3 Steps to Turn a Report into an

Executive Presentation— plan and

deconstruct your report and reconstruct your
Storyboard as a PowerPoint presentation.
Step 1 - PLAN
You have gathered and analyzed some interesting budget, operations, research, or workforce data and
described your findings in a written report for your work team. Now it’s time to brief top-level executives on
this valuable information. Your purpose is to summarize (“Executize”) the data and communicate its
significance without overwhelming your audience with too much detail. To turn your report into a tailored
presentation that meets the needs of those executives, use a three-step approach: PLAN, DECONSTRUCT,
RECONSTRUCT.

Step 1: Plan your presentation. However imminent your deadline, take time to think about the significance
of your information and its relationship to the concerns of your audience.
1. Define the context for your presentation. That is, determine the purpose of the larger event of which your
presentation will be a part. Consider these questions: Why have you been asked to present this data? For
example, will the information you share prepare the audience for an upcoming Project or Program Review?
Will the information provide the basis for strategic planning? Will other technical experts present other topics?
What are the time allotted and the venue for your topic? Articulate for yourself the difference between the
context of your report and the context of your presentation.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Determine the purpose of your presentation—why you are presenting this information. The purpose of
your report is to present your findings and, in many cases, the conclusions that can be drawn from those
findings. The purpose of your presentation is to explain the significance of your findings. For example, you
may describe how the organization’s current allocation of resources is or is not aligned with allocation
guidelines and the implications of that information. Or you may communicate the value of a program and the
importance of its continuing. Articulate for yourself the difference between the purpose of your report
and the purpose of the presentation.

___________________________________________________________________________
 ___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Determine the goal of your presentation—what you want the audience to do as a result of the presentation.
For example, do you want the audience (decision makers) to approve a schedule or budget, make an informed
decision, share knowledge with stakeholders or other executives, or take some other action? Consider this
question: What should the presentation accomplish? Articulate for yourself the difference between the goal
of your report and the goal of the
presentation.___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

4. Analyze the audience—identify who will receive the presentation including their functional roles and thus
their concerns/interests regarding the topic. For example, decision makers are often concerned with the
implication of information for budgets, schedules, long-term plans, and stakeholders. Also identify the
audience’s area and level of expertise and experience, their knowledge of and perspective on the topic and the
presenter(s), what they are apt to agree with/disagree with. And learn their preferred communication or
learning style. For example, do they prefer to review a summary captured in three to five high-level bullet
points, hear your conclusion as well as the supporting explanation, or take part in a demonstration? Articulate
for yourself the difference between the readers of your report and the audience for the presentation.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

5. Based upon the purpose of the event (the context for your presentation) as well as the purpose, goal, and
audience of your presentation, determine your overarching message. This message must matter to and
interest your audience. Then determine the three to five main supporting points of your message and the
order in which you will present those points,for example: (1) in order of importance when your credibility
with this audience is high and you recommend an approach based on criteria important to the audience, (2) in
reverse order of importance when you walk the audience through your thought process to help them weigh
alternatives and risks and set priorities, (3) in chronological order when you highlight the progress of a project
or the events leading up to an accident, or (4) in sequential order when you describe the required action plan to
solve a problem or move a project forward.

MESSAGE _____________________________________________________________

1. ____________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________
5. ____________________________________________________________________
Consider a current presentation. How does the presentation differ from the report on which it was
based? What level of detail is appropriate for the presentation’s audience? What is the message that
unifies your presentation and interests the audience?

Once you have a compelling message and supporting points, you are one step closer to a successful
presentation. Our next blog explores Step 2—how to deconstruct your report to build an outline for your
presentation.

© COPYRIGHT 2016 by The Writing Center, Inc., West Chester, PA 19380. All Rights Reserved. The
Writing Center, Inc., provides in-person and virtual customized training in effective business and technical
writing. This article or any part thereof may be shared only with this attribution.
Step 2 - DECONSTRUCT
Our first of 3 Steps to Turn a Report into an Executive Presentation–Step 1 explored the planning step. Now
we are ready to deconstruct your report:

Step 2: Deconstruct your report to build an Outline from the message and supporting main points you listed
during the PLANNING step. Don’t start in PowerPoint. Instead start with a Storyboard.
2.1 On the first storyboard, write a predictive Presentation Title. The title should indicate both the topic and
scope of your presentation. Following your organization’s required style, add your name, title, and other
identifying information.
2.2 On the second storyboard, list your Agenda—your list/outline of main points.
2.3 Following the order you selected during the PLANNING step, write each main point on a separate
storyboard.
2.4 Break each main point into its sub-points, one sub-point per storyboard. Consider this question: For this
audience, what level of information can be productively (and strategically should be) introduced?

