glad to hear you liked the video, appreciate it Robert! Best, Heinrich

[@boonado1663]

Wow... This video is a lifesaver!

[@claudiuclement9550]

Another tip is: Don't include "CONFIDENTIAL" for a presentation that'll be seen by .5 mil people. Jokes aside, always great content Heinrich! Thanks!

[@FirmLearning]

Fair point ;) Thanks for watching Claudiu! Best, Heinrich

[@Suchit28]

Hi Heinrich, Can you please create more videos on storylining? This one was great like your other videos. Example: You got one problem statement from the client regarding product competitors' analysis. How would you proceed with that? You can also give more examples apart from competitors' analysis like partner identification, market sizing, etc. I want to understand the thought process that goes behind the creation of initial storylining, wireframes, and Mickey Mouse presentation Thanks

[@profMiguel]

Thank you. This presentation was very useful. :)

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks Miguel, happy to hear that!

[@charlesvanderhoog7056]

Thank you. This was excellent.

[@realboy090]

Thank you for the interesting insight! I used action titles usually at the bottom of the slide as some kind of summary of the key message. I will try to use them at the top from now

[@TheIm2Cool]

Thank you for this..... amazingly educational.

[@martinimate4336]

Insightful information, backed by examples and solidified through an interactive exercise. Im not even an consultant but just a student wanting to go in finance in the future. The help and insight that you are giving us viewers is truly valuable. Thank you!

[@FirmLearning]

I am so glad that you have found it helpful. Thanks for watching! :)

[@loudemaso]

This is extremely helpful!

[@FirmLearning]

Happy to hear that, thanks Louis!

[@mikechao7649]

Such great energy! Love it

[@Gorlenius]

Great insights thanks for sharing!

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks!

[@01rabzouze]

very helpful Thank you for sharing this,

[@basmakhaled9680]

Very Informative. Thank u!!

[@NikSept14]

Beautiful, thanks a lot

[@abiabraham6637]

Your videos are definitely getting better 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

[@FirmLearning]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching :)

[@twocentsworth3391]

Very helpful tip. Thank you

[@west298]

This action title video helps , thanks Heinrich

[@FirmLearning]

Glad to hear that! Thanks for watching! :)

[@meibing4912]

THE critical PP-tip - and one that I see violated again and again and again... Used to teach the financial sector in making effective PP, but its the same principles you need for any PP effective: 1) Thesis/topic sentence as header 2) facts in PP space 3) tell why facts lead to thesis/topic sentence. Works.

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear that you found the video helpful! Thanks for watching! :)

[@Hallie0524]

Very valuable!!! Immediate takeaways.

[@FirmLearning]

Super happy to hear the video is helpful - thank you Hallie! Best, Heinrich

[@agirmaus-lh9zi]

great job🙌

[@ADWJohnson48]

Really helpful, thanks for sharing

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear it is helpful, thank YOU for watching Adam! Best, Heinrich

[@kankonaki8162]

I have 1 one 1 weekly meeting with my boss and I will use your method. Thank you

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear! I hope you find it very helpful!

[@ankittripathi3851]

This is great stuff

[@FirmLearning]

Super happy to hear the video is helpful, thank you for watching Ankit! Best, H

[@yasminsangomsumpham2080]

Great one

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks, appreciate it! Best, Heinrich

[@hansheisenberg8737]

I don’t know why, but this class sinks in much more than paid PPT class. Maybe its because it’s essential and easy to mimic but either way you just helped senior consultant out of ppt crisis.

[@FirmLearning]

I am so glad that you found this helpful Hans! :)

[@matiasguillermotiscornia2754]

Heinrich, I started working for a Management Consulting firm and I’m struggling a little bit while presenting slides. When my team members present they usually add value on top of what is shown on the slide, and I find it difficult to present things other than the ones stated in the slides. Do you have any tips? Or could you make a video about this? I found this video very useful, and I also found very useful the video on top down communication, and the effective note taking video. Thank you for the content you create

[@FirmLearning]

I am so glad that you find the channel's content helpful! I will consider doing a video on this in the future! :)

[@kylemacarthur9863]

What if.... you took one of your data points, series or charts deliberately off your slide and then your value add is to verbally communicate that info?

