As a consultant, you are often required to present your ideas and solutions to your clients in a clear and convincing way. A consulting presentation is more than just a collection of slides; it is a powerful tool to communicate your value proposition, showcase your expertise, and persuade your audience to take action. But how do you create a consulting presentation that stands out from the crowd and delivers the desired results?

According to a study by McKinsey, presentation design can have a significant impact on the effectiveness and credibility of consultants. The study found that consultants who used well-designed presentations were rated 17% higher on their overall performance, 25% higher on their analytical skills, and 30% higher on their creativity than those who used poorly-designed presentations. Moreover, well-designed presentations can also help consultants build rapport, trust, and confidence with their clients, as well as increase their engagement, retention, and satisfaction .

In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about presentation design for consultants. You will discover how to structure your consulting presentation, how to design your consulting presentation, and how to deliver your consulting presentation. By following the tips and examples in this article, you will be able to create consulting presentations that are clear, logical, visually appealing, professional, compelling, and engaging. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this article will help you take your presentation design skills to the next level and boost your impact and credibility as a consultant.

Part 1: How to Structure Your Consulting Presentation

One of the most important aspects of presentation design is the structure. A well-structured presentation helps you convey your message in a clear, logical, and cohesive way. It also helps your audience follow your presentation, understand your points, and remember your key takeaways. A poorly-structured presentation, on the other hand, can confuse, bore, or frustrate your audience, and undermine your credibility and impact as a consultant.

So how do you create a clear, logical, and cohesive structure for your consulting presentation? Here are some basic principles to follow:

• Start with the end in mind. Before you start creating your presentation, you need to have a clear idea of what your objective and your main message are. What do you want your audience to know, feel, or do after your presentation? What is the one thing you want them to remember? Your objective and your main message should guide your presentation structure and content.
• Use a common framework. A common framework for consulting presentations is the executive summary – table of contents – title – sections – conclusion – appendix. This framework helps you organize your presentation into a logical flow and a coherent story. Here is what each part of the framework entails:
  • Executive summary: A brief overview of the main problem, solution, and recommendation. This part should capture the attention and interest of your audience, and provide them with the key takeaways of your presentation. It should also answer the question: “What is this presentation about and why should I care?”
  • Table of contents: A roadmap of the presentation and the key sections. This part should give your audience an idea of what to expect from your presentation, and how it is structured. It should also help them navigate your presentation and find the information they need.
  • Title: A catchy and informative headline that summarizes the main message of the presentation. This part should communicate the value proposition and the benefit of your presentation, and entice your audience to listen to you. It should also answer the question: “What is the main point of this presentation and why is it relevant to me?”
  • Sections: The main body of the presentation, where you present your analysis, findings, and arguments in a logical order. This part should support your main message and your recommendation, and provide evidence and reasoning for your claims. It should also answer the question: “How did you arrive at this conclusion and why should I trust you?”
  • Conclusion: A summary of the main points and the key takeaways for the audience. This part should reinforce your main message and your recommendation, and provide a clear call to action for your audience. It should also answer the question: “What do you want me to do next and why is it important?”
  • Appendix: A collection of additional or supporting information that can be referenced if needed. This part should contain any details, data, or explanations that are not essential for your main message, but may be useful for some audience members or for answering questions. It should also answer the question: “Where can I find more information or clarification if I need it?”
• Use headings, subheadings, bullet points, and transitions. These elements help you organize your content and guide your audience through your presentation. Here are some tips and examples of how to use them effectively:
  • Headings: Use headings to divide your presentation into sections and sub-sections, and to indicate the topic and the purpose of each section. Headings should be clear, concise, and consistent. They should also match the table of contents and the title. For example, if your title is “How to Increase Sales by 20% in 6 Months”, your headings could be: “Executive Summary”, “Table of Contents”, “The Problem: Declining Sales”, “The Solution: A New Marketing Strategy”, “The Recommendation: Implement the Strategy in 3 Phases”, “Conclusion”, and “Appendix”.
  • Subheadings: Use subheadings to further break down your sections into smaller and more specific topics. Subheadings should be descriptive, informative, and relevant. They should also follow a logical sequence and a parallel structure. For example, if your section is “The Solution: A New Marketing Strategy”, your subheadings could be: “The Goal: Increase Sales by 20% in 6 Months”, “The Target: Existing and Potential Customers”, “The Message: A Unique Value Proposition”, “The Channel: A Mix of Online and Offline Media”, and “The Budget: A Cost-Effective and Flexible Plan”.
  • Bullet points: Use bullet points to list your main points, arguments, or findings in a concise and readable way. Bullet points should be short, simple, and specific. They should also highlight the most important or relevant information and avoid unnecessary details or repetition. For example, if your subheading is “The Goal: Increase Sales by 20% in 6 Months”, your bullet points could be: “- Current sales: $10 million per month”, “- Desired sales: $12 million per month”, “- Growth rate: 3.33% per month”, and “- Time frame: January to June 2024”.
  • Transitions: Use transitions to connect your sections, sub-sections, and bullet points, and to show the relationship and the flow between them. Transitions should be clear, smooth, and appropriate. They should also signal the direction and the progression of your presentation and help your audience follow your logic and reasoning. For example, you can use transitions such as: “Now that we have seen the problem, let’s move on to the solution”, “Within the solution, there are four key components: the goal, the target, the message, and the channel”, “The first component is the goal, which is to increase sales by 20% in 6 months”, “To achieve this goal, we need to identify our target audience, which is existing and potential customers”, and so on.

