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This Pyramid Principle training and templates will help you to write an introduction, apply the Pyramid Principle and create a story board.
This training has been created by former Deloitte Consultant and includes 22 editable Powerpoint slides that can be reused for your own presentations.
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Objectives of this document
“ Improve your ability to resolve complex
problem by applying the Pyramid Principle –
Training & Templates created by former Deloitte
Consultants ”
“ Save your time by using our fully editable
PowerPoint slides that you can reuse for your
own presentation ”
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Table of content
Apply the Pyramid principle
Create a story board
2
3
Write the introduction1
Resolve complex problems with the Pyramid
Principle?
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Write an introduction which contains the situation, the complication and the
question
• A neutral description with facts that you know your audience will agree on
• Example: The company’s market is mature and doesn’t offer growth
opportunity anymore
The situation
• A desired change of the current situation
• Example: The CEO would like to increase his profit by reducing his cost by
10%
The complication
• The question that implicitly results from the complication
• Example: How can the company reduce its costs by 10%?
The question
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Table of content
Apply the Pyramid principle
Create a story board
2
3
Write the introduction1
Resolve complex problems with the Pyramid
Principle?
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Create a pyramid with your answer and supporting arguments - Template
Insert your answer
Insert your
supporting
argument
#1.1
Insert your
supporting
argument
#1.2
Insert your
supporting
argument
#1.3
Insert your
supporting
argument
#2.1
Insert your
supporting
argument
#2.2
Insert your
supporting
argument
#2.3
Insert your
supporting
argument
#3.1
Insert your
supporting
argument
#3.2
Insert your supporting
argument #1
Insert your supporting
argument #2
Insert your supporting
argument #3
Insert your
supporting
argument
#3,3
Insert your introduction’s question
Why or How?
Why or How?Why or How? Why or How?
To communicate in a structured way with a
busy executive, you should start with the
answer to the executive’s question first, and
then list your supporting arguments
Group, summarize and order logically your
supporting arguments
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The company can reduce its
cost by $5 millions through
some operational
improvements
Select
non-core
functions
Evaluate
cost and
service level
of potential
partners
Choose one
partner for
each
function
Design
current
processes
Compare
current
process to
best-in-
class
benchmarks
Adopt best
practices
based on
benchmarks
Select and
review
current
supplier
costs
Evaluate
cost of
potential
alternative
suppliers
Outsource non-core
functions to save $3
Millions
Simplify core functions
processes to save $1
Million
Review supplier cost to
save $1 Million
Renegotiate
supplier
contracts
and/or
choose
alternative
suppliers
How can the company reduce its cost by 10%?
Create a pyramid with your answer and supporting arguments - Example
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Ensure that your pyramid is Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive
(MECE)
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Ensure that each category of your pyramid doesn’t contain too many
subcategories
In this example, each category only contain 3
subcategories, which is the ideal number for
a clear communication
Why or How?
Why or How?Why or How? Why or How?
Ensure a vertical logic by answering the
question “why” or “how”
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You an also use an horizontal logic within your pyramid…
Horizontal logic at the first
level
Horizontal logic at the seond
level
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…by using a deductive logic…
The concept of deduction
Company X is not
profitable
Company Y is
profitable
Company Y
outsources its non
core functions
Company X should
outsource its non
core functions
A coherent and logic way of reasoning which automatically leads to a conclusion
Very convincing Sometimes hard to follow
Situation Observation
Conclusion
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…or an inductive logic
The concept of induction
Industry is attractive Competition is low Entry barriers are low
Company X should
invest in industry Y
A chain of non-related statements which make it possible to draw a certain conclusion
It is simple Link between conclusion and the
statements not always obvious
A list of independent statements
Conclusion
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The template below can be used to summarize the introduction, your answer
and the key hypotheses
• Situation: Replace the text by your own text
• Complication: Replace the text by your own text
• Question: Replace the text by your own text
• Replace the text by your own text
Insert supporting argument #1 Insert supporting argument #2 Insert supporting argument #3
First answer
Introduction
• Insert key message # 1
• Insert key message # 2
• Insert key message # 3
• Insert key message # 1
• Insert key message # 2
• Insert key message # 3
• Insert key message # 1
• Insert key message # 2
• Insert key message # 3
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Table of content
Apply the Pyramid principle
Create a story board
2
3
Write the introduction1
Resolve complex problems with the Pyramid
Principle?
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Based on your pyramid, identify the slides that you need to produce
Answer
Supporting
argument
#1.1
Supporting
argument
#1.2
Supporting
argument
#1.3
Supporting
argument
#2.1
Supporting
argument
#2.2
Supporting
argument
#2.3
Supporting argument #1 Supporting argument #2
Why or How?
Why or How?Why or How?
#
Introduction (situation,
complication and question)
Slide to be produced
1 2
73
4 5 6 8 9 10
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Then create a storyboard to have an overview of your presentation
1 2 3
4 5 6
Company’s profits
are decreasing
We should outsource
Competitor X is
profitable
Company X has
same revenue as us
But Company X has
lower cost
50% of his core functions
have been outsourced
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Ensure that your storyboard combines horizontal and vertical logic
1 2 3Key message #1 Key message #2 Key message #3
Horizontal logic: A presentation should be
easily understood by only reading the key
message of each slide
Vertical logic: Texts, diagrams and charts
should support the key message
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Summary
How to effectively communicate to Business
Executives through great and logical
presentation?
Create a MECE Pyramid with your answer and supporting arguments
Create a logical storyboard based on your Pyramid
2
3
Write an introduction containing the situation, complication and
question
1
Produce your slides with a horizontal and vertical logic4
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Sources of information
Sources of
information
Slidology: the art and science of creating
great presentations by Nancy Duarte
The McKinsey Way by Ethan Rasiel
The Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto
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