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more slides ≠ more credibility
You don't need eighty slides. You need eight strong ones and the nerve to take the meeting.
Slide bloat is fear in PowerPoint clothing. Consultants build long decks because they're afraid of running out of material in the room, but the long deck signals exactly the opposite of expertise. The expert closes the laptop and answers questions. The novice runs through slides. We walk through the Maven 8-slide consultant deck, what to cut, what to defend, and how to leave white space that says 'I know this cold.' Confidence is one slide. Anxiety is eighty.
The 80-slide deck · the 8-slide deck
| 80 slides | 8 slides |
|---|---|
| Signals anxiety | Signals expertise |
| Reads at the client | Talks with the client |
| No room for questions | Built for questions |
| Burns 90 minutes | Resolves in 40, leaves time |
The 8-slide build
- Slide 1: The question we're answering. One sentence.
- Slide 2: The current state. One image.
- Slide 3-5: Three findings. One per slide.
- Slide 6: The recommendation.
- Slide 7: The risks.
- Slide 8: The proposed next step.
An 80-slide deck is fear in PowerPoint. An 8-slide deck is expertise that doesn't need decoration. Walk in with eight. Close the laptop. Take the questions.
— L.A. Walton, The Book Maven
From the Maven Catalog
- Master Course — The Eight-Slide Deck
- eBook — Cut the Slides, Keep the Authority
- Toolkit — Consultant's Toolkit
- Planner — Client Project Planner
Build the 8-slide version. Walk in with confidence instead of armor. Answer the questions. The client hires you again. Every time.