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This is blog 12 of the 16-part blog series on Orals Coaching. To see the previous blogs, click here.  In this blog, I’m covering part 3 of the static presentation deck development tips. In the first blog, we discussed Roles and Responsibilities for the deck development. In the last blog, we discussed Developing a Compliant Outline. In this blog, we’ll cover transitioning your outline to deck development. 

Transition From Outline to Deck Development

Once you have a compliant annotated outline of the content, cut and paste the outline as slide titles and slide content into the deck, using the standard style and slide formats. Your deck development team can begin brainstorming how to graphically depict the content of each slide, if or when a graphic makes sense.  

Much like an individual paragraph in a written document, a single slide tells a discrete, stand-alone story using words, graphics, and pictures. Using blank paper, flip charts, or whiteboards, begin sketching potential graphics to illustrate the content and enhance the slide's meaning. If you have a graphic designer on staff, send rough drawings to them so that they can create initial mockups to test the ideas before spending a lot of time on them. Some teams are exploring the use of artificial intelligence to generate initial ideas. Although this approach may facilitate brainstorming and idea generation, it is essential that a subject matter expert review and revise the graphic, as AI cannot substitute for authentic, original insights. 

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel 

One common pitfall at the initial stage of deck development is the use of non-standard processes and procedures as part of the presentation content. I recommend that you consult industry standards and best practices before developing a diagram or process flowchart. Reinventing industry standards will waste valuable development time and resources and can create confusion in the presentation. Starting with industry standards not only saves time but also makes briefing easier and allows the team to quickly move from the standards everyone already knows to the specifics that differentiate the team. 

Follow Your Written Proposal Development Process

The process for developing a static presentation or deck is very similar to that for any written proposal document. You first develop a compliant outline and assign writers, then develop and review the content during your internal review. In this section, we will focus on the parts of the process that are specific or unique to static presentation development, icluding the skill needed and the pitfalls. I’ll refer to the written static presentation submitted to the government as part of the written proposal as the “deck” and “static presentation” interchangeably. 

Get Agreement from the Beginning 

One of the pitfalls of static presentation development, unique to graphics-intensive documents, is what I call “I’ll know it when I see it” (IKIWISI) feedback. IKIWISI happens when deck reviewers give different and constantly changing comments, causing chaos, lots of extra work and unnecessary changes. To avoid IKIWISI, the mock technical evaluation board members you use for your rehearsals should also be part of the review process from the very beginning and help with the initial design of slides. I strongly recommend that you keep the same reviewers throughout the process and remind them of decisions and feedback already given to the writers and graphics developers. Agreement among reviewers on the deck's course will focus the development team and reduce needless churn. Ask the same group of reviewers to critique the static presentation as a stand-alone document to be graded separately and as part of an integrated oral presentation. This approach cultivates agreement and avoids the pitfalls of developing a deck that works as an independent written proposal artifact but is difficult to present.  

Integrate the Presentation Team Early

Because of strict requirements in the solicitation, individual availability, and cost considerations, sometimes the best person to develop the slide content in the deck isn’t the person assigned to present that content. My large business clients often have junior staff develop the presentation content, and then the “Pros From Dover” come in to present it. I’m frequently asked to coach a team after the deck has been developed, only to learn that the presentation team had little or no input into the deck or their specific slides. While this is sometimes unavoidable when the presentation team has not been identified during deck development, it makes rehearsals challenging. Some issues that typically come up are: 

• The presenter does not agree with the content of the slide 
• The presenter does not understand the content of the slide 
• The presenter finds an error on the slide 
• The slide’s flow does not make sense and is hard to brief

Integrating the presentation team early into the design and development process, including reviewing the initial outline and draft speaking assignments, helps avoid these issues and significantly improves the deck development process.  

What I’ve learned in these situations is that the presentation team has the greatest incentive to thoroughly review and ensure the quality of the content before it’s finalized. The act of presenting brings out all the issues with the static presentation brief. Bottom line, your presentation team will be your best and most invested static presentation reviewers, so include them in your development process from the beginning, having them review their speaking assignments, presentation content, anticipated timing, and the presentation’s flow. Have the team practice their presentation throughout the development process to identify issues that only show up during the oral presentation. These practices start with walking through the deck and end with a full rehearsal in front of a mock TEB before going final and submitting it to the government.  

Develop Standard Styles and Master Templates

One of the hardest parts of developing a static presentation is maintaining a consistent look and feel across a long presentation with multiple writers contributing content. When you start the process with standard style and slide templates, you reduce the amount of work the graphics lead will have to do correcting these issues after the fact. Some of the standards that are used to develop and integrate into the template deck are: 

• Slide Formats 
• Color schemes 
• Headers and footer 
• “Bumper sticker” location and format  
• Annotations and other  “breadcrumbs”  
• Example Tables, Process charts, and other flow diagrams 

Read more about recommended slide formats in this blog.  

Build a Cohesive and Effective Deck 

Static presentations are a critical part of most oral presentations. Careful planning and collaboration all contribute to success. By starting with a compliant outline, leveraging industry standards, and integrating the presentation team early, you can create a deck that not only meets requirements but also tells a compelling story. Remember, consistency in style and format, along with clear communication among team members, will ensure a polished and professional final product. Ready to take your orals preparation to the next level? Contact us today to learn how our expert coaching and deck developers can help your team deliver winning presentations! 

Written by  Jeff Everage  

Jeff is the President and Founder of Trident Proposal Management. As a GovCon Oral Presentation Coach for more than 15 years, Jeff has coached more than 100 teams to success. His insights into oral coaching, gained from the trenches of coaching, are designed to support you and your team in your efforts. As a Navy veteran, Jeff resides in Southern California and provides support to clients worldwide as part of our globally dispersed team.