Vikrant ✨

Why Do Consultants Make Cluttered Slides – And Why You Shouldn’t Consultant decks have a distinct “look”: dense text, detailed charts, and lots of footnotes. Two key factors in the consulting world drive this slide style: 1. Executive Audiences & Stand-Alone Documents: Consultants often present to C-suite executives or boards, but those leaders may not actually sit through the presentation. It’s common for the slide deck to be circulated and read independently later. Therefore, each slide must stand on its own, with enough detail that a CEO could read it without the presenter and still grasp the message. In essence, the PowerPoint doubles as a report. This “slide-as-document” mindset means slides get packed with text, data, and explanations so nothing is missed in the reader’s absence. (Side note: In Chronicle, you have the option to add additional detail within widgets - so that the audience has the *option* to go deep where required - without being overwhelmed) 2. Business Model – Justifying Value with Data: Top consultancies charge high fees for their analysis. Culturally, there’s pressure to show the work. Every data point, every finding from weeks of research, often ends up on slides to demonstrate thoroughness. The deck becomes a tangible deliverable of the project. In fact, consultants joke “if it’s not in the deck, it didn’t happen.” Slides are used to document all the work done , which leads to overstuffed exhibits. The business model rewards comprehensive detail – clients are paying for depth, and they expect to see it.