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Guides to better business presentations

Practical guides on structuring, writing and designing presentations, and on using AI to build them without losing control of your content or brand.

Q4 plan · SalesAs of 21 Oct 2026

Four actions by year end, each with an owner and a date.

On track
At risk
Deadline
Today

OctoberNovemberDecember

JRRenew framework contractsJulia RehmOn track5 Nov

TMGrow the water sectorTobias MeyerOn track2 Dec

AKHalve LR 7 lead timeAnna KühnAt risk19 Dec

SBApprove 2027 price listStefan BauerOn track9 Dec

Q4 target€13.4m revenue

Q3 · 12.84Target · 13.4+4.4%

3 on track1 at risk

Nordhafen LogistikQ3 review · Executive team

New clients and existing accounts lift revenue by €0.99m.

Revenue bridge Q2 to Q3 2026in €mTotalGainLoss

Q2 level

11.85

¹+0.58

+0.41

²+0.32

+0.17

−0.31³

−0.18

12.84

Q2 2026New clientsExistingServicePriceChurnDiscountsQ3 2026

Axis truncated at €10.6mSource: Nordhafen Logistik controlling04 / 08

A letter to the roomIssue 01 · 2026

Foreword

Good slides
don’t save time.
They save meetings.

Three sentences your client can repeat after the meeting. That is the standard every chapter is written to.

212Brand launches

38Awards

14Years independent

Oat#E8DCC6Apricot#D9A98AClay#C67A6BSlate#7D8796Ink#2F3542

Fig. 01Colour fan for Nordlicht, 04/2026

Studio Halde · Brand strategyPage 03 / 04

AI and presentations

Board meeting14 November 2026
The ask
Approve €4.2m for three initiatives, returning 3.1× within 36 months.
AMAOwnerM. Albers
Expand EuropeBenelux, Poland, Nordics
€1.8m
Share43 %Payback18 months
Expected return3.0×
BJOOwnerJ. Okafor
Scale the platformEngineering and API
€1.5m
Share36 %Payback12 months
Expected return3.6×
CSBOwnerS. Brandt
Win enterpriseSales, key-account team
€0.9m
Share21 %Payback14 months
Expected return2.4×
Weighted average 3.1×Planning Sept to Nov 2026Appendix 12 / 14
Decision required
Blended ROI3.1×
Cumulative return on the €4.2m invested, over 36 months
Next stepPass the
resolution
Paper 12 / 14Confidential
8 min read
Make a presentation with AI
Brief the AI, approve the outline, check every number, then edit and export. Seven steps, a comparison of tools and a brief you can copy.
A letter to the roomIssue 01 · 2026
Foreword
Good slides
don’t save time.
They save meetings.
Three sentences your client can repeat after the meeting. That is the standard every chapter is written to.
212Brand launches
38Awards
14Years independent
Oat#E8DCC6Apricot#D9A98AClay#C67A6BSlate#7D8796Ink#2F3542
Fig. 01Colour fan for Nordlicht, 04/2026
Studio Halde · Brand strategyPage 03 / 04
8 min read
Can ChatGPT make a PowerPoint?
Yes. Three ways to get a PowerPoint from ChatGPT as of October 2026, how to prompt it, how it treats your template and what to check before you send it.
Foresight / 2027Vol. 04 · Trend report
What’s next is already here
The next
decade
speaks pixels.
01Q2 2027Spatial computing
goes everydayGlasses replace the screen: navigation, meetings and shopping in the room.38%Adoption 2027
02Q3 2027Agents shop
for usAssistants compare, negotiate and manage subscriptions before we ask.24%Adoption 2027
03Q4 2027Identity
goes digitalOne verified ID for every digital service, kept on your own device.61%Adoption 2027
A letter to the roomIssue 01 · 2026
Foreword
Good slides
don’t save time.
They save meetings.
Three sentences your client can repeat after the meeting. That is the standard every chapter is written to.
212Brand launches
38Awards
14Years independent
Oat#E8DCC6Apricot#D9A98AClay#C67A6BSlate#7D8796Ink#2F3542
Fig. 01Colour fan for Nordlicht, 04/2026
Studio Halde · Brand strategyPage 03 / 04
8 min read
ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot for PowerPoint
What ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot each produce for PowerPoint as of October 2026: where they work, the file you get, how they treat your template, and limits.
Case study · No. 07Atelier Nord2026
A brand that stopped whispering
Brand · Web · Shop
Quiet brand,loud numbers.
+184%Direct salesvs prior year€248Avg. order valuewas €1423.4×Search visitsorganic42New retailersin 9 countries
Before
Three typefaces, an old logo and product shots on white.
After
A custom serif, one editorial system and a shop that reads like a magazine.
They didn’t decorate the brand, they re-read it from the first line.”
Jana RitterFounder · Atelier Nord
9 min read
AI presentation prompts
Ten complete AI presentation prompts for work decks: board update, QBR, pitch deck, proposal and more. Each names audience, goal, slides, data and style.
8 min read
Gamma to PowerPoint
Export a Gamma to PowerPoint, then fix what changes: fonts, the missing slide master, gradients and failed exports. Steps from Gamma's own help pages.

