Skills to make your cases stand out

What our workshops bring

Our workshops are hands-on and focus on acquiring practical skills. We make sure they are fun and use real-world cases. The emphasis is on direct applicability – whether you’re a manager or a participant, you’ll observe tangible improvements in presentations and case-building abilities. The workshops are tailored for:

  • boutique consulting firms,
  • finance and analytics teams,
  • strategy teams,
  • marketing and sales teams,
  • M&A teams, and
  • incoming cohorts of new consultants.

Our courses encompass the expertise required to construct robust cases and compelling slide decks. It’s important to note that while we focus on these essential aspects, we do not cover the oral skills associated with presenting to an audience.

Do you need to regularly present your cases to executives?

Looking to save time and effort when creating visuals and presentations?

Do you want to improve your team's ability to deliver better presentations?

How we can help

We offer a range of training workshops spanning from half-day sessions to multiple-day programs. Currently, our offerings include:

  • Tailored in-company training sessions customized to the skill levels of the participants.
  • Providing constructive feedback on participants’ prior work.
  • Implementing assignments within multi-day workshops to reinforce learning.
  • Supplying comprehensive training documentation, including our slides, shortcut sheets, style guides, and graph selection guides.
  • Depending on the feasibility within your office, we conduct training sessions either at a designated venue or within your office space.
  • Participants receive a certificate of participation.

Our program caters to various learning styles, incorporating not only passive listening experiences but also individual and group assignments to enhance the learning journey.

Some of the elements we cover in our workshops

We tailor our workshops to your needs

Improve your productivity

We offer assistance in enhancing your productivity within Excel and PowerPoint. This includes not only utilizing shortcuts but also employing templates designed to expedite your workflow.

Think like a designer

Design principles employed by designers can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your slides, visuals, graphs, or infographics in communicating with your audience.

Business cases a to z

We can guide you through every stage in making a business case from initial data analysis in Excel to crafting a compelling presentation in PowerPoint, and all the steps in between.

Tell it with graphs and visuals

Graphs and visuals serve as powerful and effective communication tools. We provide comprehensive guides and tips on when to utilize specific types of graphs and visuals.

What we offer

Our workshops are conducted in-company with a maximum of 15 participants per class, ensuring a conducive learning environment. We emphasize matching participants with similar skill levels to optimize the learning experience. We customize our program to accommodate participants’ specific needs, learning goals and the available time.

  • Typically, we conduct an intake session with HR or management to discuss the training requirements thoroughly.

  • We kindly request the review of existing materials, such as business cases and graphs, to tailor our teachings precisely to the participants’ skill levels.

  • For venues, we offer to arrange suitable locations if the course cannot be held at your office. For full-day or longer courses, we recommend remote locations to ensure participants can fully focus on the training.

  • The workshops can span multiple days, either continuously or with sessions spread across separate weeks. Additionally, we accommodate evening sessions for convenience.

  • Our workshops are available in both Dutch and English, catering to diverse language preferences.

3D Visual graphs line chart business contact
Academy 3D business graphs

Pricing

Our pricing structure is transparent. Upon requesting a quote for a training session, you can expect the following inclusions:

  • A fixed rate per half-day (morning, afternoon, evening) for the course, regardless of the number of participants (with a maximum of 15 per class).
  • Depending on your specific requirements, an additional charge may apply for a day dedicated to preparing the course content.
  • The costs for course materials, including readers, notebooks, and any other necessary materials, will be provided as a separate item in the quotation.
  • Intake sessions and/or reviewing assignments (before, after, or between course days) may incur additional charges.
  • If we arrange the venue, a reasonable markup over the venue costs will be included. This covers expenses such as room rental, presentation materials, beverages, snacks, and meals. In remote locations, particularly those involving evening sessions, additional charges may apply for overnight hotel costs.

Frequently asked questions

Currently, our consultancy and training services are exclusively available in the Netherlands. However, we are open to conducting online consultations for quick reviews with clients from EU countries, provided that English or Dutch is the language of communication. Additionally, we freely share our insights online in English for everyone to access and explore.

