5 Small Changes to Improve Your Presentations Forever!
About this video
Jeff breaks down real slides from McKinsey, Bain and BCG to show five low-effort techniques. First, never share a single data point in isolation: a BCG figure that 52% of respondents are optimistic about AI and 30% concerned means little until compared with five years ago, revealing a 17% jump in optimism and a 10% drop in concern that sets up the next slides. Comparisons can use time frames, benchmarking within a category, or benchmarking against a category average, as in a Bain example where Ethiopia’s 63% increase in a food production metric contrasts with 12% for the industry. Second, use the SCQA framework — Situation, Complication, Question, Answer — which he says every MBB deck he studied (over 50 presentations) used, opening with situation and complication, posing a question, and spending the rest answering it. Third, the Pyramid Principle: lead with the main point, then supporting reasoning, because executives want the answer first; Bain, for example, states upfront the metaverse will take another five to ten years to become popular, citing comparable technologies afterward. Fourth, use color with intention to focus attention, group related information, and improve readability of text-heavy slides. Fifth, know when to use a table instead of a chart — tables work better when precise values matter, such as year-on-year ranking changes. A bonus tip points to free tools Flaticon, SlidesCarnival and Color Hunt.
Key takeaways
- Never present a data point in isolation — add a comparison by time frame, category peer, or category average to control the narrative and push the story forward
- Structure presentations with SCQA: Situation and Complication at the start, a Question they raise, and the rest of the deck as the Answer
- Apply the Pyramid Principle: state the main conclusion first, then the findings that support it, instead of presenting chronologically
- Use color intentionally to direct attention, group related data for lower cognitive load, and make text-heavy slides more readable
- Use a table rather than a chart when precise values matter, such as rankings and year-on-year changes; use bar charts for category comparisons and line charts for trends
Episode details: published September 5, 2023 · 9:15 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Jeff Su’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.
← Previous: Beginner to Pro with ChatGPT in One Video! · Next: Here’s the BIGGEST Mistake Found on Resumes! →
All Jeff Su videos · Jeff Su profile · Jeff Su (official site)