Part 2: How to Design Your Consulting Presentation

Another important aspect of presentation design is the visual design. A well-designed presentation helps you convey your message in a visually appealing and professional-looking way. It also helps your audience focus on your content, understand your points, and remember your key takeaways. A poorly-designed presentation, on the other hand, can distract, confuse, or annoy your audience, and undermine your credibility and impact as a consultant.

So how do you create a visually appealing and professional-looking presentation? Here are some basic principles to follow:

• Use colors, fonts, images, icons, charts, graphs, and other visual elements to enhance your presentation. These elements help you add variety, interest, and emotion to your presentation. They also help you illustrate, emphasize, or simplify your points, and make your presentation more engaging and memorable. Here are some best practices for choosing and using these elements effectively:
  • Colors: Use colors to create contrast, hierarchy, and harmony in your presentation. Colors can also convey different meanings, moods, or emotions, depending on the context and the culture. For example, red can signify danger, urgency, or passion, while green can signify growth, health, or sustainability. Choose colors that match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use a limited and consistent color palette, and avoid using too many or too bright colors that can clash or strain the eyes. You can use online tools such as Adobe Color or Coolors to create or find color schemes for your presentation.
  • Fonts: Use fonts to create clarity, readability, and personality in your presentation. Fonts can also convey different styles, tones, or impressions, depending on the typeface and the size. For example, serif fonts can signify tradition, elegance, or authority, while sans serif fonts can signify modernity, simplicity, or innovation. Choose fonts that match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use a limited and consistent font family, and avoid using too many or too fancy fonts that can clash or distract. You can use online tools such as Google Fonts or Font Squirrel to find or download fonts for your presentation.
  • Images: Use images to create visual appeal, interest, and emotion in your presentation. Images can also convey different messages, stories, or metaphors, depending on the content and the context. For example, a picture of a mountain can signify challenge, achievement, or aspiration, while a picture of a smile can signify happiness, satisfaction, or gratitude. Choose images that match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use high-quality and relevant images, and avoid using low-quality, generic, or irrelevant images that can dilute or confuse your message. You can use online tools such as Unsplash or Pexels to find or download free images for your presentation.
  • Icons: Use icons to create visual simplicity, clarity, and consistency in your presentation. Icons can also convey different concepts, categories, or functions, depending on the shape and the symbol. For example, a magnifying glass can signify search, analysis, or discovery, while a check mark can signify success, completion, or approval. Choose icons that match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use simple and recognizable icons, and avoid using complex, ambiguous, or unfamiliar icons that can confuse or mislead your audience. You can use online tools such as Flaticon or Iconfinder to find or download free icons for your presentation.
  • Charts and graphs: Use charts and graphs to create visual data, information, and insights in your presentation. Charts and graphs can also convey different patterns, trends, or comparisons, depending on the type and the format. For example, a pie chart can signify proportions, percentages, or segments, while a line chart can signify changes, movements, or fluctuations. Choose charts and graphs that match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use clear and accurate charts and graphs, and avoid using misleading, confusing, or cluttered charts and graphs that can distort or obscure your data. You can use online tools such as Canva or Infogram to create or customize charts and graphs for your presentation.
