data.day
executive presence / presentation skills / efficiency

If the Recommendation Is in the Conclusion, We Deserve the Delay

Hiding your 'Ask' on the last page of the deck is not dramatic tension; it is self-sabotage. Put the money on the table immediately.

Oliver Metric Oliver Metric

The Big Reveal is a Big Mistake

I attended a pitch for a technical SEO audit. The consultants were smart. They had found a critical error in the client’s site architecture that was costing millions.

They decided to structure the presentation like a detective story. Slide 1 to 10: The symptoms. Slide 11 to 20: The investigation. Slide 21 to 30: The clues.

The client sat there, tapping his pen, checking his watch. He knew something was wrong—that’s why he hired them—but he didn’t know what.

Finally, on slide 40, they revealed the solution: “It’s the canonical tags! We need to rewrite them!”

The client looked at them and said, “Right. Why didn’t you say that forty minutes ago? I have another meeting in five minutes. Send me the quote.”

The meeting ended. The momentum died.

It was dodgy. The team thought they were building a compelling narrative. In reality, they were wasting the client’s time. They buried the gold at the bottom of the garden and asked the client to dig for it.

The Drag: The Anxiety of Waiting

When you hold back the recommendation, you create anxiety. The client is sitting there thinking:

  • “Is this going to be expensive?”
  • “Are we in trouble?”
  • “Do I need to fire someone?”

They aren’t listening to your brilliant analysis because their brain is occupied with fear. They are waiting for the other shoe to drop.

You are not Stephen King. You are a consultant. Your job is not to entertain; it is to inform.

The Answer: The Executive Summary is the Only Summary

We need to embrace the military concept of BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front.

Your recommendation belongs on Slide 2, right after the title page.

  • The Title: “Site Architecture Audit”
  • Slide 2 (The One Pager):
    • The Problem: Canonical tags are broken.
    • The Cost: We are losing £10k/month.
    • The Fix: A technical sprint to rewrite the tags.
    • The Ask: £5,000 budget approval.

[TO EDITOR: Illustration comparing two timeline bars. Bar 1 (The Old Way): “Context” -> “Data” -> “Analysis” -> “Recommendation (Minute 55)”. Bar 2 (The Oliver Way): “Recommendation (Minute 2)” -> “Discussion” -> “Approval (Minute 15)”.]

When you put the recommendation first, the rest of the meeting changes. The client relaxes. They know the size of the monster. “Okay, £5,000 to save £10,000? Makes sense. Show me the data.”

Now, when you go through your charts, they are actually listening. They are validating the decision they have already tentatively made.

You aren’t selling anymore; you are confirming.

Don’t be shy. Put the price tag in the window. It saves everyone from having to ask “How much?” at the end of the meal.

FAQs

Won't I spoil the surprise?

Good. Surprises are for birthday parties, not board meetings. Boring is profitable.

What if they disagree with the recommendation immediately?

Then you have the whole meeting to discuss it. Better than finding out they disagree with 2 minutes left on the clock.

Does this apply to email too?

Especially email. If I have to scroll to find out what you want, I'm deleting it.