How to Make a Diagnostic Presentation [Strategy That Works]
- Ink Narrates | The Presentation Design Agency
- Mar 24
- 6 min read
Our client, David, asked us a question while we were working on their diagnostic presentation. “How do we present our findings without overwhelming the client with too much data?”
Our Creative Director answered, “The key is to frame insights as decisions, not just information.”
As a presentation design agency, we work on many diagnostic presentations throughout the year, and we’ve observed a common challenge with them: most of them drown in complexity. Instead of leading clients toward clarity, they bury them under charts, tables, and jargon. So, in this blog, we’ll cover how to structure a diagnostic presentation that not only communicates insights but also guides the client toward actionable decisions.
(To be clear, we’re referring to diagnostic presentations used by consulting firms.)
The Biggest Mistake in Diagnostic Presentations
Here’s the hard truth: most diagnostic presentations fail before they even begin. Why? Because they treat information as the end goal rather than a means to an outcome.
We’ve seen it happen too often; consulting teams spend months conducting deep analysis, gathering vast amounts of data, and running complex models. Then, they compile everything into a deck, believing that more data = more credibility. But when they present it, the client looks confused, disengaged, or worst of all - overwhelmed.
The mistake? A diagnostic presentation is not a data dump. It’s not about showing how much work has been done. It’s about leading the client to a clear understanding of the problem and what needs to happen next.
What a Diagnostic Presentation Should Actually Do
A well-crafted diagnostic presentation should achieve three things:
Simplify Complexity – Clients are not analysts. They need clarity, not raw data.
Build Confidence – Your findings should leave no room for doubt. The client should feel, “Yes, this is the right problem to solve.”
Guide Decision-Making – Every insight should serve a purpose: Does it reinforce the problem statement? Does it point to a solution? If not, it doesn’t belong in the deck.
The best diagnostic presentations don’t simply inform; they frame the conversation in a way that makes next steps obvious.
How to Make a Diagnostic Presentation That Drives Decisions
1. Start with the Business Context (Not the Data)
The worst way to begin a diagnostic presentation is with charts and numbers. Yet, this is where many teams go wrong. They assume that showing their methodology and data first will build credibility. In reality, it does the opposite—it confuses and disengages the client.
Instead, open your presentation with the business context. Before diving into what the data says, remind your audience why this analysis was conducted in the first place. Clearly define the problem statement and establish the stakes. If the audience doesn’t have a shared understanding of the problem, no amount of data will make sense.
For example, let’s say a consulting firm is diagnosing inefficiencies in a company’s supply chain.
Instead of opening with a slide full of logistics data, the first few slides should frame the issue:
What is the business problem? (“Rising operational costs and delayed shipments are reducing profitability.”)
Why does it matter? (“If left unchecked, this could cost the company an additional $50M annually.”)
What was the goal of the diagnostic? (“To identify inefficiencies and create an action plan for optimization.”)
Once this foundation is set, the audience is mentally prepared to engage with the data that follows.
2. Present Findings in Layers, Not All at Once
One of the biggest pitfalls in diagnostic presentations is presenting too much data at once. The human brain processes information best when it is delivered in layers. Instead of dumping everything on a single slide, structure your findings step by step:
Start with the High-Level Insight – Present the key takeaway before showing supporting details.
Provide Evidence in a Digestible Format – Use visuals, summaries, and key figures instead of overwhelming tables.
Answer the “So What?” Question – After presenting a finding, explicitly state its impact.
For instance, if the diagnostic uncovered that a company’s sales conversion rate dropped by 15%, don’t just show the raw data. Instead, break it down:
Key Insight: Sales conversion rates have declined by 15% in the past year.
Supporting Evidence: Data from Q1 to Q4, broken into meaningful categories.
Why It Matters: This decline translates to a $20M revenue shortfall.
This layered approach keeps the audience engaged and prevents them from feeling lost in the numbers.
3. Visuals Should Be Used to Drive a Point, Not Just Decorate
There’s a misconception that adding charts and infographics makes a presentation “better.” That’s only true if those visuals are purposeful. Too many diagnostic presentations are cluttered with complex graphs that require verbal explanation, which defeats the purpose.