• Use contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity to create a consistent and harmonious layout for your presentation. These principles help you create visual balance, order, and unity in your presentation. They also help you guide your audience’s attention, focus, and understanding of your presentation. Here are some tips and examples of how to use them effectively:
  • Contrast: Use contrast to create visual difference, emphasis, and interest in your presentation. Contrast can be created by using different colors, fonts, sizes, shapes, or positions of your elements. For example, you can use a dark background and a light text to create contrast and readability, or you can use a large font and a bold text to create contrast and hierarchy. Use contrast to highlight the most important or relevant elements of your presentation, and avoid using too little or too much contrast that can make your presentation dull or chaotic.
  • Alignment: Use alignment to create visual order, connection, and organization in your presentation. Alignment can be created by using the same or similar edges, margins, or centers of your elements. For example, you can use a left alignment and a consistent margin to create order and connection between your text and your images, or you can use a center alignment and a symmetrical layout to create balance and organization for your title and your logo. Use alignment to create a clear and logical layout for your presentation, and avoid using random or inconsistent alignment that can make your presentation messy or confusing.
  • Repetition: Use repetition to create visual consistency, coherence, and identity in your presentation. Repetition can be created by using the same or similar colors, fonts, images, icons, charts, graphs, or other elements throughout your presentation. For example, you can use the same color palette and font family to create consistency and coherence between your slides, or you can use the same image style and icon set to create identity and branding for your presentation. Use repetition to create a unified and recognizable look and feel for your presentation, and avoid using too much or too little repetition that can make your presentation boring or inconsistent.
  • Proximity: Use proximity to create visual relationship, grouping, and separation in your presentation. Proximity can be created by using the same or different spaces, distances, or positions of your elements. For example, you can use a small space and a close distance to create relationship and grouping between your text and your bullet points, or you can use a large space and a far distance to create separation and distinction between your sections and your sub-sections. Use proximity to create a meaningful and organized layout for your presentation, and avoid using too much or too little proximity that can make your presentation crowded or disconnected.

Resources and Tools for Presentation Design

If you want to learn more about presentation design or find some useful resources and tools for creating and designing your presentation, here are some suggestions:

• Books: There are many books that can teach you the theory and the practice of presentation design, such as slide:ology by Nancy Duarte, Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds, and The Non-Designer’s Presentation Book by Robin Williams.
• Blogs: There are many blogs that can provide you with tips, examples, and inspiration for presentation design, such as Duarte, Presentation Guru, and SlideShare.
• Courses: There are many courses that can help you learn and improve your presentation design skills, such as Presentation Design Masterclass, PowerPoint for Business Professionals, and Designing Effective Presentations.
• Templates: There are many templates that can help you create and design your presentation quickly and easily, such as Mad Creative Beanstalk, SlidesCarnival, SlideModel, and Envato Elements.

Part 3: How to Deliver Your Consulting Presentation

The final aspect of presentation design is the delivery. A well-delivered presentation helps you convey your message in a compelling and engaging way. It also helps you connect with your audience, influence their emotions, and persuade them to take action. A poorly-delivered presentation, on the other hand, can undermine your message, your credibility, and your impact as a consultant.