Structure and storyline

Quarterly report · Q3 FY26Halvorsen CapitalReporting period1 July to 30 September 2026
SummaryPerformanceRiskOutlook
At a glance
Assets under management pass €8.4bn; margin holds above 38%.
The long-short strategy gained 9.1% net of fees and beat its benchmark by 380 basis points. Private credit grew 22%.
Net inflows of €412m were the strongest third quarter on record.
Principal riskSemiconductors make up 14.2% of the portfolio.
AUM€8.42bn+3.8% vs Q2
Inflows€412m+18% YoY
Margin38.4%+0.6 pp vs Q2
Fee base94.1%−0.4 pp vs Q2
Cumulative return, 12 months, %As of 30.09.2026
Strategies at a glanceNet return, 12 months
StrategyVolumeShareReturnvs index
Long-short equity€3.84bn45.6%+9.1%+380 bp
Private Credit€1.92bn22.8%+3.2%+210 bp
Global fixed income€1.46bn17.3%+0.1%−45 bp
Cash and other€1.20bn14.3%+0.9%+12 bp
Halvorsen Capital · HamburgFor professional investors onlyPage 01 of 24
6 min read
Structure a presentation
How to structure a presentation for work: lead with the answer, match the order to your purpose, use skeletons for decisions, updates, pitches and proposals.
MooswerkSeed · Q3 2026
Buildings
that breathe.
Mooswerk greens façades with moss modules that bind fine dust and cool the street. Sensors report when a module needs water.
Seed round
€1.2m
Pilot façades
14
Street temperature
−3.8 °C
Lena & MiaFounders · Leipzig
Nordhafen LogistikQ3 review · Executive team
New clients and existing accounts lift revenue by €0.99m.
Revenue bridge Q2 to Q3 2026in €mTotalGainLoss
Q2 level
11.85
¹+0.58
+0.41
²+0.32
+0.17
−0.31³
−0.18
12.84
Q2 2026New clientsExistingServicePriceChurnDiscountsQ3 2026
What is behind it
1+0.58€m37 new clients, 11 of them in port handling
2+0.32€mService contracts with an 84% renewal rate
3−0.31€mTwo framework contracts ended in July
Axis truncated at €10.6mSource: Nordhafen Logistik controlling04 / 08
8 min read
Pyramid principle
The pyramid principle by Barbara Minto: give the answer first, group the support and order it. With a worked example and an outline you can reuse for a deck.
Foresight / 2027Vol. 04 · Trend report
What’s next is already here
The next
decade
speaks pixels.
01Q2 2027Spatial computing
goes everydayGlasses replace the screen: navigation, meetings and shopping in the room.38%Adoption 2027
02Q3 2027Agents shop
for usAssistants compare, negotiate and manage subscriptions before we ask.24%Adoption 2027
03Q4 2027Identity
goes digitalOne verified ID for every digital service, kept on your own device.61%Adoption 2027
8 min read
How many slides?
5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes? Plan one slide per 1 to 2 minutes of talking, subtract the time for questions and leave the appendix out. With a table and examples.

