How to have your new biz ideas read. Think New York Times for your pre-meeting deck

US newspapers do this thing that’s different from British papers. The print version fits more stories on the front page and saves space by continuing them inside the paper. I first saw this in the New York Times.

They share the ideas in brief and show where you can find more news. Recently I’ve been thinking this technique would work in pre-meeting slides. Your deck could have all the important info in three or four slides, but show where more detail can be found.

This New York Times style is different from our usual approach in business writing. For example: suppose you’re an AI development house pitching a new agriculture client. Your deck probably starts with your company info, gives detail about your solution and ends with glamorous case studies. You look amazing!

But the typical approach is hard work and boring for your reader. They’re ploughing through your company blah and wondering where they come in. While you’re telling them about AI systems for cannabis farms in California, they’re thinking; but I grow beet in Britain. How does your AI work for me? It’s hard to get the balance right.

Here’s how trying the New York Times’ tactic could work for our AI development house. It shares ideas and then weaves in links to more info.

Using the NY Times’ style keeps your reader engaged by recognising that you can’t say everything at once. It stops you sending a deck that’s all about you, and hopefully helps to win new business!

Let me know if you have any questions or send me your pre-meeting presentation and I’ll give you feedback (up to 10 slides!).

(The example used is invented).