Part 1: Storytelling
Creating a deck is about telling the story of your vision.
I like to approach visualizing the story of a company in one of two ways:
1. Big to Small
Think of starting out in space then zooming in closer and closer to earth, like in this video:
Out in space, you’re describing the marketplace, then you get to the need/opportunity, then you get to company specifics, etc. You’re getting more and more concrete until you’ve successfully shown that your company will solve this marketplace need.
2. A Varied Path
Another way of visualizing your story is thinking about a journey, a path. Taking your audience across a flat plain would be so boring.
But taking your audience through an exciting landscape of peaks and valleys will be engaging.
Part 2: Story Tips
1. Make Your Title WORK
Don’t use weak titles like “The Problem” or “The Solution” – those are a waste of space! Use titles like “Current treatment has critical issues” or “[Product X] fits effectively into surgical workflow”
2. TELL your audience what to think about the information
Always provide a takeaway. Don’t just present a bunch of data or charts or information.
You don’t want to make your audience work too hard to draw their own conclusions — or leave them to draw the wrong conclusions.
3. Storytelling: Emotion + Logic
Hooking your audience with key moments of emotion can lead to engagement. And I’m not talking emotion like the end of Titanic – I’m talking emotion like Al Gore building his argument for an Inconvenient Truth by making the audience feel the disastrous effects of global warming.
Take opportunities to draw your audience in through a compelling story or by creating a feeling of urgency – a desire to solve a problem for example.