Writing slides

8 min read
Action titles
Write slide headlines as full sentences. Six rules for action titles, twelve before-and-after examples and a quick test you can run on any deck.
VOLTASeries A · Investor Brief · 2026
Autonomous mobility
Mobility
that never
sleeps.
Volta runs autonomous shuttles for city centres: quieter, cleaner, around the clock. Launched in three cities, built for a hundred.
Investor briefingJune 2026
Launch
Q4 · 2027
Round · Series A
€80m
First cities
Berlin · Vienna · Zurich
Q4 plan · SalesAs of 21 Oct 2026
Four actions by year end, each with an owner and a date.
On track
At risk
Deadline
Today
OctoberNovemberDecember
JRRenew framework contractsJulia RehmOn track5 Nov
TMGrow the water sectorTobias MeyerOn track2 Dec
AKHalve LR 7 lead timeAnna KühnAt risk19 Dec
SBApprove 2027 price listStefan BauerOn track9 Dec
Q4 target€13.4m revenue
Q3 · 12.84Target · 13.4+4.4%
3 on track1 at risk
7 min read
Presentation rules
What the 10-20-30, 5-5-5 and 7-7-7 rules say, where each one helps, where it misleads and which are worth following in a work deck.
Foresight / 2027Vol. 04 · Trend report
What’s next is already here
The next
decade
speaks pixels.
01Q2 2027Spatial computing
goes everydayGlasses replace the screen: navigation, meetings and shopping in the room.38%Adoption 2027
02Q3 2027Agents shop
for usAssistants compare, negotiate and manage subscriptions before we ask.24%Adoption 2027
03Q4 2027Identity
goes digitalOne verified ID for every digital service, kept on your own device.61%Adoption 2027
A letter to the roomIssue 01 · 2026
Foreword
Good slides
don’t save time.
They save meetings.
Three sentences your client can repeat after the meeting. That is the standard every chapter is written to.
212Brand launches
38Awards
14Years independent
Oat#E8DCC6Apricot#D9A98AClay#C67A6BSlate#7D8796Ink#2F3542
Fig. 01Colour fan for Nordlicht, 04/2026
Studio Halde · Brand strategyPage 03 / 04
9 min read
Executive summary examples
Six fictional executive summaries, annotated: business plan, project report, proposal, annual report, consulting study and investor update, plus a checklist.

Design and templates

Quarterly report · Q3 FY26Halvorsen CapitalReporting period1 July to 30 September 2026
SummaryPerformanceRiskOutlook
At a glance
Assets under management pass €8.4bn; margin holds above 38%.
The long-short strategy gained 9.1% net of fees and beat its benchmark by 380 basis points. Private credit grew 22%.
Net inflows of €412m were the strongest third quarter on record.
Principal riskSemiconductors make up 14.2% of the portfolio.
AUM€8.42bn+3.8% vs Q2
Inflows€412m+18% YoY
Margin38.4%+0.6 pp vs Q2
Fee base94.1%−0.4 pp vs Q2
Cumulative return, 12 months, %As of 30.09.2026
Strategies at a glanceNet return, 12 months
StrategyVolumeShareReturnvs index
Long-short equity€3.84bn45.6%+9.1%+380 bp
Private Credit€1.92bn22.8%+3.2%+210 bp
Global fixed income€1.46bn17.3%+0.1%−45 bp
Cash and other€1.20bn14.3%+0.9%+12 bp
Halvorsen Capital · HamburgFor professional investors onlyPage 01 of 24
7 min read
Corporate design template
Where to find your company's PowerPoint template and how to build a corporate design template with theme colors, fonts, logo and layouts, then share it.
Case study · No. 07Atelier Nord2026
A brand that stopped whispering
Brand · Web · Shop
Quiet brand,loud numbers.
+184%Direct salesvs prior year€248Avg. order valuewas €1423.4×Search visitsorganic42New retailersin 9 countries
Before
Three typefaces, an old logo and product shots on white.
After
A custom serif, one editorial system and a shop that reads like a magazine.
They didn’t decorate the brand, they re-read it from the first line.”
Jana RitterFounder · Atelier Nord
9 min read
Hire a presentation designer
Hire a presentation design service, build in-house or use a tool: a decision frame, a briefing checklist, a quote table to fill in and a worked cost example.
Foresight / 2027Vol. 04 · Trend report
What’s next is already here
The next
decade
speaks pixels.
01Q2 2027Spatial computing
goes everydayGlasses replace the screen: navigation, meetings and shopping in the room.38%Adoption 2027
02Q3 2027Agents shop
for usAssistants compare, negotiate and manage subscriptions before we ask.24%Adoption 2027
03Q4 2027Identity
goes digitalOne verified ID for every digital service, kept on your own device.61%Adoption 2027
8 min read
Best fonts for presentations
Which fonts work for presentations, how many to use, what size to set and how to stop fonts changing when a PowerPoint file opens on another computer.

Charts and numbers

Board meeting14 November 2026
The ask
Approve €4.2m for three initiatives, returning 3.1× within 36 months.
AMAOwnerM. Albers
Expand EuropeBenelux, Poland, Nordics
€1.8m
Share43 %Payback18 months
Expected return3.0×
BJOOwnerJ. Okafor
Scale the platformEngineering and API
€1.5m
Share36 %Payback12 months
Expected return3.6×
CSBOwnerS. Brandt
Win enterpriseSales, key-account team
€0.9m
Share21 %Payback14 months
Expected return2.4×
Weighted average 3.1×Planning Sept to Nov 2026Appendix 12 / 14
Decision required
Blended ROI3.1×
Cumulative return on the €4.2m invested, over 36 months
Next stepPass the
resolution
Paper 12 / 14Confidential
8 min read
Choosing the right chart
Which chart fits which message: bars to compare, lines for trends, a waterfall for bridges. Includes when a pie works, when a table beats a chart, common traps.

