Creating engaging

client communications
A guide to using PowerPoint effectively

“Your PowerPoint documents should be clear,
relevant and engaging — so they make a positive
impact with clients and other target audiences.”
Using PowerPoint
effectively
• Don’t make the mistake of trying
to create a “one-size-fits-all”
PowerPoint. Reports do not translate
well onto a screen and a screen-
based presentation should never be
a substitute for a stand-alone
report or proposal.
• Think strategically about how to share
your information and get your key
messages across to your audience.
• This may involve a screen-based
presentation, a document providing
an executive summary and a detailed
report.
• Take the time to create the
documents that are most relevant
to your purpose and you’ll make the
greatest impact.
Creating engaging client communications A guide to using PowerPoint effectively
Make an impact with PowerPoint
Your PowerPoint documents should be clear, relevant and
engaging — so they make a positive impact with clients and other
target audiences.
• At EY, we use PowerPoint to create a variety of communications.
• Reports: stand-alone documents that communicate findings, analysis and
recommendations.
• Proposals: stand-alone documents that state the business case for using EY.
• Meeting decks or books: documents that support client meetings, by stimulating
discussion and capturing key points/agreed actions.
• Screen-based presentations: projected presentations that support the presenter by
highlighting and reinforcing important points. These are not stand-alone documents.
• Make sure you choose the right one to achieve your purpose.
Think, then write
• First, think about what your readers need to know and the context in which you’ll be
delivering the information. Ask yourself:
• Why am I writing? (What is the purpose of this piece of communication? What do I
want to achieve?)
• Who is my reader? (What does my reader care about? In what context will they read
my communication? Are they looking for an overview or detailed exploration? Do they
need a stand-alone document they can share with other team members? Which client
stakeholders will receive the communication directly or indirectly?)
• What do I want my reader to know, feel and do? (What do I want my readers
to believe? What information do I have to provide to achieve this? How can my
communication support my client’s most important business agenda? What actions
do I want to arise from my communication?)
• Planning will speed up your writing process and dramatically increase the success of
your communication.
Published July 2013 | 2

“Organizing is what you do before you do some
thing, so that when you do it, it’s not all mixed up.”
A.A. Milne
Successful structures
• Present content in a clear and
accessible way
• Communicate the most important
ideas upfront
• Have a logical flow of ideas and
information
• Hold the reader’s attention and
inspire audience involvement and
thinking
• Use headings to engage the reader,
summarize the content of each
section/slide and create a high-level
narrative
• Have powerful executive summaries,
conclusions and calls to action
Creating engaging client communications A guide to using PowerPoint effectively
Spend time organizing your thoughts
Create a mind map
• Mind maps help you to visually organize and develop your thoughts. Put a key word,
image or picture in the centre of a page and connect branches to it. As more thoughts
come to you, add these to the appropriate branches.
Storyboard your ideas and information
• Storyboarding involves placing the ideas onto any wall or surface and arranging them into
a structure that works effectively — using Post-it notes, flipcharts or blank
sheets of paper.
• Consider sharing a one-page summary with others to get their input. It’s best to get
buy-in to your structure and content before you start writing as this will avoid heavy
reworking later on.
Use a model structure
• Model structures can help frame your thinking and develop a clear and logical argument
— quickly and easily.
• Context, Trigger, Exam Question, Response and “4Ps” are two model structures that you
can use in your business documents.
To find out more, visit the writing toolkit on The Branding Zone and download the guides on
structure and proposal writing.
Back up statements with facts —
and make actions clear
• When stating a claim, use case studies, quotes from other clients or relevant facts to add
weight and credibility to your communication.
• Remember to get permission to use case studies and cite any sources accurately.
• Ensure any recommendations are timely and action-oriented – be specific.
• Always finish with next steps and state how those will help the client achieve their goals.
Published July 2013 | 3

“If you want your communication to have an impact,
make it memorable.”
Engaging presentations
• Address the needs of the audience
• Stimulate, challenge and provoke
• Integrate interesting visuals, audio
and/or video
• Summarize key messages upfront —
and provide clear actions
• Use words effectively — to intrigue/
make an impact
• Are entertaining, even when the topic
is serious
• Use slides for emphasis, not as a
crutch. The presenter and the slides
complement each other —they don’t
repeat content word for word
Creating engaging client communications A guide to using PowerPoint effectively
Think creatively
If you want your communication to have an impact,
make it memorable.
• A key way to capture the imagination of your audience is to use metaphors to frame your
communication. Words and images work together to make an impact.
• You can achieve this through your choice of words and visual treatments. And, if you’re
creating a screen-based presentation, you can integrate different media – audio and
visual, for example.
• If you need help generating ideas, ask your local design team to come up with a concept
that’s relevant to your topic.
• The image of the butterfly
about to be released signifies
transformation and a new
start.
• The words “transforming”
and “spreading your wings”
complement the image,
reinforcing the metaphor.
• This serene sunset image
conveys “peace of mind”
and ties in with “clear
perspective.”
• Both slides create a visual
impact and stimulate
imagination.
Published July 2013 | 4

