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Six Strategies for Winning Case Competitions

• Strategy and Operations

by Lauren Meyer and Sarah Consagra, both MMM 2020 

This content was originally published in Poets&Quants .

To prepare for business school, students gear up for lecture room cold-calling, months of career recruiting, and enough networking to last a lifetime. What many MBA students don’t anticipate are case competitions.

An often-underrated way to derive value from your business school education, case competitions offer students the opportunity to consult for real clients, helping to solve pressing business problems. These competitions have become almost a rite of passage at graduate schools across the nation. Plus, they tend to pay generously – a perk always welcome on an MBA budget.

Over two weeks, our team designed a platform aimed at educating and empowering primary care physicians to directly treat patients with HCV, a task typically reserved for specialists. We were thrilled to win the competition, and even more excited to know that our ideas will further AbbVie’s mission to eradicate a stigmatized and often overlooked disease.

Among busy MBA schedules, making time for a case competition may be difficult. However, it can be one of the most rewarding experiences of business school. After competing and succeeding in several during our first year at Kellogg, we’ve gleaned some helpful tips and tricks for designing a “winning” solution and getting the most out of the case competition experience.

1. Make it human-centered.

Get out there and talk to people! Secondary research is important. Where possible, your ideas should also be informed by robust primary research. Judges will be impressed when you are able to cite conversations with people who are “living the problem.” Through our conversations with doctors, nurses, and social workers, we unearthed unique pain points related to HCV treatment that we would have missed entirely by relying on the internet. One nurse reminded us that “doctors are people, too,” and that their own unconscious biases and busy schedules might prevent them from treating certain diseases with urgency.

2. Keep it laser-focused.

When solving an innovation challenge, there are typically a number of exciting possible solutions. We’ve found it is most effective to select the one solution you think is most compelling Then, tell the audience  why  you chose it, and build it out in detail. The audience will be much more impressed by a single, deep and well-studied solution than a set of broad and shallow ones. In our presentation, we recommended launching the education platform with primary care physicians covered by Medicare Advantage, a group we believed was uniquely poised to adopt the education platform. By honing in on one of many existing pain points, we were able to demonstrate that we had done the hard work of prioritizing the biggest win for our client.

3. Make it beautiful.

The value of an aesthetically compelling presentation cannot be overstated. This will keep your audience alert and engaged. Straightforward, crisp slides with simple design elements will go a long way. If you want to take it one step further, don’t be afraid to get creative by adding illustrations and vivid imagery. Our team used hand-drawn illustrations (just stick figures – nothing fancy) to bring a typical HCV patient’s journey to life for the judging panel.

4. Know your numbers.

When it comes to Q&A time, it’s always satisfying to respond to a judge’s doubting question with, “Yes, and we have data to support that.” If you’re going to whip out that reply, make sure you’ve done your homework. While only key numbers should be presented, an appendix is a helpful add-on for all the numerical content that you may want to pull out of your arsenal during follow-up questioning. Make sure you practice speaking confidently about how you arrived at those final numbers as well.

5. Make it actionable.

Ultimately, judges want solutions that feel tangible – ones they can execute readily, with existing budget, and feel excited to promote to internal stakeholders. Craft a clear outline for how you’ll launch your idea, what money you’ll leverage, and what existing resources you can draw on. If you want to add some glitz, you can always build out a roadmap for how your solution might evolve and grow as you scale (three, five, or ten years down the line). In our presentation, we focused on a “pilot program,” and then shared a window into what a “full-scale” version might look like. This helped the judges understand our solution’s potential for immediate effect, and how that might translate into something bigger and more impactful.

6. Tell a story.

Business jargon and charts might seem impressive, but if the judges aren’t hooked they may miss the genius of your solution. Storytelling can be a critical lever for standing out and connecting with your audience. Share emotional and powerful stories of personas or real people you spoke with to demonstrate how this solution will transform the lives of customers and stakeholders. Coming full circle to our first tip: speaking with people out in the world will enable you to deliver compelling human stories.

One bonus tip to remember : be sure to make it fun! That may sound cheesy, but it’s hard to envision and build out a business solution under time constraints if you’re not curious about the subject matter. Find teammates you enjoy spending time with, and let your enthusiasm shine when pitch day rolls around.

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Pitch your ideas, put your business skills to the test, and compete in a case competition

Participating in a business-related case competition is one of the best ways to develop critical business and presentation skills, gain practical real-world industry experience, and network with experts and potential employers. Partner with Carey faculty to fine-tune your presentation and case analysis skills. And then put your theories to the test and present to leading executives around the world. With competitions hosted at Carey and funding available to register and travel to outside competitions, at Carey Business School you can compete and win in some of the most prestigious case competitions worldwide.

2024 Samsung Galaxy Marketing Case Competition, Vol. 2

Carey MBA student Anny Gonzalez ’24 recently won first place at the Samsung Galaxy Marketing Case Competition, Vol. 2 in New York City. Her innovative presentation focused on empowering the Gen Z population to unleash their inner content creator through the use of the company’s new AI-integrated smartphone. Gonzalez presented her ideas to a variety of top tech firms and advertising agencies. Her win earns her a Google mentorship, a Qualcomm internship opportunity, and a suite of Samsung Galaxy products. Read more about Anny's win here .

2024 Venture Capital Investment Competition

A team of four Carey students won first place at the 2024 New England Regional Finals of the Venture Capital Investment Competition in Boston. This marks the first win in Carey history at the regional round of the competition. The VCIC is a competition where teams of participants act as venture capitalists for the day and evaluate startups for potential funding. The teams conduct extensive research, draft a term sheet for their selected startup, and present findings to a panel of professional venture capitalist judges.

Howard University’s 27th Annual MBA Exclusive Conference: 18th Annual Minority Case Competition 

A team of Carey students took home first place and $12,000 at the 18th Annual Minority Case Competition, held during the MBA Exclusive Conference at Howard University. This year’s competition was sponsored by the NobleReach Foundation and themed “Leveraging Innovation and Entrepreneurship for National Competitiveness.” The case focused on the United States’ response to substantial adversarial investments in digital infrastructure and the need to create a mission-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem to remain competitive. The Carey team developed a comprehensive strategy to build the ecosystem, aligning entrepreneurs, investors, universities, students, communities, and government agencies. The strategy aimed to ignite a wave of innovation that would transform the entrepreneurial landscape, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and responsible society. Students had a week to plan, strategize, and solve the case to then present their ideas to a panel of judges.

BioNJ Health Equity in Clinical Trials MBA Business Plan Case Competition

A team of Johns Hopkins Carey Business School students took home the first-place prize, winning $10,000, at the BioNJ’s inaugural MBA Business Plan Case Competition. The Carey team, consisting of five MBA/MPH students, developed a business plan that outlined a new health equity solution in clinical trials. The competition is designed to promote next-generation innovators and to identify new methods and models to strengthen clinical trial diversity and expand health equity.

MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition

A team of Carey students took first place, winning $2,000, at the 18 th annual MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition, held virtually on April 20-22, 2022. This marks the third win by a Carey team in the last four competitions, making Johns Hopkins the best-performing business school (tied with MIT Sloan) in competition history.

CFA Institute Research Challenge

A Carey student team placed first in the annual local DC/Baltimore CFA Institute Research Challenge . The competition requires students to research and analyze a publicly traded company, write a report, and present a buy, sell, or hold recommendation to a panel of industry experts.

Featured Winners

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Case Competitions Funding and Support

Carey Business School provides case competition teams with faculty and peer advisors, case preparation workshops, a list of over a hundred national case competitions, and funding for registration and other needs if necessary.

To request case competition resources, email [email protected].

Annual case competitions

Danaher case competition.

The annual Healthcare Business Association case competition is sponsored by global science and technology innovator Danaher Corporation. Student teams from universities across the nation traveled to Baltimore to compete for the $7,500 first-place prize, on a case judged by a panel of Danaher Health IT subject experts and business leaders.

Graduate Consulting Club Case Competition

The Johns Hopkins Graduate Consulting Club Case Competition’s annual competition brings together students and fellows from across the country to work on some of the most pressing challenges in today's health care sector. Interdisciplinary teams comprised of students from across multiple schools, programs and departments. 40 schools competed in the April 23, 2021 case competition sponsored by HighMark Health.

This intense, 48-hour simulated competition requires teams to improve the efficiency of a hypothetical near-bankrupt firm. Graduate students from top business schools across the globe aim to run the most profitable factory with rankings based on their ending cash balances.

Venture Capital Investment Competition

In this annual competition, student teams play the role of venture capitalists who are looking to invest in one of the startups presenting at the event. Student teams are assessed on the investment opportunities and pitching an investment strategy to the judges. The winning team of the local (Carey students only) competition win a spot in the regionals.

Past case competitions

Carey students placed second in the 2021 virtual Danaher Case Competition. This competition focused on the rapid growth of at-home lab testing and issues related to effectiveness, efficiency, and inequities in access.

KeyBank Ohio State University Minority MBA case competition

A Carey Business School team took first place, winning $10,000, in the KeyBank Ohio State University Minority MBA Case Competition.

Arthur Page Society - Student Case Competition

Carey student, Rhianna Taniguchi, placed first in the business school category with her submission, "Turning a Moment into a Movement: Why the NBA said 'Black Lives Matter.'"

UNC/Duke Case Competition

Carey students placed third in the UNC/Duke Case Competition. The competition brings together graduate students (Master’s, PhD, JD, MD) and provides the opportunity for teams to apply their analytical skills and creativity in a real-world context, by solving a real-world business problem.

MIT Operations Simulation Competition

For the second consecutive year, a Johns Hopkins University Carey Business School student team took the top prize at the annual MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition.

Amazon Case Competition

The Carey Business School team took the top spot at the 2020 Reaching Out MBA conference— the largest gathering of LBGTQ+ business students and alumni.

Harvard Global Case Competition

A team of Johns Hopkins students placed third in Harvard University’s annual  Global Case Competition  on April 25, 2020. The team, which included four Carey students, team faced off against 160 other teams from around the world.

Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition

A four-member team of Johns Hopkins University students, including two from the Carey Business School, has won first place in the 16th annual Kellogg Biotech and Healthcare Case Competition.

A Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Global MBA team took top prize in the 15th annual MIT Sloan Operations Simulation Competition, held April 7, 2019, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• Johns Hopkins Team Wins Pfizer Case...
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• Carey Places at Harvard Case Competition

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Case Competitions

Introduction.

