A simple set of actionable tips to help you finally fit everything you need for that one slide that has to have it all.

Every Business Plan has one, it's the starting point of every story. But it's dreaded because we somehow have to fit absolutely everything in there, and still make it clean, clear, and easy to follow.

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩...

1️⃣PICK YOUR MUST-HAVE METRICS
𝗮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀: Sales, Financials, Shares
𝗯. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: Distribution, Mktg, Segments (𝘗𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴/𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴/𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴)
𝗰. 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: Price Changes, Acceleration Programs, Devaluation, etc.

2️⃣DISTILL THE MESSAGE
𝗮. 𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀: They can read.
𝗯. 𝗧𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: What’s the outcome? The impact?
𝗰. 𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀: It’s called a bullet because it shoots clean through.

3️⃣MAKE IT A STORY
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦:
𝗮. 𝗪𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘄 X% in these areas
𝗯. 𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 these factors [campaign] and [flavor launch]
𝗰. 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 due to [competitor move]
𝗱. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗽 with [distribution drive on multipacks]

4️⃣SIMPLIFY THE DESIGN
𝗮. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝘀𝗴: Don’t let the messages overflow
𝗯. 𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲 + 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 2–3-word title + sharp 1 liner
𝗰. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 # 𝗹𝗼𝘂𝗱 & 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹: +24% in font size 20 & vs PY in 10pt
𝗱. 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟯-𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲: Only 3 (+ white) in the whole slide

5️⃣MAKE IT FIT
𝗮. 𝗙𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝟭𝟬 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 for most fonts
𝗯. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗽 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 if you must have one
(𝘩𝘰𝘸? 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯)
𝗰. 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 (icons, arrows, logos) till after you’ve built the full slide

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𝘿𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙡𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚...
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