Page 128 - The New Articulate Executive_ Look, Act and Sound Like a Leader
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HOW TO MAKE A
POWERFUL DECK
PRESENTATION
Going by the Book
ike PowerPoint, presentation decks (sometimes also
Lreferred to as “books”) have evolved into a pervasive crutch with
the potential to do more harm than good, as in the following
example:
A managing director of a Wall Street firm watched in horror as
a presentation that could have been a piece of cake crumbled to
pieces in the hands of a brilliant new hire fresh out of Harvard Busi-
ness School. At stake were fees of some $30 million. The investment
bankers were in the final round of a hard-fought “bake-off” to
determine which firm would handle a large merger and acquisition.
Another investment bank was still in the running, so while hopes
were high, the outcome was still anything but certain.
The managing director led the presentation. Everything was
going smoothly. In a moment, he would ask this incredibly bright
young man with superior math and analytical skills to explain a
particular portion of the pitch that needed technical clarifi cation.
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