Every chart or visual should have a clear function:
Comparison Charts: Best used for before-and-after scenarios to highlight changes over time.
Heatmaps: Useful for identifying patterns in performance data.
Waterfall Charts: Excellent for breaking down financial impacts into components.
Simple Bar Graphs: When in doubt, opt for simplicity.
If a chart doesn’t immediately make sense to someone unfamiliar with the data, it needs to be reworked or removed. The best test? Remove the title from a graph—if the audience can’t immediately tell what it means, it’s too complicated.
4. Insights Should Be Framed as Decisions, Not Just Observations
The ultimate goal of a diagnostic presentation is not just to inform—it’s to drive action. This means every insight must be framed in a way that leads the client toward a decision. Instead of stopping at “what the data shows,” take it a step further:
Weak Framing: “Customer churn rates have increased by 12%.”
Strong Framing: “Customer churn is up 12%, primarily due to slow response times in customer support. Reducing response times should be a priority.”
By framing insights in a decision-oriented way, you help the client move from passive listening to active problem-solving. This is where a diagnostic presentation shifts from being a report to being a strategic tool.
5. Address Concerns Before They Are Raised
One of the most underrated aspects of an effective diagnostic presentation is proactively addressing concerns. Every audience will have objections, doubts, or alternate explanations for the findings. Anticipating and addressing these in your presentation strengthens your credibility.
For example, if your diagnostic shows that employee productivity has declined, but you know leadership might push back on the data, address it upfront:
Possible Objection: “Maybe this drop in productivity is just seasonal variation.”
Preemptive Response: Show multi-year data trends proving that the decline is not seasonal.
This approach prevents your presentation from turning into a defensive Q&A session and keeps the audience focused on the next steps.
6. End with a Clear Path Forward, Not Just a Summary
Many diagnostic presentations end with a simple recap of findings. That’s not enough. A strong closing should leave no ambiguity about the next steps. Instead of a summary slide that just repeats key insights, the final section should answer:
What should the client do next?
Who needs to be involved?
What is the expected impact of taking action?
For example, instead of ending with:
"In summary, operational inefficiencies are costing the company millions."
End with:
"To address these inefficiencies, we recommend streamlining vendor contracts, optimizing inventory management, and investing in logistics automation. These actions could reduce costs by 20% within a year."
This ensures that the presentation doesn’t just end; it propels action.
How to Deliver a Diagnostic Presentation with Impact
A great diagnostic presentation isn’t just about what’s on the slides—it’s about how you present it. Delivery can make or break the impact of your insights. The biggest mistake we see? Presenters who read straight from the slides or overload the audience with details before establishing the bigger picture. Instead, think of yourself as a guide leading the client through a journey of discovery. Start strong by setting expectations: “By the end of this session, you’ll have absolute clarity on what’s holding your business back and exactly what needs to be done next.” Keep your energy focused, your pacing steady, and avoid rushing through critical insights. If you want your audience to care about the findings, they need to feel like they are part of the conversation, not just passive recipients of data.
Another key to delivery is mastering transitions. Don’t just jump from one section to the next—connect the dots for your audience. For example, instead of saying, “Now let’s move to the financial analysis,” say, “We’ve seen how operational inefficiencies are affecting productivity. Now, let’s look at how that’s translating into financial losses.” This keeps engagement high and reinforces the logical flow of the presentation. Lastly, be prepared for pushback. Some insights may challenge existing assumptions, and that’s a good thing—it means the data is provoking real discussion. Stay confident, acknowledge concerns, and use supporting evidence to reinforce key takeaways. The goal is not just to deliver a presentation but to drive alignment and action.
Why Hire Us to Build your Presentation?
If you're reading this, you're probably working on a presentation right now. You could do it all yourself. But the reality is - that’s not going to give you the high-impact presentation you need. It’s a lot of guesswork, a lot of trial and error. And at the end of the day, you’ll be left with a presentation that’s “good enough,” not one that gets results. On the other hand, we’ve spent years crafting thousands of presentations, mastering both storytelling and design. Let us handle this for you, so you can focus on what you do best.