So how do you deliver a compelling and engaging presentation? Here are some basic principles to follow:

• Prepare and rehearse your presentation. Preparation and rehearsal are essential for delivering a successful presentation. They help you master your content, your structure, and your delivery, and increase your confidence and fluency. They also help you anticipate and overcome any potential challenges or difficulties that may arise during your presentation. Here are some best practices for preparing and rehearsing your presentation effectively:
  • Know your audience and their expectations, needs, and preferences. Before you deliver your presentation, you need to have a clear idea of who your audience is and what they want from you. What is their background, level of knowledge, and interest in your topic? What are their goals, challenges, and pain points? What are their opinions, attitudes, and beliefs? How do they prefer to receive and process information? Knowing your audience and their expectations, needs, and preferences will help you tailor your presentation accordingly, and make it more relevant, useful, and persuasive for them.
  • Know your objective and your main message, and tailor your presentation accordingly. Before you deliver your presentation, you also need to have a clear idea of what your objective and your main message are. What do you want your audience to know, feel, or do after your presentation? What is the one thing you want them to remember? Your objective and your main message should guide your presentation content and delivery, and help you focus on the most important and relevant information and arguments for your audience.
  • Know your content and your structure, and practice your presentation until you are confident and fluent. Before you deliver your presentation, you also need to have a clear idea of what your content and your structure are. What are the key points, arguments, and findings that support your main message and your recommendation? How are they organized and presented in a logical and coherent way? Knowing your content and your structure will help you deliver your presentation with confidence and fluency, and avoid any mistakes or gaps in your presentation. To achieve this, you need to practice your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror, a recorder, or a friend, and get feedback and improvement suggestions.
  • Know your timing and your pace, and adjust your presentation to fit the allotted time and the audience’s attention span. Before you deliver your presentation, you also need to have a clear idea of how long your presentation will take, and how fast or slow you will speak. Your timing and your pace should match the allotted time and the audience’s attention span, and ensure that you cover all the essential information and arguments without rushing or dragging. To achieve this, you need to time your presentation during your practice sessions, and make any necessary adjustments to your content or your delivery. You also need to check the actual time and the equipment before your presentation, and be prepared for any changes or interruptions that may occur during your presentation.
• Use your voice, body language, eye contact, and gestures to convey your personality and enthusiasm for your presentation. These elements help you create a personal and emotional connection with your audience, and show your passion and credibility for your presentation. They also help you express your tone, mood, and attitude, and influence your audience’s emotions and reactions. Here are some tips and examples of how to use them effectively:
  • Voice: Use your voice to create variety, interest, and emotion in your presentation. Your voice can also convey different meanings, moods, or impressions, depending on the volume, pitch, tone, and speed. For example, a loud and high-pitched voice can signify excitement, enthusiasm, or urgency, while a soft and low-pitched voice can signify calmness, seriousness, or confidence. Use your voice to match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use a clear and audible voice, and avoid using a monotone, a whisper, or a shout that can bore, strain, or annoy your audience. You can also use pauses, emphasis, and inflection to create rhythm, contrast, and emphasis in your presentation.
  • Body language: Use your body language to create posture, movement, and expression in your presentation. Your body language can also convey different messages, stories, or metaphors, depending on the position, orientation, and gesture of your body. For example, a straight and upright posture can signify confidence, professionalism, or authority, while a slouched and hunched posture can signify insecurity, laziness, or weakness. Use your body language to match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use a relaxed and natural posture, and avoid using a stiff, rigid, or nervous posture that can make you look uncomfortable or unprepared. You can also use movement and expression to create energy, interest, and emotion in your presentation.
  • Eye contact: Use eye contact to create attention, connection, and trust in your presentation. Eye contact can also convey different levels of interest, respect, or honesty, depending on the frequency, duration, and direction of your gaze. For example, a frequent and long eye contact can signify interest, respect, or honesty, while a rare and short eye contact can signify boredom, disrespect, or dishonesty. Use eye contact to match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use a moderate and balanced eye contact, and avoid using too much or too little eye contact that can make you look aggressive or evasive. You can also use eye contact to scan, focus, or acknowledge your audience, and to show your awareness and responsiveness to their feedback and reactions.