• Case Study Research
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Participating in a business-related case competition is one of the best ways to develop critical business and presentation skills, gain practical real-world industry experience, and network with experts and potential employers. 

Definition of a Case Study: A Case Study is created using a research method that is in-depth and detailed to examine an issue or problem and its related contextual conditions.

Being familiar with case studies will help you prepare for case competitions and also for company interviews.  While the case competition presentation will be brief compared to one done for a job interview, understanding the elements will strengthen your solution.

• Brinkmeyer, A., & Zhu, S. (2019). IMA Student Case Competition: Advice for Competitors .  Strategic Finance, 101 (2), 67-68.
• Poets and Quants. (2019). Six Strategies for Winning Case Competitions.
• Can you use library resources for case competitions? Check your particular case competition requirements, guidelines, and restrictions. If they are allowed, encouraged, optional, then read on! 
• You may need to do research on particular industries, companies or products/services. This guide will get you started, but reach out to Management Library staff via the blue "email me" button for focused assistance. 
• Owen Academic and Student Affairs (ASA) is available to assist with logistical support of case competitions. 

When allowed, utilizing professional business research tools available via VU in combination with expert information assistance from Management Library can help you succeed. Just ask the Owen team that won 1st place in the 2023 SEC Case Competition !

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• Last Updated: Nov 3, 2023 2:41 PM
• URL: https://researchguides.library.vanderbilt.edu/casecompetitions

UW Global Business Case Competition

Universities interested in competing in GBCC 2025- Please Complete this Expression of Interest Form .

Go to GBCC Site for access to competitor, schedule, and other information!

The UW Global Business Case Competition (UW GBCC) is a prominent international case competition, bringing together undergraduate students from within the United States and around the globe to compete in fast-paced and innovative business case studies. Starting in 1999 as the Global Business Challenge, UW GBCC turns 24 this year– cheers to that– and is one of the oldest of its kind.

UW GBCC enables students to build meaningful, cross-cultural relationships, experience what the city of Seattle has to offer and most importantly, challenges them with the task of analyzing and developing a business recommendation for two real-world case studies. The competition concludes with each team presenting their case solutions to a panel of industry-leading judges, who are tasked with the difficult decision of selecting the UW GBCC champion

Be sure to connect with the UW Global Business Case Competition on Instagram .

Participating teams can find rules and detailed schedule information on the exclusive GBCC website – please email  [email protected] for access.

GBCC Archived Finals Recordings

2024: Global Retail Expansion Focus with Tim Hortons and Costco

The Global Business Center is pleased to announce that National Chengchi University of Taipei, Taiwan, is the 2024 UW Global Business Case Competition (GBCC) champion! This week-long intensive experiential learning event challenged 11 undergraduate student teams from across the globe.

5-Hour Case For Tim Hortons, they tackled the popular chain’s expansion into China. Teams made of 3-4 students representing different universities each recommended two strategic differentiators that Tim Hortons should focus on over the next two years, and identify actions they could take over this period of time to build growth on those differentiators.

The winning team was comprised of students from Chulalongkorn University, Erasmus University RSM, University of Prince Edward Island, and Washington University – St. Louis.

24-Hour Case Students developed analysis for Costco Wholesale’s expansion opportunities in three new markets: India, Brazil, or the UAE. Teams were given 24 hours to develop market entry strategies, propose timelines for entry, and recommend whether Costco should adapt its business model and product offerings to customer preferences in each country.

Competing Universities:

• Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
• Erasmus University, The Netherlands
• Illinois State University, USA
• National Chengchi University, Taiwan
• The Ohio State University, USA
• Universidad Panamericana- Ciudad UP, Mexico
• University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
• University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
• University of Prince Edward Island, Canada
• University of Washington, USA
• Washington University, USA

The two case problems were developed for this competition by Foster School faculty. The Tim Horton’s case was adapted by Dr. Debra Glassman. The Costco case was co-authored by Dr. Debra Glassman and Dr. Suresh Kotha.

2023: Nestle’s Sustainability and Intel’s Semiconductor Supply Chains

The Global Business Center is pleased to announce that American University of Beirut (Lebanon) is the 2023 Global Business Case Competition (GBCC) champion! This powerhouse experiential learning event challenged 12 undergraduate student teams from across the globe to tackle current global business issues. This year they developed recommendations for issues faced by Nestle and Intel.

For Nestle, they worked for 5 hours (Short Case Challenge) on alternative packaging for KitKat candy bars that would help them meet their 2025 commitment for all packaging – 100% recyclable or reusable.

Teams had to:

• Recommend which KitKat packaging (plastic with recycled content OR paper) should be implemented on a global scale
• Suggest a strategy that would promote consumer recycling behavior
• Adding to the challenge, the teams were multinational ones who had never met each other. They were formed after arrival in Seattle and had to present, boardroom style with just one slide, to business executives. A truly unique learning experience that simultaneously builds community and cross-cultural competence. The short case winning team included Pan Karnjanaekarin (Chulalongkorn University, Thailand), Valentino Mollard (Erasmus University, Netherlands), Jade Joyce Ng (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong), and Dominik Vlasak (University of Washington, USA).

24-Hour Case: Intel This time they had 24 hours to address how Intel can make its new foundry (chip manufacturing) services a success, especially given that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is the world’s dominant manufacturer. More specifically, who are the potential customers and how can Intel persuade them to work with its foundry services rather than TSMC?

The champions are compiled below.

The two case problems were created specifically for this competition by Foster School faculty. The Nestle case was developed by Dr. Debra Glassman. The Intel Case was co-authored by Dr. Debra Glassman and Dr. Suresh Kotha.

2021: Tesla’s Global Expansion Strategy

By Suresh Kotha and Dr. Debra Glassman, University of Washington Foster School of Business, April 2021 Tesla is a revolutionary car company with a revolutionary leader, Elon Musk. It has upended conventional wisdom by successfully producing a line-up of battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs) with its own designs and many of its own components. Despite production challenges, Tesla is undertaking rapid global expansion, with a “Gigafactory” in Shanghai and another about to come online in Germany. The global EV market is growing rapidly, and Tesla is considering other locations for Gigafactories, including India. Is this a good idea? Is Tesla spreading itself too thin? With global competitors ramping up, can Tesla be profitable in the global markets that it is considering?

This case asks the student teams to identify and evaluate Tesla’s global expansion strategy and to present an implementation plan and forecast for the strategy that they recommend.

2019: Amazon Go Stores: New Directions in Grocery Retailing

By Dr. Debra Glassman, University of Washington Foster School of Business, April 2019

In January, 2018, the first Amazon Go store was opened to the public in Seattle. It featured a checkout-free experience. Upon entering, the customer scans a QR code on the Amazon Go phone app. As the customer shops, cameras track his or her movements. The shelves have weight sensors that detect when a product is removed from a shelf (or returned to it). The app keeps track of purchases and charges a credit card when the customer leaves. Amazon calls this Just Walk Out technology.

Amazon has plans for as many as 3,000 Amazon Go stores in the US by 2021. It has identified a site in London for the first overseas Amazon Go store. It is logical to think that Amazon will consider further overseas expansion, but it is not clear what form that should take. Cross-border expansion in the grocery sector is notoriously difficult, and other retailers are already launching cashierless grocery stores around the world, from the UK to China.

This case asks the student teams to identify and evaluate three global expansion strategies and to present an implementation plan for the strategy that they recommend. The champion and finalists’ presentations are compiled below.

2018: Amazon Web Services: Searching for Global Growth

By Suresh Kotha and Debra Glassman, University of Washington Foster School of Business, April 2018

The case focuses on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the world leader in provision of cloud computing services, from data storage to computing and applications. Moving to “the cloud” means that customers rent data center services from third-party providers via the internet rather than maintain their own data centers. The major cloud providers, such as AWS, Microsoft’s Azure and Google Cloud Platform, are rapidly building networks of very large (“hyperscale”) data centers, grouped in geographic Regions around the world.

This case asks the student teams to play the role of AWS managers who will recommend locations for new data center Regions to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and other top managers. The presentations must identify the top three criteria for location selection and recommend three new Region locations.

Read the student charge . The champion and finalists’ presentations are compiled below.

2017: Fitbit: The Business About Wrist

The case focuses on Fitbit, a company with a big share of the wrist-worn wearables market. The market has become increasingly competitive and is characterized by a convergence between the functions offered by fitness trackers (such as Fitbit) and smartwatches (such as Apple Watch). Due to this connectivity, there is a growing recognition of the privacy and security risks associated with the data generated by wearables. The teams in this competition were asked to play the role of Fitbit managers asked to recommend how to protect data from Fitbit devices. They were also asked to develop a plan for marketing Fitbit’s new data protection efforts.

Read the student charge . The champion and finalists’ presentations are compiled below.

2016: Volkswagen Group: The Emissions Scandal and the Costs of Deception

In 2007, Martin Winterkorn, the new CEO of the Volkswagen Group, led the adoption of Strategy 2018, a bold plan for the company to become the world’s number-one-selling automaker. By early 2015, the Volkswagen Group had achieved that goal, in part by increasing US car sales through offering “clean diesel” vehicles. The clean diesel engines allowed VW, Audi and Porsche cars to meet the strict US emissions rules on nitrogen oxides. Then, in September 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency announced that VW diesels had cheated on the emissions tests with a “defeat device” – software that detected when a car’s emissions were being tested. The device reduced emissions during testing, but allowed emissions as much as 40 times higher during regular driving. Eventually it was revealed that the company had installed defeat devices in 11 million VWs, Audis and Porsches worldwide, including 600,000 in the US. Winterkorn was forced to resign and governments and customers around the world launched recalls and lawsuits. The VW Group is facing huge potential costs, as well as damage to its reputation. As new CEO Mathias Muller revises the Group’s strategy, he must address these questions: What will be the total costs of the cheating scandal, and how will they constrain the VW Group’s strategic options in the future?

2015: First Solar Inc. in 2013

Each of the GBCC teams spent 48 hours analyzing a business case on First Solar Inc. In 2010, First Solar was the global leader in production of solar panels. However, by 2013, Chinese producers dominated the world market, helped by generous government subsidies. First Solar was also challenged by falling prices for solar panels made with a competing technology. First Solar responded by vertically integrating into the solar systems business, making the company a “one-stop shop” for utility customers. First Solar’s sales have been concentrated in the US market, but they are exploring opportunities outside the US. The GBCC student teams were tasked with identifying the external forces affecting First Solar’s business over the next five years and then prioritizing the non-US target markets.

