The Good Deck

Ever feel like the audience notices every tiny mistake you make? That's the 'spotlight effect,' a major cause of presentation anxiety. Learn the mindset shifts and practical techniques to overcome it and stay focused on what really matters: your message. We’ve all seen it happen. A smart, engaging colleague who you could chat with for hours over coffee steps into the spotlight. The camera light blinks on, the slides go live, and... they transform. The natural, funny human is gone, replaced by...

Don't start with an agenda, start with the drama. This is the principle of 'in medias res' (starting in the middle of the action), a classic device to hook an audience instantly. Learn how to apply it to your presentations for maximum impact from the very first slide. A logical, chronological presentation delivers clarity. It lays out the facts, builds a case, and ensures your argument is perfectly understood. This is the bedrock of professional communication. But for a high-stakes decision,...

In today's edition, we're unpacking the Isolation Effect—a powerful psychological trigger for memory—and giving you a simple framework to add weight and clarity to your most important ideas. How do you ensure your audience walks away with the three points you need them to remember, and not a random assortment of details? Most communication leaves this to chance. We present the information and expect the audience to do the work of prioritizing it. This is a critical mistake. The most effective...

Your brain tells you more evidence is better. But a psychological principle known as the 'dilution effect' reveals that weak arguments don't just add noise—they retroactively damage your strongest points. In today’s edition: a simple test to help your strongest ideas stand out. When we hear a list of points in a presentation, we don’t judge each one on its own. We form a quick, overall impression—almost like averaging them. So if you lead with a strong point, then follow it up with a few that...

Your strategy is solid, but does the client feel the vision? This edition breaks down why pitches that focus only on features fall short, and how to use aspirational imagery to close the emotional gap. Learn to make the future you're proposing feel tangible, exciting, and inevitable. Aspirational imagery is a picture that represents a future someone wants to experience. It evokes a feeling of: “I want that life,” “I want to feel like that,” or “That could be me if I do/buy this.” It’s not...