3 Simple Steps to Master Effective Stakeholder Communication
A simple but powerful strategy to organize your thoughts in a clear and concise way
Have you ever struggled to present information in a clear and concise way? If so, you’re not alone. As a product manager, I have been in situations myself where I found it challenging to take a complex topic and break it down into easily digestible chunks. That’s where the Minto Pyramid comes in.
The Minto Pyramid is a highly effective tool for ensuring clarity, impact, and consistency in your communications, from the most routine business emails to crafting a strategic narrative for your product or business.
It involves starting with the conclusion, followed by the key arguments, and finally supporting those arguments with detailed information. This top-down approach helps you clearly present your message and make a strong impact on your audience.
See what I did here? I shared the main point with you right away. That’s the beauty of this principle. Cut to the chase right at the beginning. Now let’s understand this in more detail and how to apply it.
What is the Minto Pyramid?
For those who don’t know, the Minto Pyramid Principle is one of the classic principles of the consulting industry, that’s been around for quite some time. It’s followed by any competent journalist but is equally applicable in business and product writing.
The Minto Pyramid Principle was first formalised in the late 80s by Barbara Minto, a McKinsey consultant where it eventually became the ‘Bible’ of the writing process at the firm.
Why does it work?
According to famous research on human psychology by Geroge A Miller, seven plus or minus two is the max idea one can hold in short-term memory.
“Ideas at any level in the Minto pyramid must always be summaries of the ideas grouped below them.” That is the main concept of this principle.
Leading with the conclusion may sound counterintuitive. However, when any complex idea is broken down into smaller chunks of information and presented in a top-down hierarchical structure, it helps the audience or reader understand the main points first and then delve into the details if they want to.
And given the fast pace of business and shorter attention span of people these days; clear, concise, and straight-to-the-point communication is much needed.
How to put it into practice
There are typically three steps involved to build the Minto Pyramid:
- Start with the answer: At the top of the pyramid, present the main point or conclusion of your message. This should be the most important takeaway that you want your audience to remember.
- Group and summarise supporting arguments: In the middle of the pyramid, present the key arguments or supporting points for your conclusion. These should be the most important details that help to reinforce your main point. Try putting the same kind of idea in each group.
- Logically order supporting ideas within each group: At the bottom of the pyramid, provide more detailed information and evidence to support your key arguments. This could include statistics, examples, or technical details.
To understand its application better, let’s take a simple example.
Problem: How to reduce checkout abandonment
# 1 Our recommendation:
We completed a product research study on checkout abandonment rates, Our recommendation based on our findings:
Streamline the registration process. Use guest checkouts and let new buyers register after purchasing.
#2 Our main findings:
- 45% of the users abandoned their cart when forced to create an account.
- Many users who didn’t check out complained that our checkout flow is too long/complicated.
- Research also showed that our customers resent filling out the sign-up forms, especially fields that are not directly related to the purchase.
#3 How do we plan to address this:
- Guest checkouts, remove compulsory sign-ups that only serve as a barrier to sales.
- Make it easy for them by eliminating unnecessary steps and asking for the bare minimum of details.
- Nudge the customer to create an account after the sale on a thank you page, we will already have most of the customer details to create an account. We just need to ask for a password and confirm.
Notice how each section sounds so coherent? That’s because the Minto Pyramid Principle provided a sturdy framework for clear and convincing content.
Pro tip: While providing supporting arguments and details, try to show a cause-and-effect sequence in your argument and rank them from most to least important to generate more impact.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, the Minto Pyramid is a valuable tool for organising and presenting information that ensures that your audience doesn’t get bogged down in unnecessary details and can easily understand the main points of your presentation.
Whether you’re giving a product presentation, writing a product strategy or preparing a demo, the Minto Pyramid can help you focus on the most important points and present them in a logical order.
If you haven’t already, give it a try and see how your busy audience thanks you. And remember, the Minto Pyramid is just one tool in your toolkit — there are many other strategies and techniques you can use to communicate effectively. So don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you and your audience.