Read the case study on the Harvard Business School website . Find the student charge . The champion and finalists’ presentations are compiled below.

2014: Nike: Sustainability and Labor Practices 2008-2013

Acting as Nike mangers, students examine Nike’s sustainability and labor practices from 1998 to 2013 and provide recommendations on three case questions: 1) Where should Nike move its collegiate apparel production? 2) What is a feasible way for Nike’s supply chain to be more transparent? and 3) How can Nike build consumer awareness concerning its improved labor sustainability projects?

Read the case study on the Harvard Business School website. Find the student charge . The champion and finalists’ presentations are compiled below.

2013: Frog’s Leap Winery in 2011: The Sustainability Agenda Case

From 2000-2010, John Williams, co-founder of Frog’s Leap Winery in California, invested in dry farming, organic, and biodynamic agriculture; geothermal and solar power; year-round employment and benefits for immigrant workers; and the industry’s first LEED-certified tasting room. Despite static production, inventory and debt load grew. Students were tasked with finding solutions to help Frog Leap increase sales and become more sustainable while remaining a small winery.

Read the case study on the Harvard Business School website . Download the student charge . The champion and finalists’ presentations are compiled below.

2012: Li & Fung 2012, Harvard Business School

Students act as the top executives at Li & Fung in the midst of preparing an important presentation to stock market investors and analysts. During the presentations, executives (students) will explain the strategies that will be implemented to achieve a goal of $1.5 B. core operating profit in 2013.

2011: Urban Water Partners (A), Harvard Business School, October 2010

Students teams took on the role of the founders and executives at Urban Water Partners. Each team was asked to develop a business plan and subsequent presentation outlining possible business expansion and possible risks.

Home Blog PowerPoint Tutorials How To Prepare and Deliver a Business Case Presentation

How To Prepare and Deliver a Business Case Presentation

No matter how junior or senior an individual is in an organization, there will always be times when they need to convince others why they should fund them, choose them, or do anything else they want them to do. Sometimes an informal, but convincing, argument is enough. Often, it isn’t. Those are the times you’ll need to prepare a business case in order to change their mind.

What is a Business Case?

A business case is a document that presents the costs, risks, and benefits of a particular initiative, justifies the investment , and pitches why decision-makers should approve of the recommendation. Students pursuing an  MBA with a specialization in marketing  are often asked to prepare different business case studies to improve their business forecasting and analytics skills.

Depending on your organization and endeavor, this will be anything from an informal document to a formal presentation before stakeholders. Regardless of the format, a business case aims to convince people if a project or initiative is worth investing in and why one particular approach is better than others.

A Business Case Is Not a Project Proposal or a Project Plan

Don’t get a business case mixed up with a project proposal . While they have similar goals and will cover some of the same topics, they’re not quite the same thing. A project proposal focuses on what a project is, delving into many of the details like deliverables and timelines. They are also different from project plans , which explain how a project will be executed and have much more detail. A business case, on the other hand, is about why people should invest in your initiative.

When You Should Create a Business Case Presentation?

You should create a business case presentation any time you need to convince a manager or stakeholder to make a decision, where an informal conversation is not appropriate or enough.

Common reasons to create a business case presentation:

• Asking for new funding, more funding, or a continuation of funding
• Changing the scope of a project
• Starting a new project
• Requesting a policy change
• Asking for an exception to a rule
• Adding resources to a project or team

How to Create a Business Case Presentation?

While you might be eager to jump in and share the initiative you believe in, it’s a good idea to step back and make sure you prepare a solid case. The more concrete details, facts, and figures you have, the stronger your business case will be. The main sections of a business case will be the context of the situation, problem statement, opportunities, financial analysis, and solution description.

If you’ve never made a business case presentation before, consider using a business case template or try our AI presentation maker to help guide you through each step. Here’s a short summary of each of the parts of a convincing business case presentation.

Step 1. Establish Context about the Current Situation

Not all audience members will immediately know what the current situation is leading up to your initiative. Briefly lay out the background of the idea. Note that this isn’t the problem statement, which will follow.

Step 2. State the Problems

This slide is where you can impress upon your audience the importance of the problem, and therefore, why the solution you’ll soon present is necessary.

When describing the problems, think about the direct and indirect effects of the situation, as well as the internal and external implications. Include statistical analysis if you’re already seeing negative effects because of the situation.

Step 3. Evaluate Opportunities

Your solution needs to be directly related to the stated problem. Here you can list, side-by-side, the opportunities you foresee to address problems. This section is a segway from your problem to your solution.

Another way to present this section is to analyze potential causes of the previously stated problem. This would then be the step to introduce the possible approaches, before settling on the one you’ve chosen to pitch.

Step 4. Analyze Finances

The numbers are probably the most important thing on stakeholder’s minds. They can make or break your business case. Present the current financial situation and compare it to the numbers you could be achieving if they choose to fund your initiative. Additionally, emphasize the potential for increased revenue through the implementation of a recurring payment system , which can provide a steady stream of income for your business.

Step 5. Describe Solution

Now that you’ve impressed the need for a change on your audience, it’s time to propose your solution. The format of your solution description will depend on what kind of decision you’re promoting. Generally speaking, you’ll want to briefly outline what needs to be done, how it will be done, who will do it, and when it will be done. Let’s look at sample solution formats for each of the examples from the introduction:

• Convincing the project manager to add you to a team: List the skills you have, how they relate to the needs of the project, and what you’ll be able to achieve once part of that team.
• Convincing your boss to commit time to fixing a product issue: List how you can fix the issue, how much time it will take, how many resources it will take, and how much it will cost, especially when compared to the alternative.
• Convincing HR to give an employee a raise: List how much of a raise your employee will need, any other non-monetary benefits that could work, and the advantages of retaining that talent.
• Convincing the board to open a new office: This initiative is clearly much more complex than the previous examples, which means it will require a much more in-depth business case document. However, in the business case presentation, you can list the costs, forecasted ROI, resources needed, and potential benefits of opening up the satellite office.

10 Tips for Presenting Effective Business Cases

• Use unique and attention-grabbing visuals. Chances are a board of directors or management team has seen a lot of business cases. Make sure yours doesn’t look just like everyone else’s.
• Clearly state your recommendation and required investment.
• Don’t shy away from costs and risks.
• Evaluate various scenarios when presenting your solution.
• Don’t forget to practice presenting your business case when preparing the documentation.
• Use an appropriate story alongside facts and figures to hook your audience, as recommended by the Harvard Business Review . 
• Don’t add too much data to your PPT slides. Remember that the rest of your details will be in the business case document.
• Involve your audience by making eye contact, mentioning specific examples they may have heard about or been involved in, and even making appropriate jokes.
• Brainstorm potential questions your audience may ask and incorporate them into your presentation. 
• Prepare both a long version and a short version of your business case presentation. You might be expecting an hour to pitch your idea to stakeholders, but you might just get a few minutes while walking down the hall to an emergency meeting.

Conclusion: Do Your Initiative Justice

You have a good idea. Maybe it’s a project you really believe in, a decision that just has to be made, or a strategy that will change the game for your organization. Whatever the case, your initiative won’t get approval if you communicate it ineffectively. Create a convincing business case and present it effectively and you’ll see decisions going your way in no time.

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Business Case Competitions: An Experiential Approach to Learning

What is a business case competition .

A case competition is an event where students come together to present solutions to real-world business problems. These competitions are increasingly popular among both BCom and MBA students, as they provide an opportunity to apply classroom knowledge to real-life situations — experiential learning at its best! 

The competition format can vary, but some common elements include: 

• Teams of students are given a business case, a real-world problem faced by an organization or an idea they’d like to explore. The case is presented in written form and may include additional materials such as financial statements, market research or other data. 
• The teams then have a set amount of time to analyze the case and devise a solution. This can range from a few hours to several days. 

• At the end of the competition, the winners are announced and may receive prizes such as trophies, cash awards or job opportunities. Outstanding students may receive invitations to an exclusive event to network with their case sponsor. 

Overall, the format is designed to simulate real-world business situations and provide students with a hands-on learning experience. At the Telfer School of Management, we run our own internal competitions and we send students to competitions at other universities. 

"As a long-time case competition coach, I see first-hand the growth of students who participate. It is an opportunity for students to gain real experience in analyzing information, strategizing and presenting their recommendations. There is no substitute for the experience they gain, and it shows in their confidence and personal development." — Matt Archibald, Director of undergraduate programs, Telfer School of Management

What Does a Typical Case Presentation Look Like? 

A good case competition presentation should be well organized, clear and engaging. Here are some key elements usually included (Be sure to understand the specific requirements of your case competition.): 

Introduction

Start with a clear and concise introduction that sets the stage for the presentation. Introduce your team, the case purpose and your proposed solution. 

Problem statement

Clearly articulate the problem statement and the key challenges faced by the organization. Provide context and background information that helps the audience understand the issue. 

Present your analysis of the case problem, including your data or research. Use analysis tools to help illustrate your points. Some analysis tools include: 

Financial analysis : Analyze financial statements and other data to understand the organization’s financial health. This can help you identify areas where your proposed solution can improve financial performance. 

Consumer behaviour analysis : Look at individuals’ or groups’ actions when purchasing and consuming a good or service. This can help ensure your solution meets the needs of a target population segment. 

SWOT analysis : Analyze the company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. 

Human resource analysis : Examine the company’s talent management strategy, including recruitment, retention and training.  

Cultural analysis : Often used where there’s a request to expand abroad. Gather information about local culture, history, traditions, social norms, values and other key cultural factors that could affect business, such as language and social class. 

Proposed solution

Present your proposed solution. Explain how it addresses the challenges identified in the problem statement. Make sure your solution is practical, feasible and sustainable. Highlight the potential benefits to the organization. 

Implementation plan

Summarize your key points and reiterate the importance of your proposed solution. Emphasize the potential benefits to the organization and any competitive advantages that your solution may provide. 

Be prepared to answer questions from the judges or audience. Make sure you have a deep understanding of your proposed solution and can provide thoughtful responses. Short answers are best. Judges have limited time for questions and you want to ensure that nothing is left unsaid or up to their interpretation. 

Deliver your presentation confidently and with enthusiasm. Use clear, concise language, maintain eye contact and use visuals effectively to engage your audience. Pay attention to your body language, tone of voice and overall delivery, to ensure you’re conveying your message effectively. 