[@marknold]

It’s a bit contradictory because if it’s interesting and useful it should be in the deck … but this sort of colourful conversation can help bring the data to life. Try: * I found it interesting that … * I saw something similar at one of your peer companies and the impact was … * In the analysis it looks like the root cause was a b and c. But …. if you really want to become a next level consultant, don’t “add value” but ask questions. Use your slides to start a conversation. Be bold and ask the client open questions like: * I’m curious, how does this aligns to your current thinking? * what additional blockers do you see? * What have we missed?

[@kylemacarthur9863]

@@marknoldwhat a great list of ideas to apply. I love it. Thanks.

[@eberaldo]

The general rule of thumb is to not add to many things to a slide, 3 main things should be the upper limit. It might be different with the graphs Heinrich is showing here, but more things usually mean more clutter, especially text. There should never be blocks of text - as he states, be concise. The presentation should be the guideline for your story to be told by you. They should have a reason to listen to you, as the could read it all otherwise. Also, elaborate on the things you present and involve the audience with questions and discussion.

[@demyandanyluk7399]

Thank you, Heinrich!

[@FirmLearning]

My pleasure!

[@hellocrappy]

Great tips, enjoyed the video very much

[@FirmLearning]

Glad it was helpful!

[@TheCitizenRemy]

Well done.

[@SharafAlSharif]

Excellent as usual. Thanks!

[@FirmLearning]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@martinhamilton9378]

I have a big interview presentation next year and found this really useful indeed. Thanks. Do you have any interview for high levels jobs tip videos?

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Martin, great to hear that, thanks! Recently did a video on the Personal Fit Videos, just check the channel. Hope this is helpful. Best! Heinrich

[@javisanchezs]

Great video with great practices!

[@FirmLearning]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching :)

[@larrymacdonald411]

I would like to see more about creating a storyline. A story has a beginning a middle and an end. It has conflict. It has a resolution. I assume there is a point to the story/presentation. Where is the introduction and conclusion, or is my question misplaced?

[@FirmLearning]

Sure I will consider making more videos on this in the future! In addition I have a course focused on consulting level presentations - this is linked in my video captions!

[@GreySpyder]

I wrote : 22m lost opportunities in N.America and APAC region. This is because I feel a negative statement is more shocking and causes the reader to pay attention. Corporates are always sugar coating things to a point where your just immune to the words like "opportunties" "gains" etc

[@FirmLearning]

Thank you very much for your input and supporting the channel!

[@CimolOk-nz5yj]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 📝 *Introduction to Action Titles in Business Presentations* - Introduction to the concept of Action Titles as crucial elements in business presentations. - Emphasis on the importance of creating strong Action Titles for slide presentations. 00:59 🧩 *Storyline Creation through Action Titles* - Discussion on how Action Titles bring a storyline to life in presentations. - The significance of understanding the entire presentation by reading just the Action Titles. 01:28 👔 *Importance of Action Titles for Senior Management* - Explains the necessity of Action Titles for busy senior management like CEOs and CFOs. - The concept of 'horizontal logic' in presentations through Action Titles enabling quick understanding. 02:26 🔍 *Vertical Logic and the Role of Action Titles* - Introduction of the concept of 'vertical logic' in presentations. - The role of Action Titles in guiding viewers to delve deeper into specific slides. 02:55 📊 *Defining and Creating Effective Action Titles* - Definition and characteristics of an effective Action Title. - Strategies for creating concise and informative Action Titles. 03:52 ❓ *The 'So What?' Test for Action Titles* - Importance of the 'So What?' test in determining the relevance of a slide. - Guidance on ensuring the Action Title clearly states the slide's significance. 05:20 🚫 *Common Mistakes in Writing Action Titles* - Discussion of common errors to avoid in writing Action Titles. - Tips on making Action Titles specific, quantifiable, and not overly broad. 08:12 🧠 *Exercise in Writing Action Titles* - A practical exercise in writing Action Titles for a given slide. - Examples and analysis of various Action Title formulations. 11:34 ✨ *Conclusion and Community Engagement* - Conclusion with an invitation for viewer engagement and feedback. - Mention of the presenter's journey and other available resources. Made with HARPA AI

[@FirmLearning]

Thanks for all these summaries!! Appreciate it. Best, Heinrich

[@rand39830]

Great video, as always =) but contradictory statements... You define an action title as a "complete sentence" ( 3:28 ) but then you say in 11:32 that it's not necessary to have complete (proper full) sentences. Then why would we use that definition in the first place?

