Powerpoint Slides Presentation

Lead with the answer. That is the consulting standard.

The structure is called pyramid principle or top-down communication. You start with your recommendation, then you support it with reasons, then you back those reasons with evidence. You do not build up to a conclusion at the end. You state it first.

A typical deck might look like this. First slide is the executive summary: here is what we found, here is what we recommend, here is the impact. Then you have a few slides supporting each part of the recommendation. Each slide has one clear message at the top, usually a full sentence that states the point, and the body of the slide proves that point.

Why this works: senior clients are busy. They want the answer fast. If they agree, they can skip the detail. If they push back, you have the evidence ready.

One common mistake beginners make is structuring like a school essay. Setup, analysis, then conclusion. That frustrates consulting audiences. They are waiting for you to get to the point.

Each slide should pass the "so what" test. If someone looks at it and asks "so what," the answer should be obvious from the headline. If not, rewrite the headline.

For templates, Google "McKinsey slide structure" or "pyramid principle presentation." You will find plenty of examples. But the core idea is simple: answer first, support second.

Hi there, 

If you are speaking to the written case interview, it is better to go with the answer-first approach (i.e., you start with the recommendation, then back it up with more details). Because in a consulting interview you are tested on your hypothesis driven approach. 

In a real project setting, whether we go answer-first or answer-last, depends on how receptive we expect the client would be with the recommendation. While usually we prefer to go answer-first, sometimes if we think the client is skeptical and would need time and data to be convinced, we might change to answer-last. 

Best,

Emily

There is not one format. 

But there are 5-7 types of slides that reflect about 80% of all slides.  

For instance

Action title provides the recommendation or main claim

Left half of the page contains an exhibit that supports / provides evidence for the claim in the title. 

Right half of the page are the insights from the exhibit that provide further depth to the topic and further support to the claim in the title

If you're interested in improving your presentation skills, reach out. I've worked with multiple consultants who wanted to improve this skill. 

Best,

Cristian

That is an excellent question. Understanding how to structure a narrative in a consulting presentation is fundamentally different from academic or corporate reporting, and it's the fastest way to signal that you understand how executives think.

In consulting, we never save the recommendation for the end. The standard practice, driven by the principles of the Pyramid Principle, is Answer First. You are dealing with busy clients who might only have ten minutes to grasp the core takeaway.

Your deck structure should reflect this:

1. The Executive Summary (1-2 slides): This opens the deck and must state the recommendation or core finding clearly. Example: "We recommend moving resources from Project X to Project Y immediately, as this will capture 80% of the potential market upside."

2. The "How We Got There" (The Analysis): This section provides the detailed evidence, data, charts, and analysis that supports the top-line recommendation.

3. The Path Forward (Next Steps): What happens tomorrow? This is the pragmatic action plan that follows the recommendation.

Crucially, this logic applies even at the individual slide level. Every single slide in the deck should have a full-sentence headline that functions as the slide's "So What?". The visual data below the headline only exists to prove that singular point.

Hope this helps you structure your next deck!

hey there :)

in consulting you almost always lead with the answer, so the first slide states the recommendation clearly and confidently, and everything that follows is there to support it. After that you show the key analyses and insights that explain why this is the right answer, usually grouped logically and synthesized into clear messages per slide. The storyline should feel like a clean argument rather than a report, with each slide answering one question and pushing the narrative forward. Happy to walk you through a simple example or review a deck if that helps.

best,
Alessa :)

It depends on the audience. You can start with the recommendation or end with the recommendation. 

If you start with the recommendation you will have a structuring slide in the beginning that explains the whole logic in a pyramid like structure. Then each slide will follow the logic of 1 slide - 1 message. Each message you present, you need to have evidence in the slide supporting that message. Evidence, not opinion.

Hi there,

Slides usually follow a top down logic. You typically start with the recommendation or key takeaway first, then support it with the analysis underneath (i.e. pyramid principle). Executives want the answer upfront, and the rest of the slide explains the why. That said, the storyline across the deck still flows logically from context to insight to implication. A simple rule of thumb is one clear message per slide, with the title stating the conclusion and the content backing it up.