Why Participate in Business Case Competitions? 

Students cite the following benefits most often: 

Working with peers, building valuable teamwork skills 

Adding interesting experiences to their resumés 

Applying knowledge learned in the classroom to real situations 

Networking with judges, students from other schools and industry representatives (often recruiters) 

Improving business communication skills 

Learning time management and stress management techniques 

Having fun! 

"Looking at my undergraduate degree, case competitions stand out as the most memorable experiences. I’ve learned the most about business, met many of my friends, grown a lot as an individual and had the most fun!  My involvement in both regional and international competitions has been my favourite part of my undergraduate degree and has been instrumental in my personal development." —Aisha Gheriani, Telfer BCom student 

Getting Involved in Business Case Competitions 

There are many opportunities for both BCom and MBA students to get involved throughout the year. There are specific challenges or categories in all business fields, including human resources, accounting, finance, marketing, operations, strategy, leadership, entrepreneurship and more!   

Examples of competitions that Telfer has competed in include: 

Jeux du Commerce 

The Jeux du Commerce is a bilingual interuniversity event that has brought together students in Eastern Canada since 1989 for academic, athletic and social competitions. Goals include fostering relations between the next generation of businesspeople and companies, creating lasting links between participants, developing initiative, and encouraging healthy competition and, above all, excellence. 

Happening Marketing 

CaseIT  

CaseIT brings together top undergraduate students, distinguished professors, experienced industry professionals and a dedicated student body to challenge conventional thinking among future leaders in business and technology. 

Financial Open  

The Financial Open is the largest academic competition in finance and accountancy in Eastern Canada. Bringing together more than 350 students from RÉFAEC universities, the competition aims to promote careers in finance and accounting, in addition to providing a place for students to meet and speak with key industry players. 

“Case competitions add incredible value to the university experience. They’ve let me put the theory I’ve learned in my university courses into practice, strengthen my communications skills and learn to create high-quality deliverables under tight deadlines. Case competitions give you access to the real-world of business and offer unbelievable networking possibilities. Beyond career benefits, these competitions have allowed me to meet passionate students involved in university life. I’ve formed professional relationships with these people, in addition to making lifelong friendships.”  — Caroline Lafrance, Telfer BCom student 

How to Get Involved 

If you want to learn about how you can get involved as a student competitor, case subject or coach, email Telfer case competition head coach Stephen Daze or go to the Telfer Competitions Committee Instagram page .  

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The Right Way to Present Your Business Case

• Carolyn O’Hara

Get key stakeholders on board with one effective presentation.

You’ve already put a great deal of work into preparing a solid business case for your project or idea. But when it comes to the critical presentation phase, how do you earn the support of decision makers in the room? How do you present your case so that it’s clear and straightforward while also persuasive?

• Carolyn O’Hara is a writer and editor based in New York City. She’s worked at The Week, PBS NewsHour, and Foreign Policy. carolynohara1

Partner Center

A Virtual Case Competition for Ambitious High School Students

HCGCC 2024 pre-registration is open!

Registration fee is only $7.5USD when you pre-register.

WHAT IS A CASE COMPETITION?

Step into the shoes of a CEO or consultant and help a top global business tackle its challenges.

Each team has a set amount of time to develop a strategy to address the key issues and present it to a team of judges who will then determine the winner.

80+ Countries

Develop industry-ready skills.

The perfect stepping-stone to a career in any industry around the world.

Special Prizes

Exclusive prizes up for grabs, a total of $4000 usd and us $18,000 usd in education consulting prizes is available to win earn impactful work experience programs with industry leaders., no barriers to entry, hcgcc is 100% virtual, easy to join and accessible for all skill levels. workshops for participants are available from top industry executives., timeline for hcgcc 2024.

15th:  Early bird registration opens

(US $10 USD per student.)

14th:  Early bird registration closes

15th:  Regular registration opens (US $15 USD per student.)

11th:  Registration closes

12th :  Team registration opens & Bootcamps open

16th: Team registration closes

25th: Regional case announcement.  Teams receive regional case via email, and have one week to submit solutions. Slide decks must be created in Google Slides and submitted in PDF format. Find more information here.

30th:  Regional case submission (PDF)

8th:  Regional qualifiers announcement. 50 teams (5 regions with 10 teams per region) advance to next stage.

12th:  Video pitch submission. All team members must speak and be visible in video. Video must not exceed 5 minutes. Click here to learn more.

18th​:  Regional winners. 10 teams (top 2 teams per region) advance to global finals.

19th:  Global Case announcement

HCGCC will share guidelines for presentations and additional finals round information with finalists.

22nd:  Global Case submission

23rd:   Global Case Live Pitch. Global final presentations will take place during the virtual event.

28th:   GLOBAL WINNERS ANNOUNCED! Global winners will receive amazing prizes including the working experience program, Crimson credit, and cash.

WHAT ARE PAST CONTESTANTS SAYING?

"Try your best, the best way to succeed is to know your content and be confident.”

“Make sure you are confident in knowing all of your strategies! Work with your team in all aspects and research in depth!”

“Start your pitchdeck early or exactly when they send out the prompt to maximize your time. Also be sure to practice the Q&A session before the real pitch.”

HCGCC 2023 Winners - 1st Place

"More than a business case competition, HCGCC joins finance, design, creativity, and business sense into a unique chance of showing your knowledge. Be complete, and learn everything."

-Sons of Real

HCGCC 2023 Winners - 2nd Place

This competition was extremely enlightening and one which we highly recommend all to join. The interesting case studies provided allowed us to truly understand the risks which businesses face, and to develop potential solutions. We did feel quite young, going into this competition with a limited understanding of the business world, however, we did not let this stop us!

After using research and our problem-solving skills, we proposed innovative ideas, analyzed graphs and statistics, and worked on our identification of weaknesses and threats, all while working collaboratively. Our advice to future participants is to read the case given carefully, and use creative and critical thinking to truly comprehend what is asked of you to find effective solutions.’

-Team ALPHA

HCGCC 2023 Winners - 3rd Place

REQUIREMENTS:

1) Each team must have 2-4 students, but we highly recommend at least 3!

2) All participants must be aged 13-18 and currently enrolled high school, OR have already graduated but not yet started university.

3) No prior business or economics experience necessary! Join us no matter your experience. We have the tools to help you succeed.

"CASE COMPETITION HAS BEEN REALLY LIFE-CHANGING FOR ME BECAUSE IT TAUGHT ME THAT I NEED TO PURSUE BUSINESS, AND I'M SUITABLE FOR IT. I WHOLEHEARTEDLY RECOMMEND EVERY STUDENT TO PARTICIPATE!”

— Ahad, 2020 Case Competition Winner

Crimson Education is the world's leading US, UK, EU and Postgrad admissions counselors. In 2013, it was founded by three students, including CEO Jamie Beaton who had just been accepted to 25 of the world's best universities. Our mission is to help students all over the world reach their ultimate university admissions goals.

The Harvard Crimson , the nation's oldest continuously published daily college newspaper, was founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. The newspaper traces its history to the first issue of “The Magenta,” published on Jan. 24, 1873, and changed its name to “The Crimson” to reflect the new color of the College on May 21, 1875. The Crimson has a rich tradition of journalistic integrity and counts among its ranks of editorship some of America's greatest journalists. Over 25 Crimson alumni have won the Pulitzer Prize; many of their portraits line the walls of The Crimson.

Crimson Global Academy (CGA) is an internationally accredited, world-class online private school delivering live, real-time learning to students all over the world, enabling them to earn university recognised qualifications through accelerated courses.

Case Competition: The Ultimate Guide on How to Excel

• Last Updated December, 2023

A case competition provides an exciting way for aspiring consultants to hone their problem-solving and presentation skills. If you’re drawn to the consulting world, you likely have a competitive spirit that thrives on challenges.

You’ll get the opportunity to tackle real business problems and present your solutions before judges, who are usually seasoned consultants.

In this article, we’ll discuss:

• What is a case competition (with examples of what you’ll do)
• How competing in consulting case competitions helps your resume and recruiting
• 5 tips on acing the business case competition and maximizing the opportunity
• A list of top case competitions to keep on your radar

Let’s get started!

What Is a Case Competition?

A case competition is an immersive learning experience that challenges students to solve complex business problems within a simulated consulting environment. 

In these competitions, participants work in teams to solve a hypothetical client problem and recommend a solution to a panel of judges.

A case competition tests your analytical thinking, teamwork, problem-solving, and presentation skills.

Examples of Cases and Topics

Case competitions can cover various business functions, such as marketing, strategy, operations, or a combination. You also won’t know what industry the case involves until the competition starts. It’s very similar to what you might experience in a consulting interview!

Case competition examples:

• BankCo aims to boost its market share among customers under 25. What recommendations would you propose to achieve this goal?
• TechCo is venturing into a new geographic market and seeks guidance on an effective market entry strategy to ensure a successful expansion. What approach would you recommend?
• EngineCo, an automobile manufacturer, is grappling with inefficient production processes. How would you optimize operations and foster innovation within the company?

If the case questions seem daunting, fear not! You’ll be provided with lots of data, including historical information, cost details, and other relevant considerations.

However, only some of the data provided will be useful or relevant to your recommendation. As a consultant, part of your skillset involves discerning which information is crucial to your analysis.

These cases simulate real-life consulting projects, so it’s a great chance to apply your skills and see if you like consulting!

Nail the case & fit interview with strategies from former MBB Interviewers that have helped 89.6% of our clients pass the case interview.

Typical Format of a Case Competition

In a case competition, participants are either assigned or choose to be part of a team of 4 to 6 students, mirroring a real consulting team. 

Each team is provided with identical information and allotted the same timeframe to analyze the data, develop recommendations, and present them to a panel of judges. A case competition usually takes place over a few days to allow for analysis and presentation preparation time.  

