Guide to…Presenting a Visual Map to Senior Clients in 10 Minutes

Why You Do It

1. Your client’s time is valuable and there are usually several Visual Maps that must be presented.  Also, the client to whom you are presenting does not need to get down to the details; he or she is interested in highlights of the process, findings, and opportunities. They want the bottom-line and it must make sense.

How to Present Your Visual Maps Quickly

1. Briefly describe the process depicted (1min)
2. Give credit to the people that constructed and reviewed the paper (1min)
3. Describe three to four major items to look for when considering the process (1min)
4. Review the process flow at a very high level (1min)
   1. Break the process into three logical parts and provide highlights for each
   2. Do not attempt a block by block description
   3. If you have an interesting sticky or experience from the Visual Map, insert it as you go
   4. After you have taken your audience through the process flow, concentrate on the strengths, findings, and opportunities
      1. Strengths should be covered quickly with an emphasis on the top one or two (1min)
      2. Findings should also be covered quickly by drawing attention to the three to five most powerful findings and not covering each one (1min)
      3. Opportunities should be covered one by one, making reference to probes where appropriate (4min)
      4. Ask the client if they know of any additional opportunities that should be covered

Do

1. Be yourself
2. Be aware of time
3. Present the information even handedly
4. Allow input
5. Prepare your discussion so it looks natural
6. Ensure you can do this in 10min (It is annoying and disrespectful when someone starts off by saying, “I know this is meant to be a 10 minutes presentation, but I have 50 slides to present which I think you will find useful”)

Don’t

1. Change your style for the presentation
2. Be ruled by time restrictions
3. State your opinions, be judgemental, or recommend solutions
4. Let yourself be drawn into too much detail
5. Talk too fast

Team Lillilooloo

Related Articles

• What’s an easy way to build a visual map of the links between about 60 pieces of data? (ask.metafilter.com)
• Mind map analysis: Conference summary map (mindmappingsoftwareblog.com)