  • Gestures: Use gestures to create visual illustration, emphasis, and emotion in your presentation. Gestures can also convey different concepts, categories, or functions, depending on the shape, size, and movement of your hands and arms. For example, a pointing gesture can signify direction, location, or identification, while a clasping gesture can signify agreement, support, or appreciation. Use gestures to match your message, your brand, and your audience. Use appropriate and meaningful gestures, and avoid using inappropriate, meaningless, or excessive gestures that can distract or offend your audience. You can also use gestures to complement, reinforce, or replace your verbal communication, and to make your presentation more engaging and memorable.
• Handle questions, feedback, and objections from your audience, and end your presentation with a strong call to action. These elements help you create interaction, dialogue, and persuasion in your presentation. They also help you address any doubts, concerns, or objections that your audience may have, and to motivate them to take action. Here are some tips and examples of how to handle them effectively:
  • Questions: Use questions to create curiosity, interest, and involvement in your presentation. Questions can also help you clarify, explain, or expand on your points, and to check your audience’s understanding and satisfaction. You can ask questions to your audience, or answer questions from your audience, depending on the purpose and the format of your presentation. When asking questions, use open-ended, relevant, and thought-provoking questions, and give your audience enough time and opportunity to respond. When answering questions, use clear, concise, and honest answers, and acknowledge and appreciate your audience’s questions. You can also use questions to lead or redirect your audience to your main message or your recommendation.
  • Feedback: Use feedback to create evaluation, appreciation, and improvement in your presentation. Feedback can also help you measure your performance, your impact, and your value as a consultant, and to identify your strengths and weaknesses. You can give feedback to your audience, or receive feedback from your audience, depending on the purpose and the format of your presentation. When giving feedback, use constructive, specific, and actionable feedback, and focus on the behavior, not the person. When receiving feedback, use positive, respectful, and grateful feedback, and listen, learn, and act on the feedback. You can also use feedback to build rapport, trust, and confidence with your audience, and to show your professionalism and credibility as a consultant.
  • Objections: Use objections to create challenge, debate, and persuasion in your presentation. Objections can also help you address any resistance, disagreement, or criticism that your audience may have, and to overcome any barriers or obstacles to your recommendation. You can anticipate, prevent, or handle objections from your audience, depending on the purpose and the format of your presentation. When anticipating or preventing objections, use proactive, preemptive, and persuasive arguments, and provide evidence and reasoning for your claims. When handling objections, use respectful, empathetic, and confident responses, and acknowledge, understand, and resolve your audience’s objections. You can also use objections to show your expertise, your flexibility, and your value as a consultant, and to strengthen your relationship and your influence with your audience.
  • Call to action: Use a call to action to create motivation, urgency, and action in your presentation. A call to action is a clear and specific request or instruction that you want your audience to follow after your presentation. It can be a decision, a commitment, a purchase, a subscription, a registration, a donation, a referral, or any other action that is relevant and beneficial for your objective and your recommendation. Use a call to action to end your presentation with a strong and memorable impression, and to move your audience from passive listeners to active participants. When creating a call to action, use a simple, direct, and persuasive language, and provide a clear and easy way for your audience to take action. For example, you can say: “If you are ready to increase your sales by 20% in 6 months, sign up for our free consultation today and get started on your new marketing strategy.”

Conclusion

Presentation design is a vital skill for consultants, as it helps them communicate their ideas and solutions to their clients in a clear, convincing, and compelling way. By learning and applying the skills of presentation design, consultants can boost their impact and credibility, and increase their chances of success and satisfaction.

In this article, you have learned how to structure, design, and deliver your consulting presentation, using the tips and examples provided. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this article has hopefully helped you improve your presentation design skills and take them to the next level.

We would love to hear from you. What are your thoughts, questions, or experiences with presentation design? Please share them in the comments section below or on our social media channels. Thank you for reading and happy presenting!