Let’s take a look at the typical schedule:

• Read Case Information : Teams receive a comprehensive case brief that presents the problem, client information, and pertinent data or information.
• Analyze Data and Options : Teams dive into the case, meticulously analyzing the provided data, extracting insights, and carefully evaluating different options for their recommendation. In most competitions, you can use publicly available information for research.
• Prepare Recommendation and Presentation : Teams consolidate their analysis and make an informed decision on the recommendation. They craft a compelling presentation, typically in slide format, showcasing the results of their analysis and their final recommendation.
• Present to Judges and Answer Q&A : Teams present their solutions to a panel of judges comprising industry professionals and experienced consultants. During the presentation, teams articulate their analysis, demonstrate their problem-solving approach, and emphasize the potential impact of their recommendations. Following the presentation, judges engage in a Q&A session, probing deeper into the team’s analysis and challenging their recommendation.
• Get Feedback and Results : Judges assess each team based on criteria such as the clarity of their problem-solving approach, the feasibility of their recommendations, and the effectiveness of their presentation.

Benefits of Participating in a Consulting Case Competition

Participating in a consulting case competition offers numerous advantages:

• Skill Development : From analyzing real client situations under time pressure to developing innovative solutions, you gain hands-on experience that sharpens your problem-solving abilities, data analysis skills, strategic thinking, teamwork, and communication. It’s a realistic glimpse of what a “day in the life” as a consultant is like.
• Valuable Feedback and Insights : While winning is rewarding, the feedback received provides invaluable insights and suggestions for improvement, enabling you to improve your skills and knowledge. 
• Prizes and Recognition : Many case competitions offer attractive prizes and recognition for outstanding performance. This can include monetary rewards or prize packages.
• Networking Opportunities : You have the chance to network with judges who are current consultants. They often are the ones involved in recruiting and interviews. Even if you don’t win the competition, you have a chance to impress judges, and it could lead to mentorship opportunities or potential internship opportunities.
• Resume Enhancement : Include any awards from case competitions on your resume. It is concrete evidence of your skills and can help your resume stand out.

5 Tips on Acing a Case Competition and Maximizing the Opportunity

1. review key consulting frameworks and concepts.

Take the time to review and understand essential consulting frameworks and structures, such as MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) and the Hypothesis-Driven Approach .

This will give you a strong foundation for analyzing case problems and developing practical solutions. Utilize resources like our Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep .

2. Establish Clear Roles and Responsibilities with Your Team

You are under a time crunch in a case competition, so aligning with your team on individual roles and responsibilities before you start the analysis will help you work efficiently.

Consider each team member’s strengths or developmental interests, and delegate tasks accordingly. For example, if you want to improve your proficiency in Excel, communicate your interest in doing analytical aspects. You can create a more efficient and cohesive team by working together and leveraging each other’s talents.

3. Avoid Memorizing Your Presentation

Memorizing your presentation word-for-word or reading the slides will make your presentation come off as less natural. You’ll appear less confident in what you are recommending.

Instead, focus on understanding the key points, logical flow, and supporting evidence. This approach allows flexibility, adaptability, and a more natural delivery during the presentation.

4. Prepare for Potential Questions

Allocate time to anticipate questions that judges may ask during the Q&A session. Consider different angles, alternative perspectives, and potential challenges to your recommendations. Being well-prepared for possible questions demonstrates your critical thinking skills, enhances confidence, and helps you respond effectively.

5. Leave a Lasting Impression on Judges

Make a positive impression on the judges and attendees of the consulting case competition. You never know who you might encounter again in your consulting journey. 

Consider sending a thoughtful thank-you note to the judges after the competition to express your gratitude for their feedback.

List of Case Competitions

Below, we have compiled a list of case competitions to keep on your radar and consider competing in. It’s important to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and competitions may vary yearly, so we recommend checking their official websites.

If you are in school, your consulting clubs will often host case competitions internally. Sometimes, firms also sponsor and run case competitions for specific communities.

Case Competitions in the USA

• ASCM Case Competition
• Collegiate Ethics Case Competition
• Danaher Case Competition
• David Eccles School of Business Case Competition
• Deloitte Consulting National Undergraduate Case Competition
• E-PARCC Teaching Case and Simulation Competition
• Global Case Competition at Harvard
• Heavener International Case Competition
• IACBE Case Competition
• KeyBank Case Competition
• Marshall International Case Competition
• Net Impact Case Competition
• NU-CUIBE International Business Case Competition
• Page Student Case Study Competition
• Penn Healthcare Case Competition
• Penn, Yale, Princeton, Columbia Case Competition
• Prism Consulting Group Case Competitions
• PRMIA Risk Management Challenge
• San Diego State University
• Student Big Data Case Competition
• The Katz Invitational
• The NASBITE International Student Case Competition
• The Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition
• The University of California Press’ Case Studies in the Environment Prize Competition
• UConn International Business Case Challenge
• Yale Healthcare Case Competition
• Yale Graduate Consulting Club Case Competition

Case Competitions in Canada

• CFI FinMo Case Competition
• ICRA International Case Competition
• John Molson MBA International Case Competition
• McGill Management International Case Competition
• Schulich International Case Competition
• Scotiabank International Case Competition
• UCCA Case Competition

Case Competitions in Europe

• Aarhus Case Competition
• AAU Case Competition
• Amsterdam Case Competition
• Belgrade Business International Case Competition
• CBS Case Competition
• Central European Case Competition
• Creative Shock
• ILA International Case Competition
• International Case Competition @Maastricht
• Morpheus Cup
• NIBS Worldwide Case Competition
• Russian National Case League Changellenge
• SDA Bocconi Case Competition
• The Geneva Challenge

Case Competitions in International Locations

• CEIBS Global Case Competition
• EY CAFTA Case Championship
• HKUST International Case Competition
• HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition
• IFAMA Student Case Competition
• IMA Middle East and India Student Case Competition
• KPMG International Case Competition
• Melbourne Business School Case Competition

– – – – – – –

In this article, we’ve covered:

• Insight into the nature of case competitions, including examples of the tasks and challenges
• How participating in a consulting case competition can benefit your resume and increase your chances of success in recruiting
• Tips on how to excel in a business case competition and make the most of your experience
• A starter list of case competitions you can explore

Still have questions?

If you have more questions about case competitions, leave them in the comments below. One of My Consulting Offer’s case coaches will answer them.

Other people prepping for a case competition found the following pages helpful:

• Our Ultimate Guide to Case Interview Prep
• How to Approach a Case Study
• Case Interview Examples
• MECE (Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive)
• The Hypothesis-Driven Approach

Help with Your Consulting Application

Thanks for turning to My Consulting Offer for advice on excelling at case competitions. My Consulting Offer has helped 89.6% of the people we’ve worked with to get a job in management consulting. We want you to be successful in your consulting interviews too. For example, here is how Parth was able to get his offer from BCG.

© My CONSULTING Offer

We are excited to invite you to the online event.

Where should we send you the calendar invite and login information.

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CBS Case Competition 2024 Invitational

INVITATIONAL

- exclusive competition for top case teams -.

• Top 12 most talented undergraduate case teams from around the world are invited for an exclusive case experience in Copenhagen
• Teams of 4 students come up with a solution to a real-life business
• The competition format varies from year to year
• The teams will engage in a whole week of entertaining and challenging events at CBS and in the city of Copenhagen.
• Teams are eligible to participate if they are supported by a faculty advisor at their university and have demonstrated prominent experience with case-solving and express global representation.

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Business case template.

• Created by ex-McKinsey & BCG consultants
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• Business case for a new project, product, business unit or stand-alone venture

Trusted by thousands of teams

What you get in this template

• A comprehensive, end-to-end business case presentation based on proven frameworks created by ex-McKinsey and BCG consultants
• 300 PowerPoint slides organized in a complete storyline with best-practice slide-layouts, titles, and graphics
• 3 real-life full-length examples from Fortune500 companies so you can see how a business case is presented in other organizations
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• Excel model and examples to support your business case

Our Business Case template is based on a proven framework

Our Business Case framework is built around the classic 3-step approach used by top tier management consultants in thousands of organizations across the world.

This template includes 300 slides based on proven frameworks, complete storyline with best-practice slide-layouts

“These templates have been a life saver for me and my team! We used to waste so much time trying to build slides based on old decks or PDFs. This is so much easier and looks much more professional.”

What can you use the Business Case template for?

The Business Case template includes a fully structured storyline complete with ready-to-use slides, as well as frameworks, tools, tutorials, real-life examples, and best practices to help you:

• Create and present a full business case for a new product line, business unit, innovation area or completely stand-alone business.
• Analyze and describe all necessary areas with associated hypotheses for what this new product/business/innovation should look like including value proposition, customer segments, business model and price point, IT setup, brand, team structure etc.
• Discuss all necessary areas with associated hypotheses related to how this new product/business/innovation should interface and integrate with the Group or main business(es) including positioning, data system integrations, governance etc.
• Analyze potential risks and possible mitigation tactics related to building and launching this new product/business/innovation including cannibalization, brand value etc.
• Present timelines and roadmaps for the new product/business/innovation.
• Analyze financials and create a detailed Excel business case with strategic KPIs and other important metrics.

Fully customizable

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Our PowerPoint and Excel templates are 100% customizable, meaning you can change everything from colors to fonts to layouts to footnotes. Match templates to your company format and color schemes with just a few easy clicks and give it your own personal style.

Created by top-tier consultants

We’re a team of ex-consultants from McKinsey and BCG. Between us we have created thousands of presentations for every purpose and organizational level. Here we have distilled this experience into these templates for you so you can create similar best-practice, tried-and-tested presentations with none of the hassle.

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Steal the templates and frameworks used by top management consultants. Decrease the time you spend structuring a storyline or creating new visuals.

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Business School Presentations

Category archives: case competitions.

“I never get an interesting topic”

“I never get an interesting topic.”

I hear this lament more often that I care to.

No more vintage whine or self-sabotage   exists than this one, uttered in ignorance of its true meaning.

Here are two scenarios.  Both are possible.

You’re assigned your case, and you skim over it.

Ugh.  It’s not “interesting.”

And you find that you must write a memo on the case, analyzing it and teasing out its implications for the strategic direction of the firm, and then you must work with a group of folks you probably don’t hang out, probably don’t know . . . or even like.

You groan as you don’t recognize the company or the people in the case.

Such an “Old” Case

The case isn’t dated last week, so you think it’s “old.”

You complain that you don’t understand why you’re assigned this “boring” case instead of a “modern” case on something hip . . . say, an Apple innovation or a product you heard mentioned in a commercial during the latest Kardashian reality TV offering.

No, you don’t understand why it doesn’t seem to speak to you and your needs.

This minute.

Roll of the eyes.

“Whatever.”

Never pausing.

Never pausing to examine the central factor that your lack of understanding is the problem.