[@FirmLearning]

Lets put it this way: Full sentence - yes! 100% gramatically correct, book-style sentence - not necessary ;) Thanks for watching!

[@martinhodell8465]

@@FirmLearning spot on

[@martinhodell8465]

You need to get the jist and not be legalistic. Complete thought- but not necessarily textbook prose. The point is to avoid doing the typical corporate style slide title (often 1-2 words that communicate no insight at all)

[@맥킨지니체시넥]

Heinrich, you are really amazing. I'm working hard on my resume for McKinsey, but I'm not getting hired well. I'll watch your video and get tips. Thank you.

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear you find the channel helpful! Best of luck :)

[@emiliepaltrinieri]

Do you have a video explaining how to develop a presentation's storyline and organize the content accordingly?

[@arifulislam-pc8dj]

Hi Emilie , IF you want I can Help you. I'm a professional presentation designer.

[@carlosde6228]

Action titles are great, but there is another lesson here - accuracy is important. Proof your slides and the numbers. So while the CEO may not notice it, a nerd who works for the VP, for works for the Sr VP, who works for the Ex VP will report that the graph you made has an errors and might doom your presentation. The "North America Atos currrent market share" + "The market share rise due to growth measures" is 678 EUR mn not the shown 662 EUR mn.

[@FirmLearning]

Great one! Yes definitely important to get the numbers right ;)

[@menschkeit1]

Does Firm Learning offer 1-1 coaching? I'm late entry-level at a big 4 firm and would like to work on skills needed to move up.

[@authenticjourneys]

Incredible content. So valuable. Thank you!

[@FirmLearning]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching :)

[@MrThandavans]

Extremely interesting and indeed very useful!

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear!

[@benjaminy.]

Hello there! Thank you so much for your wonderful and informative presentation and video. I’ve learned so much from your professional working experience, and I will apply whatever that you have learned.

[@FirmLearning]

Glad to hear you liked the video, appreciate it Benjamin! Great that you found the video to be helpful. Best, Heinrich

[@benjaminy.]

@@FirmLearning Hello! Thank you for your reply and acknowledgement. As I'm still taking my time to process through all of your view, would you comment on the use of the "zoom" feature available in Microsoft PowerPoint. Thank you, and what would be the most appropriate and suitable scenario to use such a feature. Also, I've observed one vast different between your slides and other slides is the minimal/or absolute zero use of animation. What is your opinion on the use of animation? Thank you

[@eberaldo]

@@benjaminy. it's simply a distraction. Often times the people watching the presentation will focus on the movement of things, rather than the information. Imagine watching a tree, suddenly a squirrel comes running up the tree. All of a sudden your focus is on the squirrel. Of course some animations help emphasize certain aspects, e.g. when you show a graph and want to focus the views on a certain part of it, so you would make a circle or a box appear around that area.

[@kmtaylor88]

As a former big 4 consultant, we were taught not to use 'buzzwords' in our presentations my how times have changed.

[@mortenfriis4688]

Spot on..

[@mevanonline]

Very useful

[@shazid4710]

Du hast gut gemacht . Bravoooo

[@FirmLearning]

You are welcome! Thanks for watching!

[@qwertz46444]

Very helpful thanks!

[@FirmLearning]

Great to hear that - thank you!

[@adrians9479]

Thank you !!

[@Sapient1989]

I find that many of our company's executives just slapped on tons and tons of data to fill up the space and I have been getting them to change with the use of action titles. Maybe they feel it's too cumbersome for them perhaps and wanting management to read and analyze the data while they are talking. Action titles do really make or break presentations as it either captures the attention of the management or they became interested and not wanting to hear you.

[@capitalblooper9517]

Das hat mir gefallen!

[@FirmLearning]

Das freut mich! LG

[@ajay0071]

I understood the action title well, but what does "so what" has to do with it. Does that mean that audiences think 'so what after taking a look at that title?

[@FirmLearning]

Hi Ajay, the So What is what you should include in the action title! Please also watch the other video on So What that I have linked in case the concept is not clear. Best! Heinrich

[@ajay0071]

@@FirmLearning thanks Heinrich!

[@jermiazhang]

New subscriber here. Thank you for this video!

[@FirmLearning]

Glad you liked it - thanks for watching and for subscribing Jermia! Best, Heinrich