2.5 For a memorable presentation, express each sub-point slide title as a complete sentence that captures the
take-away message of each slide.

2.6 Support each sub-point slide title with text and an interesting graphic, ensuring both text and graphics are
clear, unambiguous, and succinct. Each slide should reinforce your main points. Create high-level versions of
your report graphics. And as necessary for understanding, break out the detail into several supporting graphics.
For each graphic, present the take-away message as a caption or “Bumper Sticker.” This caption or “Bumper
Sticker” is the conclusion that the audience is to draw from the graphic.
2.7 Indicate where in the presentation you will distribute any Handouts. As allowed by the event’s/your
organization’s PowerPoint guidelines/standards, indicate where you will add any Links, Special Effects,
Video, or Demonstration.
2.8 Anticipating the audience’s questions, storyboard any Back-up Slides.
2.9 Determine what version (if any) of the presentation (Slides and Speaker’s Notes) the audience will receive
and whether that version will be in electronic or printed format.

Your presentation storyboard will look something like this template:

PRESENTATION TITLE AGENDA (list of main points) 1. First main point

1.1 Sub-point/graphic 1.2 Sub-point/graphic 1.3 Sub-point/graphic

2. Second main point 2.1 Sub-point/graphic 2.2 Sub-point/graphic

2.3 Sub-point/graphic 3. Third main point 3.1 Sub-point/graphic

3.2 Sub-point/graphic 3.3 Sub-point/graphic CLOSING SLIDE

 OPTIONAL: Questions Slide OPTIONAL: Back-up Slides OPTIONAL: Handouts

Consider a current presentation. How do you communicate your overarching message? What do you
gain by taking time to construct a Storyboard?

Once your Storyboard is in place and each slide has its take-away message to support your main message, you
are ready to construct your presentation.
 Step 3- RECONSTRUCT
Our previous two sections explored how to plan and deconstruct your report. Now we are ready to reconstruct
your Storyboard as a PowerPoint presentation.

Step 3: Reconstruct your Storyboard as a PowerPoint presentation.

1. Select a template and design style that align with the event’s/your organization’s PowerPoint
guidelines/standards as well as with the presentation’s setting (for example, are you presenting in a
virtual space, in a small conference room, or in a hotel’s large meeting space?). Select a readable font
style and size. Use an approved color scheme, and use colors consistently throughout the presentation.
(For example, green is often used to signal achieved project milestones/approved deliverables.)
2. Paste your storyboarded text into PowerPoint. Add your graphics. Focus the audience’s attention
on your message and main points with devices such as arrows, bold print, callouts (“Bumper
Stickers”), color, and shading.
3. In the Speaker’s Notes field, script your Opening and Ending, verbal Transitions from slide to
slide, and verbal Transitions to graphics.
4. Referencing your report, in your Speaker’s Notes field, script the body of your presentation—capture
the words you will use to explain the content.
5. Preview the finished presentation in Slide Sorter, Slide Show, and Print Preview (color and black
and white) views to ensure that (1) it serves the intended purpose, will achieve the intended goal, and
conveys the intended message; (2) the overall presentation is a well-designed, cohesive whole; (3) the
presentation is lean yet substantive, that is, your text and graphics are clear and economical as well as
each subsection adds insight and meaningful detail.
6. When you are pleased with the presentation, preview it at least once more to correct any spelling or
grammar errors. Also double-check, against the source, the spelling of any proper names and the
accuracy of numbers and any calculations.
7. When you practice your presentation, make any necessary additional enhancements.

With knowledge of your audience, a focused message, and these three steps—PLAN, DECONSTRUCT,
RECONSTRUCT, you are ready to turn any report into a tailored presentation that meets the needs of your
executive audience.

When is your next opportunity to implement this approach? Until then you can evaluate several recent
presentations: How well did your message, selection and organization of supporting points, and level of
detail—in both text and graphics— align with the audience? How could the presentation have been even
more effective?