Your framework is so cramped, your context so self-circumscribed, your interests so few that it’s impossible for you to situate the case in its proper place with the tools at your disposal.

You complain that it’s not “relevant” and so you make no attempt to understand its “relevance.”

It’s not an “interesting topic.”

You never get an “interesting topic.”

That’s one scenario of how it goes.

Another scenario is the Embrace.  Opening the heart and mind to the new.

Embrace the Un -interesting Topic

And you must write a memo on the case, analyzing it and teasing out its implications for the strategic direction of the firm, and then you must work with a group of folks you don’t know and probably don’t hang out with . . . or even like.

You scratch your chin, metaphorically, and you roll up your sleeves (again, metaphorically) and you ask yourself  questions like these . . .

“What can I learn from this process?  How can I turn this whole process into an experience I can craft stories about to tell in my upcoming job interviews?   How can I take this case, digest it, and make it part of my growing context of business knowledge?”

And as for the inevitable public group presentation, ask yourself:

“How can I work best with these folks in my group to produce a spectacular presentation that will then become part of my resume?

How can I help mask the internal disagreements and personality conflicts so that our audience does not suspect that several of us detest each other?

How can I make this presentation interesting for my audience? ”

Remember that there are no inherently interesting topics.  Every topic has potential for generating great interest, if you do your job right.

Because please understand . . . no one cares if the topic interests you.

As a professor, I certainly don’t.

I want to know what you plan to do with the topic and the case.

Your job is to infuse the topic with power and generate interest about it for your audience.  And if you do that, you gain tremendous personal competitive advantage .

Crown Cork and Seal is an example of such a case that many students don’t find “interesting.”  It’s a classic case that almost every MBA student must read and analyze.

The Crown Cork and Seal case is about making and selling tin cans.  And how a firm with resources identical to the other major can manufacturers managed to outperform the industry by a stretch.

That’s a mystery, and a great one to solve.

And it’s an interesting topic . . . if only you embrace the case.

For more “interesting topics” about personal competitive advantage , consult the Complete Guide to Business School Presentations .

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Drexel LeBow takes #1 in L’Oreal National Contest

New York, April 13 — Drexel University’s DragonFire team of three  students met L’Oreal’s challenge to “Invent the Professional Salon Experience of the Future” and took top honors in the L’Oreal Brandstorm 2018 case competition in a field of 52 teams over a two-day competition April 12-13.

Drexel LeBow College of Business bested Harvard, Berkeley, Northwestern, NYU, Michigan, NC A&T, Texas, and Southern Cal in the top ten.  Drexel is joined by co-champion Penn State in representing the United States in Paris for the L’Oreal World Championship in May.

Drexel LeBow College Seniors Shine

The Team of Drexel LeBow seniors Amalya Boulajouahel, Bianca Fernandes, and Laura Sturzeneggar pitched its concept for a sophisticated technological solution that links salons, customers, and L’Oreal in a way that utilizes big data to benefit all three.

L’Oreal’s talent acquisition executives, as well as David Greenberg – the President for L’Oreal’s Professional Products Division in North America – quizzed the team for at least an hour after the competition with questions about development and execution of the idea.

“The team’s commitment to develop their ideas and their dedication to learn and to grow as powerful and expressive business people was a major factor in their success in the competition,” said team faculty mentor Stanley Ridgley, associate clinical professor of management at LeBow.  “ Our team offered L’Oreal a strong, scalable core concept that L’Oreal loved.  Now it’s on to Paris for the world championship!”

Drexel LeBow Management Department Chairman Murugan Anandarajan added “These young women represent the business spirit we inculcate in all our students as they learn the wealth-creation process – they exemplify the qualities of leadership, imagination, and technical savvy.  I’m truly proud of these young women, who are sterling ambassadors for LeBow.  Bravo!”

Case Competition

Always a privilege to coach a team of especially powerful presenters.

Combining superb analytical skills with top-drawer presentation skills, Team LeBow offers a keen amalgam of savoir faire and elan and is imbued with a pervasive humility that makes them a pleasure to work with.

Visit here often to check on their progress . . .

Case Competition Victory

  In earlier posts, we examined the lead-in steps for your case competition preparation.

Your team is now on the cusp of delivering a  business presentation  to win a case competition .

Recognize and accept that your presentation is a wholly different communication mode than your final memorandum or report.

Treat it this way, and your chances of case competition victory increase dramatically.

Case Competition Victory?

If your analysis is robust and your conclusions are sound, as should be with all the entries, then a powerful and stunning presentation delivered by a team of confident and skilled presenters wins the day most every time.

The competency of most case competition teams is relatively even.

If a team lifts itself above the competition with a stunning presentation, it wins.

If you have reviewed the step-by-step preparation to this point and internalized its message, you understand that you and your teammates are not something exclusive of the presentation.

You are the presentation.

By now, you should be well on the way to transforming yourself from an average presenter into a powerful presentation meister .

You know the techniques and skills of the masters.

You’ve become an especially powerful and steadily improving speaker.

You constantly refine yourself along the seven dimensions we’ve discussed:  Stance, Voice, Gesture, Expression, Movement, Appearance, and Passion .

Apply the Seven Secrets

When I coach a team how to win a case competition, the team members prepare all of their analysis, conclusions, and recommendations on their own.

Your team’s combined skills, imagination, and acumen produce a product worthy of victory.  The team then creates their first draft presentation.

It is at this point that the competition is most often won or lost.

Powerful winning presentations do not spring forth unbidden.  Or from the written material you prepare.

The numbers do not “speak for themselves.”

The “power of your analysis” does not win a case competition on its own.  You cannot point to your handout repeatedly as a substitute for a superb presentation.

Your case solution is not judged solely on its substantive merit, as if the brilliance of your solution is manifest to everyone who reads it.  It’s judged on how well you communicate the idea.

Powerfully.

Persuasively.

Each member of your team must enter the presentation process as a tangible, active, compelling part of the presentation.  And you must orchestrate your presentation.  Work seamlessly together with each other, with the visuals you present.

And with the new knowledge you create.

Remember that it takes much more than a handful of last-minute presentation “tips” to achieve a case competition victory at the highest level.

You can achieve personal competitive advantage in presenting.  Give it shot.

For more deep secrets on how to win a case competition, consult The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting .

Business Case Competition . . . Phase II

Phase 2 of your business  case competition  preparation begins when you’re issued the case.

Recognize that the nature of this case may differ from what you are accustomed to.

It could be more incomplete and open-ended than the structured cases you’ve dealt with before.

In fact, it could be a contemporary real-world case with no “solution.”  It could be a case crafted especially for the competition by the competition sponsor.

Business Case Competition Preparation

Your first step – your team members read the business case once-through for general information and understanding.

You inventory issues.

You define the magnitude of the task at hand.

Here, you draw a philosophical and psychological box around the case.  You encompass its main elements.

You make it manageable.

You avoid time-burn in discussions of unnecessarily open-ended questions.

Your discussion proceeds on defining the problem statement.

At this point, your expertise and skills gained in years of business schooling should guide you to develop your analysis and recommendations.

The difference in acumen and skill sets among teams in a competition is usually small.  So I assume that every business team will produce analytical results and recommendations that are capable of winning the competition.

This includes your team, of course.

Victory or Defeat?

The quality of teams is high.  The output of their analyses is similar.

This means that victory is rarely determined by the quality of the material itself.

Instead, victory and defeat ride on the clarity, logic, power, and persuasiveness of the public presentation of that material.  I have seen great analyses destroyed or masked by bad presentations .

And so we devote minimum time here on the preparation of your arguments.

Many fine books can help you sharpen your analysis.  Try this one .

This  post concerns how you translate your written results into a powerful presentation that is verbally and visually compelling.

We’re concerned here with the key to your competition victory.

Here is your competitive edge:  While 90 percent of teams will view their presentations as a simple modified version of the written paper that they submit, your team attacks the competition armed with the tools and techniques of Especially Powerful Presenting.

You understand that the presentation is a distinct and different communication tool than the written analysis.

Your own business case competition preparation distinguishes you in dramatic and substantive ways.  This translates into a nuanced, direct, and richly textured presentation.

One that captivates as well as persuades.

Cut ’n’ Paste Combatants

Many teams cut-and-paste their written paper/summary into the presentation, unchanged.  This usually makes for a heinous presentation that projects spreadsheets and bullet points and blocks of text on a screen.

These monstrosities obscure more than they communicate.  It’s a self-handicap and a horrendous mistake.

Sure, at times you will see winning presentations that do this – I see them myself on occasion.  This usually happens for one of several reasons, none of them having to do with the quality of the visual presentation . . .

1) Substance trumps:  The business analysis and recommendation is substantially better than all other entries and overcomes deficiencies in presentation.

2) Mimicry:  All entries utilize the same defective method of cutting-and-pasting the final report onto PowerPoint slides.  This levels the playing field to a lowest common denominator of visual and verbal poverty.

Remember – hold back details of your recommendations for use and explication during the Q&A period.  Don’t present all the fruits of your analysis.

Don’t get down into the weeds.

Too much information and too many details can cripple your initial presentation.  A parsimonious presentation should deliver your main points.  Deliver them with power and impact.

They should stand out.  Don’t submerge them under an avalanche of well-intentioned detail.

Avoid the urge to “get it all in.”

It’s difficult to decide what to leave out  of your initial presentation.  But it’s as important as deciding what to include and emphasize.

Train yourself on the Case Competition.  Consult  The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting .

Next Post . . . Phase III of the Case Competition

How to Win a Business Case Competition

The business case competition puts you in front of Corporate America in naked competition against the best students from other schools.

No hiding behind a resume.

No fast-talking a good game.

No “national rankings.”

Just pure performance that puts you in the arena under lots of pressure.

Business Case Competition as Crucible

In business case competitions,  your team delivers a business presentation in competition against other teams in front of a panel of judges.

Teams display how quickly, thoroughly, and skillfully they can ingest a case, analyze it, and then prepare their conclusions.

They then present their recommendations to a panel of judges.

Business case competitions vary greatly in the details, but they do have a standard format and purpose.

The idea behind such competitions is to provide a standard case to competing teams with a given time limit.

Then, rate how well the teams respond.

There is, of course, no direct competition between teams.  Rather, each team is judged independently how well it handles the assigned case and presents its analysis and recommendations.  There is a time limit and specific rules.

All teams operate under the same conditions.

Business Case Competitions Far and Wide

Competitions can be internal to the Business School or involve teams from several different schools.

