How to improve slide writing skills as a non-native speaker

Hi there,

I 110% recommend getting a coach.

The thing is that consulting uses its own language and rules. It’s not incongruent with normal business English but it is stylistically very different.

Furthermore, in addition to ‘how’ you write on a sentence-by-sentence basis, it’s as equally important to structure the story of what you’re trying to say well.

The common mistakes I would always see in new analysts are:

• Titles/headers don't flow from slide to slide
• Inconsistent syntax
• Telling me the fact they discovered, not the deeper insight
• Too much/little detail
• Logically incomplete/inconsistent
• … I could go on, but I won’t.

In short, writing a loop of slides is a skill. It tells the reader an important and complicated insight in a digestible and indisputable way while pushing them to action. Unfortunately, an English coach just won’t understand this.

Hope that helps. Let me know if I can support you in your self-improvement (great personal insight, btw).

Cheers,

B.

Hi there,

the problem you are describing is something that most new consultants have - native speakers and non-native speakers alike.

Can you already write good action titles and bullet points on slides in your native language? 
If yes, why don't you do that, send the text through Google translate and finetune where needed? That sounds too simplistic, doesn't it?

If no (which is I think is probably more likely), you need to practice this skill more holistically and just an English teacher won't be the solution.

If you flip through a presentation deck, the action titles alone should tell the story comparable to an executive summary. There has to be an informative flow that reveals the key takeaways but also needs enough of an intro, a main part and a conclusion to make sense on a standalone basis. 

Bullet points should ideally all follow the same parallel wording style and provide additional insights, not just repeat what you can easily see on the slide already (e.g. on a chart or diagram). Of course, each firm has their own standards and preferences but the fundamental rules usually don't deviate that much.

If you feel like you need support with this, I would go with a consultant rather than an English tutor.

Best

Hi there,

It's hard to answer this via a written Q&A. It has to be trained.

As in, you need to work with a coach to actually physically create and edit your presentations.

Like, I can say here “be concise”, “keep the objective in mind”, “tell a story”, but none of this would hit home unless it is worked through live. Make sense?

Definitely get a case coach/consultant to help here!

Hi there,

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your question:

• First of all, it seems to be more of a literacy problem than a specific slide writing problem. Therefore, I don't think working with a coach will help you much in such a situation.
• Moreover, I would advise you to read extensively. Consulting reports, trade journals and the quality press can give you a feel for the language used in the industry and in general.
• Lastly, I would advise you not to stress too much about this subject. If a consulting firm offers you a job, they will know that these are purely technical skills that can easily be learned on the job.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

I love this question!

This is such an important. And it's something that you work at sharpening throughout your career as a consultant. 

I'd recommend that you:

• Find more opportunities to exercise it. e.g., volunteer to do the dot/dash or dummy deck when a new presentation needs to be presented
• Then seek feedback from your manager. Aim to understand HOW and WHY they would change the action title

In parallel, if you want to accelerate the learning process, consider a coach. 

Read also on executive / topdown communication (e.g., ‘The Pyramid Principle’).

Good luck!
Cristian

Hi there,

If you are already working on a consulting firm, you must ask first help inside. Ask your manager or peers to coach you on that. That is the way to go.

Best,

Alberto

—

Check out my latest case based on a real MBB interview: Sierra Springs

You learn slide writing by doing it. A lot.

Practicing is not difficult. You can start by your own post. Instead of writing a bunch of paragraphs, structure it in a way where you convey all the content in 3 short bullet points.

Let me stress this out for you: slide writting is mostly about being able to write in short bullet points (2 lines max). Do it for everything.