Presenting

A letter to the roomIssue 01 · 2026
Foreword
Good slides
don’t save time.
They save meetings.
Three sentences your client can repeat after the meeting. That is the standard every chapter is written to.
212Brand launches
38Awards
14Years independent
Oat#E8DCC6Apricot#D9A98AClay#C67A6BSlate#7D8796Ink#2F3542
Fig. 01Colour fan for Nordlicht, 04/2026
Studio Halde · Brand strategyPage 03 / 04
7 min read
Presenting to executives
How to present to executives and senior management: lead with the recommendation, plan for a shortened slot, keep detail in the appendix and send a pre-read.
Board meeting14 November 2026
The ask
Approve €4.2m for three initiatives, returning 3.1× within 36 months.
AMAOwnerM. Albers
Expand EuropeBenelux, Poland, Nordics
€1.8m
Share43 %Payback18 months
Expected return3.0×
BJOOwnerJ. Okafor
Scale the platformEngineering and API
€1.5m
Share36 %Payback12 months
Expected return3.6×
CSBOwnerS. Brandt
Win enterpriseSales, key-account team
€0.9m
Share21 %Payback14 months
Expected return2.4×
Weighted average 3.1×Planning Sept to Nov 2026Appendix 12 / 14
Decision required
Blended ROI3.1×
Cumulative return on the €4.2m invested, over 36 months
Next stepPass the
resolution
Paper 12 / 14Confidential
10 min read
Elevator pitch examples
Eight fictional elevator pitch examples for founders, consultants, freelancers, job seekers and internal projects, each as a 30 and a 60-second version.

PowerPoint how-tos

Board meeting14 November 2026
The ask
Approve €4.2m for three initiatives, returning 3.1× within 36 months.
AMAOwnerM. Albers
Expand EuropeBenelux, Poland, Nordics
€1.8m
Share43 %Payback18 months
Expected return3.0×
BJOOwnerJ. Okafor
Scale the platformEngineering and API
€1.5m
Share36 %Payback12 months
Expected return3.6×
CSBOwnerS. Brandt
Win enterpriseSales, key-account team
€0.9m
Share21 %Payback14 months
Expected return2.4×
Weighted average 3.1×Planning Sept to Nov 2026Appendix 12 / 14
Decision required
Blended ROI3.1×
Cumulative return on the €4.2m invested, over 36 months
Next stepPass the
resolution
Paper 12 / 14Confidential
8 min read
Apply a template to a deck
How to put a new PowerPoint template on a finished deck: paste slides with Use Destination Theme or apply a theme, then reapply layouts and fix the leftovers.
Strategy · FrameworkV3
North star method
Three questions before every decision.
A test from more than 40 projects. The output is always three sentences.
CostWhat does doing nothing for 18 months cost, and whom?
The cost of standing still shows whether the strategy holds.
TestabilityWhich testable claim makes the strategy a success?
A bet becomes a strategy once it can be wrong.
Trade-offWhat do we stop doing for it?
Strategy is the smallest set of trade-offs that makes the bet possible.
Three sentences. One decision.
Developed byAlbers & Wolf · StrategyConfidential · 1 page
7 min read
Slide master in PowerPoint
Open, edit and save the slide master in PowerPoint: fonts, colors, logo, layouts, placeholders and footers, with exact menu paths and fixes for common problems.
MooswerkSeed · Q3 2026
Buildings
that breathe.
Mooswerk greens façades with moss modules that bind fine dust and cool the street. Sensors report when a module needs water.
Seed round
€1.2m
Pilot façades
14
Street temperature
−3.8 °C
Lena & MiaFounders · Leipzig
Nordhafen LogistikQ3 review · Executive team
New clients and existing accounts lift revenue by €0.99m.
Revenue bridge Q2 to Q3 2026in €mTotalGainLoss
Q2 level
11.85
¹+0.58
+0.41
²+0.32
+0.17
−0.31³
−0.18
12.84
Q2 2026New clientsExistingServicePriceChurnDiscountsQ3 2026
What is behind it
1+0.58€m37 new clients, 11 of them in port handling
2+0.32€mService contracts with an 84% renewal rate
3−0.31€mTwo framework contracts ended in July
Axis truncated at €10.6mSource: Nordhafen Logistik controlling04 / 08
8 min read
Copilot with a company template
Can Copilot in PowerPoint use your company template? Yes, through a Brand kit: how to prepare the template, upload it, set strict mode and check the result.

Read enough? Build it.

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