Sometimes there are several rounds of competition, with the final round typically judged by outside company executives.  The teams prepare a solution to the case and deliver a written report.

Teams then prepare a presentation of their analysis and recommendations and deliver the timed presentation before a panel of judges.

The judging panel sometimes consists of executives from the actual company in the case.

The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business is good about this in its renowned Global Business Case Competition .  Twelve to fourteen schools from around the globe compete in this week-long event.

One excellent aspect of case competitions that are judged by outsiders is that they provide a truer indication of the competitors’ mettle.

For the most part, they are far removed from the internal politics of particular institutions, where favored students may receive benefits or rewards related more to currying favor than to the quality of their work.

Here’s the Global Business Case Competition Facebook Page .

Throwing a Case Competition Curve

In some competitions, additional twists make the competition interesting and more complicated.

For instance, Ohio State University CIBER hosts an annual Case Challenge and creates teams from the pool of participants (i.e., members will be from different schools) instead of allowing the group of students from each school to compete as a team.

In this case, once students are assigned to teams, there is a day of team-building exercises.

The key to doing well in case competitions is to differentiate yourselves beforehand.  This is much easier than you might imagine.  Start with the Three Ps of Business Presentations.  They provide a steady guide to ready you for your competition.

Principles . . . Preparation . . . Practice .

In subsequent posts, we deconstruct the business case competition to help you and your team prepare to your potential and deliver an especially powerful presentation.

You can also learn the entire process of preparing to win business case competitions from The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting .

Business Case Competitions Worldwide!

Versed in the intricacies of wealth-building and savvy in the ways of Wall Street, the next generation of business leaders is well-armed for the competitive battles of tomorrow.

And case competitions are the way to display those skills.

Case Competitions Worldwide

In my last post, I described the crucible of case competitions and how they can lead to increased opportunities in the business world.

If it interests you (and it always interests the best), then review this site that was recently passed to me.  Appropriately enough, it’s called www.studentcompetitions.com , and its motto says:  Compete. Show Your Skills. Get Awarded.

The site features a constantly updated database of student  competitions worldwide.  As of this writing, 334 contests and competitions are listed.

So if you are serious about bringing to bear all of your business acumen in a public demonstration of your abilities to collaborate across a range of sub-disciplines in business, then go now to http://studentcompetitions.com and see what awaits you.

No Time for Modesty or Mediocrity

The Case Competition is your chance to demonstrate a wide range of corporate business skills in a collaborative effort.  You receive recognition, valuable experience, sometimes monetary reward, and perhaps an open door to corporate employment.  The competition is a showcase for your skills.

You can also win anywhere from $1,000 to $75,000 in a single business case competition.

Click for more information on how to deliver Especially Powerful Business School Presentations and learn the key secret techniques of how to win the business case competition.

Case Competitions Test Your Mettle

In case competitions,  your business team delivers a business presentation in competition against other teams in front of a panel of judges.

Business case competitions vary greatly in the details, but they do have a standard format and purpose.  The idea behind such competitions is to provide a standard case to competing teams with a given time limit and then to rate how well the teams respond.

The judging panel sometime consists of executives from the actual company in the case.

The University of Washington’s Foster School of Business is good about this in its renowned Global Business Case Competition .  Twelve to fourteen schools from around the globe compete in this week-long event.  Its 2013 competition featured a case on Frog’s Leap Winery , which is known for its commitment to sustainability.

Frog’s Leap Winery produces high quality wines using organically-grown grapes and was a leader in adopting an environmental management system for production.

The competition teams, which act as outside consultants, were asked to make recommendations in three areas:   (1) the next sustainability initiative that Frog’s Leap should undertake, (2) identification of two potential markets outside the US, and (3) marketing plans for those new markets.

With 48 hours to craft a case solution and presentation, Concordia University won that 2013 competition against a range of international competing universities.

Testing Your Mettle

Principles . . . Preparation . . . Practice.

Win Your Case Competition

In earlier posts, we examined the lead-in steps for your case competition preparation – now your team is on the cusp of delivering a  business presentation  to win your  case competition .

Recognize that your presentation differs from the written report.

Accept that your presentation is a wholly different communication mode than your final written solution.

Treat it this way, and your chances that you win your case competition increase dramatically.

How to Win Your Case Competition

The analytical competency of most case competition teams is relatively even.

Your analysis is robust and your conclusions are sound, as should be with  all  the entries.

With this substantive parity among competing teams, a powerful and stunning presentation delivered by a team of confident and skilled presenters will win the day most every time.

If you have reviewed the step-by-step preparation to this point and internalized its message, you understand that you and your teammates are not something  exclusive  of the presentation.

You  are  the presentation.

By now, you should be well on the way to transforming yourself from an average presenter into a powerful presentation  meister .

You know the techniques of the masters.

You are skilled.  Confident.

You have become an especially powerful and steadily improving speaker who constantly refines himself or herself along the seven dimensions we’ve discussed:  Stance, Voice, Gesture, Expression, Movement, Appearance, and Passion.

Employ the Seven Secrets to Win Your Case Competition

When I coach a team how to win a case competition, the team members prepare all of their analysis, conclusions, and recommendations on their own.   Here are some tips  how to do this.  Their combined skills, imagination, and acumen produce a product worthy of victory.

The team then creates their first draft presentation.

It is at  this  point that the competition is most often won or lost.

Powerful winning presentations do not spring forth unbidden or from the written material you prepare.  The numbers “do not speak for themselves.”

The “power of your analysis” does not win your case competition on its own.  You cannot point to your handout repeatedly as a substitute for a superb presentation.

Your case solution is not judged on its merit alone, as if the brilliance of your solution is manifest to everyone who reads it.

It is judged on how well you communicate the idea.

Powerfully.  Persuasively.

Each member of your team must enter the presentation process as a tangible, active, compelling part of the presentation.  And you must orchestrate your presentation so that you work seamlessly together with each other, with the visuals you present, and with the new knowledge you create.

You are performing, like a cast in a play.  Ensure everyone plays the part well.

For more deep secrets on how to win a case competition, consult  The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting .

Business Case Competition Preparation . . . Step II

Your first step – your team members read the case once-through for general information and understanding.

You avoid time-burn in discussions of unnecessarily open-ended questions.  Your discussion proceeds on defining the problem statement.

The difference in acumen and skill sets among teams in a competition is usually small, so I assume that every business team will produce analytical results and recommendations that are capable of winning the competition.  This includes your team, of course.

The quality of teams is high, and the output of analysis similar.  This means that victory is rarely determined by the quality of the material itself.

Instead, victory and defeat ride on the clarity, logic, power, and persuasiveness of the public presentation of that material.  I have seen great analyses destroyed or masked by bad presentations.

The Presentation is the final battlefield where the competition is won or lost.

And so we devote minimum time here on the preparation of your arguments.  Many fine books can help you sharpen analysis.   This  post concerns how you translate your written results into a powerful presentation that is verbally and visually compelling.

We are concerned here with the key to your competition victory.

Here is your competitive edge:  While 95 percent of teams will view their presentations as a simple modified version of the written paper that they submit, your team attacks the competition armed with the tools and techniques of Power Presenting.

These monstrosities obscure more than they communicate.  It is a self-handicap and a horrendous mistake.

Don’t present all the fruits of your analysis.

Too much information and too many details can cripple your initial presentation.  Remember – hold back details for use and explication during the Q&A period.

A parsimonious presentation should deliver your main points.

Deciding  what to leave out  of your initial presentation can be as important as deciding what to include and emphasize.

For in-depth training on the Case Competition, consult  The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting .

Next . . . Phase 3

Business Case Competition Season is Here

Business Case Competitions usually launch in the spring, so now is the time to prepare.

The key to doing well in business case competitions  is to differentiate yourselves beforehand by following your case competition guide.

Before  you ever travel to the site of the competition.

Before they ever give you the sealed envelope with your  business case  enclosed.

This is much easier than you might imagine.  You begin by consulting your case competition guide.  And the guide starts with the Three Ps of Presenting.

The Three Ps of  Business Presentations  provide a roadmap to ready you for your competition.

Principles . . . Preparation . . . Practice

Principles.

You don’t start tuning your instrument for the first time when it’s time to perform a concert.  Likewise, you don’t begin honing your presentation skills when it’s time to present.

By the time of your competition, all of your team members should be thoroughly grounded in the principles of especially powerful presentations.

The principles offered here in this case competition guide.

This part of your competition prep should already be accomplished, with only a few review sessions to ensure everyone is sharp on the Seven Secrets.  These secrets are Stance . . . Voice . . . Gesture . . . Expression . . . Movement . . . Appearance . . . Passion.

Second, Preparation

Our case competition guide divides the preparation for the competition into three phases.

Phase 1:  Lead-in to the Competition

You are made aware of the competition’s rules.  You acknowledge and embrace the rules and what they imply.  Your entire team should become intimately familiar with the parameters of the competition – think metaphorically and spacially.

Recognize that the problem has length and breadth and depth.  Understand the finite limits of the context presented to you.  Know what you can and cannot do.  Think of it as an empty decanter that you fill with your analysis and conclusions on the day of the competition.

Later, upon receiving the actual Case, you will conduct the same process.  Recognize that the Business Case has length and breadth and depth.

But now, prior to the competition, take stock of what you already know you must do.  Then do most of it beforehand as the rules permit.

This includes embracing the problem situation long before you arrive on-site for a competition and before you receive the case in question.  Learn the parameters of the context in which you operate.  The case competition guide breaks the competition environment into discrete elements:

Competition rules Length of presentation Total time available (set-up, presenting, Q&A, Close-out) Number of presenters allowed or required Visuals permitted or required Sources you may use, both beforehand and during the problem-solving phase Prohibitions

You know that you are required to provide analysis of a case and your results and recommendations.  Why not prepare all that you can before you arrive at the competition?

Some competitions may frown on this or forbid it . . . fine, then do it when you can, at the first point that it is permissible.  This way, you spend the majority of your case analysis time filling in the content.

Follow the Business Case Competition Guide

Prepare your slide template beforehand according to the principles expounded here.

Business presentations have a small universe of scenarios and limited number of elements that comprise those scenarios.  A well-prepared team composed of team members from different functional areas will have generic familiarity with virtually any case assigned in a competition.

The team should have no problems dealing with any case it is presented.

