Answer-first storyline prompts for PowerPoint
Three BCG-style prompts for structuring a consulting presentation. One builds a 10-slide decision deck from executive answer to decisions required. One works top-down from a recommendation to three arguments. One works bottom-up from scattered research to themes and a decision.
Create a 10-slide executive strategy presentation based only on the attached source material. Audience: specify the decision-maker by role Decision: specify the required action Evidence: preserve numbers, units, dates, definitions, and page references Build the storyline in this order: 1. Executive answer 2. Context and decision criteria 3. Tension or performance gap 4. Evidence explaining the gap 5. Strategic options 6. Evaluation against explicit criteria 7. Recommendation and expected value 8. Risks and conditions 9. Implementation roadmap 10. Decisions required Use action titles, a white canvas, forest green accents, charcoal text, mint structures, and gray. Prefer editable charts, tables, matrices, and diagrams. Add source lines and flag missing evidence.
Answer-first storyline prompt
Pick a slide, fill in any highlighted fields, then copy or run it.
Create a 10-slide executive strategy presentation based only on the attached source material. Audience: specify the decision-maker by role Decision: specify the required action Evidence: preserve numbers, units, dates, definitions, and page references Build the storyline in this order: 1. Executive answer 2. Context and decision criteria 3. Tension or performance gap 4. Evidence explaining the gap 5. Strategic options 6. Evaluation against explicit criteria 7. Recommendation and expected value 8. Risks and conditions 9. Implementation roadmap 10. Decisions required Use action titles, a white canvas, forest green accents, charcoal text, mint structures, and gray. Prefer editable charts, tables, matrices, and diagrams. Add source lines and flag missing evidence.
Turn the attached analysis into an answer-first consulting storyline. Write one recommendation naming action, scope, timing, and expected effect. Break it into three arguments and map source-backed findings under each. Separate facts, assumptions, analysis, and recommendations. Create one hierarchy summary and one slide per argument. Use conclusion titles, restrained green, thin connectors, consistent margins, and editable objects. Do not add unsupported claims.
Synthesize the attached research into a bottom-up consulting storyline. Extract source-linked findings. Remove duplicates but preserve contradictions. Group findings by meaning, name each theme as an insight, then write one point of view, two implications, and a decision. Before rendering, provide an evidence inventory, proposed groups, gaps, and draft action titles. Create an editable evidence-to-themes-to-decision slide in white, dark green, mint, charcoal, and gray.
Why these prompts work
The answer comes first
The 10-slide prompt fixes the order: executive answer, criteria, gap, evidence, options, evaluation, recommendation, risks, roadmap, decisions. Nobody waits until slide nine.
Facts are kept apart
The top-down prompt separates facts, assumptions, analysis and recommendations, and asks for one recommendation naming action, scope, timing and expected effect.
Contradictions are kept
The bottom-up prompt removes duplicate findings but keeps contradictions, and names each theme as an insight. Conflicting evidence stays visible.
You check the logic first
Before rendering, the synthesis prompt asks for an evidence inventory, proposed groups, gaps and draft action titles, so you can fix the argument before the design.
Adapt it to your own deck
Name the audience and decision
The 10-slide prompt leaves Audience and Decision open. Fill them in, e.g. "Audience: CFO and COO. Decision: approve a two-year cost program." The storyline sharpens around that.
Pick a direction by your material
Use the top-down prompt when you know the answer and need to structure the proof. Use the bottom-up prompt when you have interview notes, surveys and reports but no answer yet.
Shorten the deck
For a short slot, add "Merge slides 2 to 4 into one and slides 8 to 10 into one." That gives six slides in the same order, each still with an action title.
Answer-first storyline FAQ
What is an answer-first storyline?
A way of ordering a presentation so the recommendation comes first and every following slide supports it. It is closely associated with Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle and is standard practice in strategy consulting.
Should I use the top-down or the bottom-up prompt?
Top-down works when the team agrees on the answer and needs to organize the proof. Bottom-up works when you hold fragmented evidence and need to find the point of view. Many projects run bottom-up first, then top-down for the final deck.
How does this work in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini compared with Tosea?
Chat assistants return the storyline, action titles and a slide outline as text, which helps with drafting. Tosea takes the prompt and your attached source material and builds slides you can edit and export to PowerPoint.
Is this an official BCG template?
No. Answer-first structure is a common consulting convention. "BCG-style" describes the green, action-title look of the example slides, and Tosea is not affiliated with BCG.
BCG-style describes a common consulting framework. Tosea is not affiliated with Boston Consulting Group. Figures on the example slides are illustrative.
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