Introduction to pyramid
principle*
Following the steps of pyramid building brings
structure and focus to communication
* Based on the B. Minto (1995) ‘The Pyramid Principle, Logic in Writing and Thinking’
INTRODUCTION
Strong skills in communication are vital to achieving
success
ce
A u d ie n
Message
Strategy
Structure
Story
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INTRODUCTION
Unfortunately, failure to perform well in communication
comes at a price
• Presentations and reports fail to hit their mark because they:
– are made heavy by too much ‘just-in-case’ information
– leave the audience wondering what it was all about
– lack a clear message or audience-focused objective
• Teams operate ineffectively because they:
– waste time developing slides that serve no purpose
– get lost in fruitless discussions
– lack a shared language or tools for structured communication
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INTRODUCTION
Following the steps of pyramid building brings structure
and focus to communication
• Focuses on audience
• Places emphasis on main message
• Speeds up audience understanding
• Facilitates audience retention of information
• Focuses team’s efforts during preparation
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INTRODUCTION
The three steps of pyramid building
1. Develop an audience-centered introduction
2. Expand the main body in the form of a pyramid
3. Finish with a powerful ending that re-emphasizes the main points
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PYRAMID PRINCIPLE
1. Develop an audience-centered introduction
1.1 The situation: establish common ground
1.2 The complication: add a twist to the story
1.3 The question: voice the question the twist raises in the audience’s mind
1.4 The answer: answer the question
1.5 The major ideas: list your main points
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AUDIENCE CENTERED INTRODUCTION
1.1 The situation: establish common ground
Situation Examples
For five consecutive years XYZ has
enjoyed low overheads and high
revenues
A few years ago, few people could
have expected the rise of the Internet
as a medium of communication
Every week I buy a ticket for the
lottery
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AUDIENCE CENTERED INTRODUCTION
1.2 The complication: add a twist to the story
Complication Examples
Early this year, profits unexpectedly
started to fall
Now, companies who ignore the
Internet do so at their peril
Now I’ve won the USD 30,000 jackpot
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AUDIENCE CENTERED INTRODUCTION
1.3 The question: voice the question that the twist
raises in the audience’s mind
Question Examples
What is the cause of the sudden drop
in profits?
?
How can companies benefit from
using the Internet?
How can I best invest my winnings?
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AUDIENCE CENTERED INTRODUCTION
1.4 The answer: answer the question
Solution Examples
Changes in customer requirements
have led to a sudden drop in ABC’s
profits
The Internet has distinct benefits to
offer, both in internal and external
business communication
The best thing you can do is reinvest
your money in new lottery tickets
Pyramid Principle - 10 -
AUDIENCE CENTERED INTRODUCTION
1.5 The major ideas: list your main points
In pictures In words
Structured thinking for effective
communication
es
Objectiv
Message 1. Develop an audience-centered
introduction
Strategy
2. Expand the main body as a question
Structure
and answer dialogue to form a pyramid
Story
3. Finishing with a powerful ending that
reemphasizes the main points
A.T. Kearney 2/20038
14
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Some common introductory patterns
Situation Complication Question
• Recognized stable • Something went wrong • What do we do?
situation
• Something could go • How can we prevent it?
wrong
• What should we do?
• Something changed
• Which one should we
• Here are the alternative choose?
actions you could take
• Who is right?
• Someone disagrees
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PYRAMID PRINCIPLE
2. Expand the main body as a question and
answer dialogue to form a pyramid
2.1 Remind yourself of the client’s single, overriding question
2.2 Place what you believe to be the answer at the top of your pyramid
2.3 Continue a question and answer dialogue all the way down the line
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EXPAND THE MAIN BODY
2.1 Remind yourself of the client’s single,
overriding question
WHAT is the WHAT do I do HOW do I
problem? to solve it? implement?
Insight Plan Implementation
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EXPAND THE MAIN BODY
2.2 Place what you believe to be the answer at the
top of a pyramid
What’s the What do I do How do I
problem? to solve it? implement?
You are suffering To implement our
To solve your problem,
from recommendations, you need
you need to follow
Problem X… to do the right thing at the
our recommendations
right time…
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EXPAND THE MAIN BODY
2.3 Continue a question and answer dialogue all
the way down the line
Overriding Question
Main
message Answer
Question
Key line:
Answer Answer Answer
Major ideas
Question Question Question
Minor
ideas A A A A A A A A A
Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q
A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
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Always follow the three golden rules of pyramid
building
• Every higher-level idea is a synthesis of the ideas grouped below
• All ideas on the same level are the same kind of idea and in logical order
• The maximum number of ideas per level is five
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What should Dynamo do to solve its sales problems
with the LX 20?
Exam
ple
Dynamo should take
immediate steps to develop
and execute a more targeted
marketing plan for the LX 20
How?
Explicitly Develop Establish
identify high- tailored appropriate
priority promotions customer
segments and sales contact and
and aids follow-up
their needs guidelines
Three recommended actions
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What should Company X do with regard to business
Y?
Exam
ple
Company X
should consider
exiting business Y
Why?
It serves no
strategic
Business Y purpose
You can’t
is relative to
grow it
unprofitable your other
lines of
business
Three good reasons
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PYRAMID PRINCIPLE
3. Finish with a powerful ending that reinforces
the main points
Ending
Level of attention • Reinforce main
messages
100%
• Emphasize benefits
• Mention threats
• Outline next steps
Time
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