We work with PowerPoint and Excel for Windows. However, we can also accommodate clients who use Google Slides and Apple Keynote, although some reformatting may be necessary. It’s important to note that Google Slides only accepts fonts from the Google library, even if the font is saved within the PowerPoint file. Therefore, files from these programs need to be exported as PowerPoint files for us to work with effectively. For clients using macOS, we can seamlessly work with PowerPoint files without any issues.

Additionally, we utilize Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop in our design process. While it’s not necessary for clients to own or have access to this software, we ensure compatibility by exporting files in formats that you can easily work with, such as SVG, PNG, PDF, and JPEG. Our goal is to provide flexibility and convenience while ensuring the highest quality results for our clients.

We recognize that projects of high stakes, which often require the expertise of an external consultant, are typically of a highly confidential and sensitive nature. Rest assured, any data and information you provide to us remain strictly yours. Furthermore, we are committed to ensuring the protection of your intellectual property. To formalize this commitment, we are willing to sign a transfer of author’s rights for the specific work we undertake on your behalf. Additionally, we are open to signing a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to provide you with added assurance. We can supply you with a model agreement for your convenience. It’s important to note that we will not disclose our working relationship with you or utilize any of the materials, including slides, as examples or for training purposes without obtaining your prior written consent. Your trust and confidentiality are paramount to us, and we take every measure to uphold them throughout our collaboration.

We understand the apprehension that comes with entrusting a consultant who may lack a deep understanding of your industry. When tasked with building an entire deck from rough ideas, our first priority is gaining a thorough understanding of the context. While each business may have unique technical details, we often find similarities in the social and economic circumstances they face, which we are well-versed in navigating. However, particularly when serving as a sounding board or offering a quick review, we believe a fresh perspective can be immensely beneficial. Presenting cases to executive or non-executive boards can sometimes lead to unexpected questions, ones that may not have been considered due to being deeply entrenched in the details. An external consultant can offer a broader viewpoint, helping you see the bigger picture and potentially avoiding embarrassing situations.

Outsourcing presentation building tasks offers distinct advantages over relying solely on in-house resources. Crafting an exceptional business presentation demands a diverse skill set, ranging from data analysis in Excel to proficiency in visual design, among others. While your company’s marketing and communication department may possess the skills to enhance slides aesthetically, they may lack the expertise needed to create the necessary graphs and visuals that truly support your data.

Even if individuals with the required skill set are available in-house, they often find themselves inundated with other responsibilities. Moreover, assigning presentation building as a side task can lead to compromised quality, as creating an outstanding presentation typically requires more hours than initially anticipated. By outsourcing these tasks, you ensure dedicated expertise and focus, resulting in high-quality presentations that effectively convey your message and engage your audience.

While utilizing a business consultant’s template may appear to be a convenient and cost-effective solution, it’s essential to consider the nuances of your company’s existing templates and brand guidelines. While your company likely already has templates aligned with its brand, they may not always be suitable for the specific task at hand. However, adhering to these guidelines can enhance the acceptance and relevance of the content, as it aligns seamlessly with the company’s established identity.

Although templates can provide a helpful starting point, they are just that—a starting point. The real challenge lies in transforming the template into a coherent narrative that effectively communicates your message. This process entails more than simply filling in blank titles and body text; it requires a diverse skill set to craft a compelling story, complete with visually engaging graphs and visuals that support your narrative.

We understand that outsourcing, whether in part or in full, can introduce a level of uncertainty, particularly when it involves critical presentations or business cases. It’s essential to address these concerns upfront by discussing expectations thoroughly before commencing any work. Additionally, we prioritize open communication and encourage dialogue around preliminary concepts to ensure alignment with your vision and objectives. Should adjustments be necessary along the way, we are flexible and committed to redirecting efforts as needed to meet or exceed your expectations.

We also recognize the common challenge of time constraints and the pressure to deliver results promptly. This may sometimes require us to work outside of standard office hours to ensure timely completion. Having experienced similar pressures ourselves, we empathize with this situation and are dedicated to accommodating your needs to the best of our abilities. Ultimately, our primary goal is to consistently meet and exceed your expectations, delivering results that drive success for your business.

it’s not a bad idea to invest, because

skills are the currency of personal and professional growth

(inspired by Ryan Roslansky – CEO at LinkedIn)