Outlining Your Talk Using The Balloon Brainstorming Technique

Why do many business presentations in Japan fail to engage?

Most presenters in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational companies) start by opening PowerPoint and building slides. This “slide-first” approach leads to unclear messages, too much information, and low engagement. The result: audiences check their phones, and leaders miss the chance to influence decisions.

Mini-summary:
Effective プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) must teach leaders to design their message first, not their slides.

Start with a clear request: “What would you like me to speak about?” Even if the answer is broad, that is fine. Use it as a starting point to explore options rather than jumping straight into slide creation.

Then, use a simple paper-based “idea balloon” method:

1. Write your main topic in the center of a page and circle it.

2. Add related elements around it (each in its own circle) and connect them to the center.

3. For a talk on “presenting”, your balloons might include:

   • Topic selection

   • Preparation

   • Delivery

   • Audience analysis

   • Common mistakes

Mini-summary:
You decide what to speak about by mapping ideas on paper first, not by opening your slide software.

Before planning any structure, focus on “audience analysis”. Create a new page with “audience analysis” in the center and build balloons around it:

• Gender split

• Expertise level

• Age demographic

• Industry

• Language fluency

For 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational firms) in 東京 (Tokyo), this step is critical. Ask organisers these questions first so you know whether you are speaking to experts, beginners, or a mixed group. That helps you choose examples, data depth, and language complexity.

Mini-summary:
Strong presentations in Japan begin with clear audience analysis, not with topic or slides.

Next, take “topic selection” and put it in the middle of a new page. Add sub-balloons such as:

• Topicality

• Data availability

• My angle

• My expertise

• Audience value factor

• Audience interest

Then, if needed, go deeper. For example, under “topicality”, a leader speaking after Covid might brainstorm:

• Covid-19 health concerns

• Business disruption

• Working from home

• Isolation

• Staff retention issues

• Mental health / suicide increases

• Leadership issues

• Productivity

• Cash flow

This helps leaders in 日本企業 (Japanese companies) and 外資系企業 (multinational firms) connect their message to real, current issues in the business.

Mini-summary:
You choose powerful topics by exploring breadth and depth on paper, then selecting what offers the highest value for your specific audience.

Once you have many ideas, time and attention limits force you to choose. Ask:

• What will have the greatest impact on this audience?

• What supports my personal and professional credibility?

Then:

1. Decide your core message.
   Write one sentence that captures what you believe about the topic. This is your conclusion or “punchline”.

2. Gather evidence.
   Arrange stories, data, and examples into 2–4 sub-chapters with a logical flow.

3. Change content every five minutes.
   Switch between story, data, example, and interaction to keep attention.

This method fits leadership training (リーダーシップ研修), sales training (営業研修), and プレゼンテーション研修 (presentation training) for busy executives.

Mini-summary:
A strong presentation is built around one clear sentence, supported by structured evidence and frequent content changes.

When should I design the opening and the slides?

The opening comes last, and the slides come last as well.

After your structure and conclusion are clear:

1. Design the opening.
   In today’s “Age of Distraction” and “Era of Cynicism”, your first 1–2 minutes must:

   • Show credibility

   • Connect to a real business problem

   • Make people curious to hear more

2. Create slides only after the outline is fixed.
   Slides should:

   • Support your message, not replace it

   • Be simple and visual

   • Help the audience follow your logic

This approach is essential for leaders in Tokyo who must influence boards, stakeholders, and global teams.

Mini-summary:
Outline first, opening second, slides last — this order makes you look like a polished professional, not a “slide reader”.

• Use paper “idea balloons” to quickly generate depth and breadth of presentation ideas.

• Start with audience analysis, especially in mixed 日本企業 (Japanese companies) / 外資系企業 (multinational) environments.

• Distill your message into one clear sentence, then build evidence around it.

• Design your opening and slides only after your structure is complete to maximise impact.

Founded in the U.S. in 1912, Dale Carnegie Training has supported individuals and companies worldwide for over a century in leadership, sales, presentation, executive coaching (エグゼクティブ・コーチング), and DEI training (DEI研修). Our Tokyo office, established in 1963, has been empowering both Japanese and multinational corporate clients ever since.