“There’s a huge opportunity for advisors to
differentiate through the quality of their written
communication and presentations.“
CFO, Fortune 500 company, EY client
Edit through fresh eyes
• Build enough time into the writing
process to let the communication
“rest” between drafts so you can
approach it with a fresh pair of eyes.
• Get a colleague to read/ re-read your
work and critique it for you.
• Edit ruthlessly – if a point isn’t adding
value, cut it.
• Make your sentences short and
simplify your layouts. Less is more.
You can find lots of practical
advice on writing effectively by
visiting the writing toolkit on
The Branding Zone.
Creating engaging client communications A guide to using PowerPoint effectively
Use language that’s direct and engaging
• Make sure your documents and presentations are “you-focused”.
• Talk about issues from the client’s perspective, use the word “you” and clearly spell out
the benefits of any recommendations you make. Always consider what’s in it for them.
• Make headlines positive or challenging statements, or a question that will “hook” the
reader. Don’t just use single word headings like “Findings” or “Recommendations” but
convey the content of the slide or page. For example:
• “Findings reveal opportunities for expansion”
• “Analysis shows a 12% overall increase in efficiency”
• “Closed tax loop could increase liability by 3%”
• “How could your company benefit?”
• “Key weakness in risk management strategy”
• “Rationalise operation to increase efficiency”
• “What’s next for your sector?”
• Increase the impact of your bullet points by making them grammatically consistent.
• Consider starting with an “action verb” to give impetus.
• If you’re using questions to communicate, try to make all of the bullets questions.
• Aim to keep bullets short, succinct and simple in structure.
• Ensure there’s a logical flow to your bullets. It can be useful to think of the slide as a
paragraph with points building consecutively.
Published July 2013 | 5
 Creating engaging client communications A guide to using PowerPoint effectively

“It’s not just what you say that counts, it’s how you
say it — the success of your argument critically
depends on your manner of presenting it.”
Alain de Botton

Design tips for

Be the main event
clear screen-based If you’re giving a presentation supported by PowerPoint,
presentations remember YOU are the main event – not the slides.
• Slide content is there to highlight and emphasize key points. It shouldn’t be a word by
• Use EY templates
word script of your presentation.
• Use dark backgrounds when
• The examples below show how slides can focus the audience on your main point,
presenting in a darkened room and
while you can talk around the issue.
light backgrounds only in a well-lit
environment
• This text on this slide would
• Use EYInterstate or Arial Minimum be hard to read on screen
point size of 18 and although the key points
• Keep headings short (no more than are highlighted, the viewer
two lines) may be distracted by the
other data.
• No more than eight lines per slide
• Better to give it out as a
• First level bullets align to left handout.
• Second level bullets align with text of
first bullet
• Third level bullets align with text of
second bullet
• Keep structure consistent throughout
• Make effective use of diagrams, • This slide emphasizes the
tables, charts and images key point and would make a
bigger impact for the actual
• Don’t use clip art or PPT presentation.
“sounds”— they’ll undermine your
professionalism

Published July 2013 | 6


“People in the room want you to succeed. They’re on
your side, so relax, be yourself and enjoy it.”
You’ll find these guides
useful, too:
Strengthening our brand
through words
EY’s verbal identity principles
Grab their attention
A guide to writing headline and
other journalistic devices
The backbone of clear writing
A guide to structure in business
writing
The style guide
EY’s rules for global writing
Published July 2013
Strictly for internal use only
© 2013 EYGM Limited.
All Rights Reserved.
ED None
For further information, please contact
the Global Brand Management Team at
globalbrandteam@uk.ey.com
Creating engaging client communications A guide to using PowerPoint effectively
Prepare for your presentation
• Familiarize yourself with the material so you don’t have to rely on extensive notes.
Remember: the slides are not your script — they’re there to reinforce points.
• Do at least one timed run-through. Find an environment where you can deliver the
presentation out loud, pace yourself (people often speak faster when nervous) and then
add on extra time for questions.
• Edit as necessary. If there’s a discrepancy between your actual running time and the time
allowed for the presentation, edit the content and leave the detail to the handouts.
• If you’re an inexperienced presenter or just looking to take your skills to the next level,
ask someone to watch/record/video your run-through and give you constructive feedback
on areas for improvement.
• Check out the room you’re going to be presenting in if possible. At the very least, enquire
about lighting (you’ll need a grey background format for a dark room but may use light
background slides in a well-lit environment.
• Make sure the room temperature is conducive to an effective presentation. Too cold and
your audience will feel uncomfortable. Too warm and they may nod off!
• Drink plenty of water before you start and have a glass on hand to keep your vocal
chords lubricated.
• And when you’re presenting:
• Don’t read the slides
• Face your audience
• Stand rather than sit
• Make eye contact
• Modulate your voice
Remember, people in the room want you to succeed. They’re on your side, so relax, be
yourself and enjoy it.
Published July 2013 | 7