Briefing Document: Principles of Persuasive Presentations
Executive Summary
This document synthesizes core strategies for creating and delivering persuasive presentations,
as outlined in the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations by Nancy Duarte. The central thesis
posits that excellence in communication is achieved through rigorous preparation, iteration, and
a fundamental shift in perspective: the audience, not the presenter, is the "hero" of the
story.Critical takeaways include:
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Audience Centricity: Effective presenters act as mentors, providing "magical tools"
and "gifts" to help the audience achieve their goals.
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The Big Idea: Every presentation must be distilled into a single sentence that combines
a unique point of view with a clear explanation of what is at stake.
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Narrative Structure: Persuasion is driven by the contrast between "what is" (the status
quo) and "what could be" (the future state or "new bliss").
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Visual Clarity: Slides should pass the "glance test,
" being comprehensible within three
seconds to ensure the audience remains focused on the speaker.
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Time Discipline: Presentations should be measured by impact, not duration.
Preparation should focus on planning content for only 60% of the allocated time slot to
allow for engagement and discussion.
I. Audience Analysis and Empathy
A presentation's success depends entirely on the audience's willingness to embrace or reject an
idea. Therefore, the presenter must approach the audience with humility and deep
understanding.
Understanding the Audience's Power
Presenters often fall into the trap of self-focus. To counter this, they must:
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Adopt a Mentor Mindset: View the audience as the hero (like Luke Skywalker) and
yourself as the mentor (like Yoda). Provide insights (gifts) and mindsets (magical tools)
to help them overcome obstacles.
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Map Transformation: Define the "transformation arc.
" Identify where the audience
starts (e.g., skepticism) and where they should end (e.g., excitement and action).
Segmentation and Targeting
Audiences are rarely homogenous. Presenters should segment them based on several factors:
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Demographics & Psychographics: Age, education, values, and lifestyle.
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Politics & Firmographics: Decision-making authority, revenue size, and industry.
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Stakeholder Influence: Identify the individual with the most influence (e.g., a specific
executive) and tailor the content to their specific needs while maintaining broad appeal.Presenting to Senior Executives
Executives require a different approach due to extreme time constraints and the need for quick
decision-making:
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Lead with the Bottom Line: State findings and recommendations immediately.
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The 10% Rule: Create a short summary at the beginning of the deck (approximately
10% of the total slide count) and move technical data to an appendix.
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The 5/30 Rule: If given 30 minutes, plan to present the summary in 5 minutes and use
the rest for discussion.
II. Message Development
The message is the "controlling idea" that compels change. It must be developed through a
process of divergent (idea generation) and convergent (filtering) thinking.
Defining the "Big Idea"
The Big Idea must be a complete sentence with a subject and a verb. It requires two
components:
1. A Point of View: A unique perspective, not just a topic (e.g.,
"We must restrict
development" vs.
"The wetlands").
2. The Stakes: A clear reason the audience should care (moving them away from pain or
toward pleasure).
Content Generation and Filtering
Brainstorming should occur away from presentation software to avoid linear thinking.
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Tactile Tools: Use sticky notes, whiteboards, and mind mapping.
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Anticipating Resistance: Prepare for three types of pushback:
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Logical: Challenges to reasoning.
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Emotional: Violations of biases or moral codes.
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Practical: Physical or financial barriers to action.
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Convergence: Filter ideas mercilessly. If an idea does not support the Big Idea, it must
be removed to avoid distracting the audience.
Call to Action (CTA)
A presentation must explicitly state what the audience is expected to do. Audience roles
typically fall into four categories:| Role | Responsibility || ------ | ------ || Doers | Instigate and
complete discrete tasks. || Suppliers | Provide financial, human, or material resources. ||
Influencers | Sway others to adopt or evangelize the idea. || Innovators | Generate new ideas
and strategies to spread the idea. |
III. Storytelling and Structure
Storytelling is the "currency of human contact.
" It creates a vivid, memorable framework for
facts.The Persuasive Story Pattern
Effective presentations utilize a three-part structure—Beginning, Middle, and End—to create
and resolve tension.
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The Beginning: Establish "what is" (the baseline) and introduce "what could be.
" The
gap between these two states creates the necessary dramatic tension.
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The Middle: Contrast "what is" and "what could be" repeatedly. Use the tension
between extremes (e.g., stagnation vs. growth, roadblock vs. clear passage) to build
momentum.
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The End: Describe the "new bliss"
—the state of the world once your idea is adopted.
Highlight benefits to the individual, their sphere, and the world.
S.T.A.R. Moments
To ensure a message is memorable, presenters should include a "Something They’ll Always
Remember" (S.T.A.R.) moment:
1. Shocking Statistics: Amplify numbers to make them visceral.
2. Evocative Visuals: Use emotionally potent imagery.
3. Memorable Dramatization: Bring the message to life through a prop or demonstration
(e.g., Bill Gates releasing mosquitoes).
4. Emotive Anecdote: A gripping personal story told with vulnerability.
IV. Media and Slide Design
The choice of media should be determined by the audience's preferences and the venue's
intimacy.
Media Selection
●
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Formal vs. Informal: Large audiences may require polished visuals, while a small
group might respond better to a whiteboard session that feels collaborative.
Beyond the Stage: Communication should occur before (prereading, agendas), during
(props, cards), and after (surveys, follow-up tools) the talk.
The "Glance Test" for Slides
Slides are visual aids, not teleprompters. They should be simple enough to be processed in
three seconds.
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Limit Text: Turn off master prompts and start with blank slides.
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One Idea Per Slide: Avoid crowding multiple points. Slides are free; use as many as
needed to maintain clarity.
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Avoid Visual Clichés: Reject the first idea (e.g., a bull's-eye for a "target") in favor of
unique metaphors.
Data Visualization and Diagrams
Data should be clarified, not just displayed.
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Highlight Importance: Use a "rich color" for the data point you are discussing and gray
for everything else.●
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Tell the Truth: Avoid 3-D effects that distort scale.
Diagram Types: Replace bullet points with diagrams to show relationships:
Network: Hub-and-spoke or rings.
Segment: Donut or pie.
Join: Hooks or overlaps.
Flow: Loops or linear arrows.
Stack: Pyramids or layers.
V. Preparation and Time Management
Excellence emerges from iteration and rehearsal. As Woodrow Wilson noted, shorter talks
require significantly more preparation time than long ones.
The 60% Rule
Plan to speak for only 60% of the scheduled time. For a 60-minute slot, prepare 40 minutes of
content. This accommodates:
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Spontaneous Q&A.
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Technical delays.
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Audience interaction.
Rehearsal Strategies
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Clocking Up vs. Clocking Down: Initially, practice with a clock counting up to see
where the talk is running long. Once the content is trimmed, practice with a timer
counting down to hit specific time stamps (e.g., knowing exactly where you should be at
the 10-
, 20-
, and 30-minute marks).
●
Two Ending Points: Have a "false ending" (summary) and a "real ending" (rousing
story). If time runs short, you can cut the second ending without losing the core
message.