Determine beforehand who will handle – generally – the presentation tasks on your team as well as the analytic portions of your case.  The following is offered as an example of how the task might be approached:

As part of this initial process, prepare your slide template with suitable logos, background, killer graphics, and charts and graphs requiring only that the numbers be filled in.

Leading into the competition, it’s essential that your team be familiar with sources of data that you may be permitted to utilize in conducting your case analysis.  Market research, industry surveys, and such like.

Be familiar with online databases like  Business Source Premier ,  Mergent Online , and  S&P NetAdvantage , because not all schools may have access to the data sources you use most often.

No Place for the Unprepared

With respect to the delivery or your presentation itself, a business case competition is not the occasion for you to polish your delivery skills.  You should have honed them to razor’s edge by now.

As well, perfect your orchestration as a team before arriving at the site of the competition.

At the competition, you lift your performance to the next level in terms of application of all the principles, precepts, and hard skills you learned in business school.  Finance, accounting, marketing, operations, strategy, analysis.

You apply them in a tightly orchestrated and professional presentation that pops.

If you have engaged the business case competition guide successfully during the lead-up to the competition, your taut case-cracking team will be ready when you finally receive the case.

A team ready to address the issues involved in the case problem.

COMING UP . . . PHASE 2

Access all of the secrets of masterful business presenting by consulting your business case competition guide:    the complete guide to business school presenting ..

How to Survive the Group Presentation . . . Part I

Why We Have Problems with the group presentation  . . .

You find all sorts of problems in group work.  Anyone who has participated in even one group project in college knows this.

Perhaps you believe these challenges are external to you? Others cause problems, because surely you must not be contributing to the challenges facing your group?

Let’s examine, understand, and overcome these challenges before they get out-of-hand.

Unpredictability of the Group Presentation

The first major challenge is the unpredictability of your situation.

One key characteristic of your group presentation is its rampant unpredictability.  The project appears submerged in ambiguity that we seem powerless to affect.

It’s bad enough to face the unknown variables of case analysis and its attendant presentation, but then several other variables join the mix in the form of other people.

We all prefer to control our own destiny.  Most all of us want to be judged on our own work. We like to work alone.  This is very much the craftsman’s view.

Our labors are important to us.

We take pride in our work.

But with group work, the waters muddy.  It becomes difficult to identify who is doing what.  Consequently, we worry about who gets the credit.

We worry if there will even be any credit to distribute if our presentation collapses under the burden of multiple minds and differing opinions and people who seem not to care.

We worry that someone else will take credit for our work and we’ll be left with the crumbs.

We see ourselves becoming submerged, and as we sink into a kind of group ethos, our individual identity is threatened.

How will the boss, the professor, or anyone else, know what we do?

How will they know our contribution?  With every additional person, the unknown variables multiply.  Worse, what if we get saddled with a reputation for poor work because someone else screwed up?

The second major reason for group failure is the ordeal of time management and schedule coordination.

Six different students, each with differing class schedules and who often work part-time, must somehow work together.  Moreover, you may be involved in several classes that require group projects. And you invariably are faced with the pathology of one or two team members who “don’t have time for this.”

So the difficulties mentioned here multiply.

Why the Group Presentation?  It’s a Complex World

The group presentation isn’t easy.  It can be downright painful.

Infuriating. It can turn student-against-student faster than anything else in college outside of Greek rush.

So why do your professors require them?  Why do all of your B-school professors seem determined to put you through this misery?

You’ve probably heard the spurious reasons.  One pervasive student myth is that professors assign group work so they can cut their own grading work load.  The reasoning goes something like this: it is much easier for a professor to grade six presentations or papers than to grade 30 individual papers.  This myth is so pervasive that it has become conventional wisdom among students.  There are three big problems with this.

First, by definition, individual work is not group work.  If group work is an essential part of the workplace experience, then individual papers or other assignments do not contribute to the learning experience that is specifically designed to prepare you for the workplace.

Second, professors often are required to assign some form of group work in their courses.  The prevailing pedagogy in most business schools advocates the group work experience as essential to prepare students for the 21st Century workplace.

Frankly, this is the way it should be.

While you, as a student, prepare for only one or two presentations, the professor oftentimes must watch 20 presentations or more in course of a semester and then evaluate them.

I assure you that this can be an unpleasant experience.

The proverbial bottom line that we all talk about in business school is this:  You do “group work” because it is essential to the 21st Century business world.  In fact, corporate recruiters list it as the second-most-desired skill in the job candidates they consider.

So why not embrace the group presentation as a necessary component of your school experience?

The days of the business generalist are all but dead in corporate America.  Specialization rules the business workplace, and the manipulation of knowledge is ascendant.  This means, from a practical standpoint, that we cannot produce major products by ourselves.

There is little doubt that you will become one of these knowledge-workers upon graduation.  You also will begin to specialize in certain work, especially if you join a large firm.  This is because business operations today are incredibly complex and fast-paced.

These two factors make it almost impossible for any one person to isolate himself or herself from the combined operations of the firm.  Major tasks are divided and divided again.  Think of it as an extreme form of division of labor.

So we must work with others.  The globalized and complex business context demands it.

In Part II, I show you how to not only survive the Group Presentation , but how to thrive and turn it into the cornerstone experience for your first job out of school . . . or your next job after getting your MBA.

MBA Case Competition

A major business student rite of passage is the MBA case competition.

It’s tough . . . it’s pressure-packed . . . it’s demanding and stressful.

It can also be lucrative, as prize money for winning teams can be substantial . . . from $1,000 all the way up to $25,000.

Sure, you’ve presented in class in front of your professor and folks that you know, but you’ve not felt pressure until you’ve competed against the finest MBAs from other schools.

How do you and your school stack up against the best of the rest?

Business School Rankings are one thing, but MBA Case Competitions offer one of the few head-to-head matchups between schools.

And all the PR in the world can’t substitute for victory over your rivals.

Who Competes in MBA Case Competition . . . and How?

Let’s take, as an example, a Finance MBA Case Competition.

These are top-notch MBA students with work experience and especially powerful motivation to not only invest in a rigorous MBA program but to test their skills publicly in the fire of MBA case competition.

Substantively, this is a talented lot.

My colleagues, who specialize in the wizardry of finance, ensure that no idle comment goes unchallenged, no misplaced decimal escapes detection.  That no unusual explanation goes unexplored.

At the higher-level finals competition, this fine-toothed comb catches few errors . . . because few errors exist to be caught.  These are superb students, imbued with a passion for the artistry of a company’s financial structure and operations.

Along this dimension, the teams are relatively well-matched.

But stylistically, much remains to improve.

And if you believe that “style” is somehow unimportant, you err fatally with regard to the success of your presentation.

By style , I mean all of the orchestrated elements of your business presentation that combine to create the desired outcome – emotional involvement with your message, a compelling story, and acceptance of your conclusions.  And all explained in an especially powerful way that transmits competence and confidence.

In this sense, style becomes substance in an MBA case competition.

So, while the substantive content level of the top teams in competition is often superb, style differentiates the finest from the rest and can determine the competition winner.

To enter that top rank of presenters, note these common pathologies that afflict most teams of presenters, both MBA students and young executives.

1) Throat-clearing

I don’t mean actual clearing of the throat here.  Unfortunately, many teams engage in endless introductions, expressions of gratitude to the audience, even chattiness with regard to the task at hand.  Get to the point . Immediately.  State your business.

Deliver a problem statement . . . and then your recommendation, up-front .  With this powerful introductory method, your presentation takes on more clarity in the context of your already-stated conclusion.

2) Lack of confidence

Lack of confidence is revealed in several ways, some of them subconscious. Uptalk , a fad among young people, undermines even the best substance because of its constant plaintive beg for validation.

Dancing from foot to foot, little dances around the platform, the interjection of “you know” and “you know what I mean” wear away the power of your message like a whetstone.

3) Unreadable PowerPoint slides

The visuals are unreadable because of small fonts and insufficient contrast between numbers/letters and the background.  Ugly spreadsheets dominate the screen to no purpose.

This sends the audience scrambling to shuffle through “handouts” instead of focusing attention on the points you want to emphasize.  You have created a distraction.

You have created a competitor for your attention that takes focus off your presentation.

4) Ineffective interaction with visuals

Rare is the student who interacts boldly with his or her slides, touching the screen, guiding our eyes to what is important and ensuring that we understand.

Instead, we often see the dreaded laser pointer.  This is one of the most useless tools devised for presentation work (unless the screen is so massive that you cannot reach an essential visual that must be pointed out).

The laser pointer divides your audience attention three ways – to the presenter, to the slide material, and to the light itself, which tends to bounce uncontrollably about the screen.

I forbid the use of laser pointers in my classes as a useless affectation.

No time for Modesty or Mediocrity

The MBA Case Competition is your chance to demonstrate a wide range of corporate business skills in a collaborative effort.  You receive recognition, valuable experience, sometimes monetary reward, and perhaps an open door to corporate employment.

Work on correcting the most common errors, and you have started the journey to competition excellence.

See The Complete Guide to Business Presenting for an entire chapter on winning case competitions.  You can also sign up for the LinkedIn MBA Case Competition group.  This is where folks from around the world congregate to share the latest information about competiting in the top contests.

The Business Case Competition – Winning

I helped to judge a series of  business presentations  in a business case competition earlier this week, and I offer here several observations.

The case in question involved financial analysis and required a recommended course of action.

In terms of presentation substance, I find these types of finance-based competitions of high caliber, with fine-grained and sophisticated analysis.

And I expect it . . . these are top-notch MBA students with work experience and especially powerful motivation to not only invest in a rigorous MBA program but to put their skills to the test publicly in the fire of business case competition.

The Finance Business Case Competition

My colleagues, who specialize in the wizardry of finance, ensure that no idle comment goes unchallenged, no misplaced decimal escapes detection.  That no unusual explanation goes unexplored.

At the higher-level finals competition, this fine-toothed comb catches few errors . . . because few errors exist to be caught.  These are top-notch students, imbued with a passion for the artistry of a company’s financial structure and operations.  Along this dimension, the teams are relatively well-matched.

And if you believe that  “style” is somehow unimportant, you err fatally with regard to the success of your presentation.

By style , I mean all of the orchestrated elements of your business presentation that combine to create the desired outcome – emotional involvement with your message, a compelling story, and acceptance of your conclusions – all explained in an especially powerful way that transmits competence and confidence.  And in this sense, style becomes substance in a business case competition.

1)  Throat-clearing

I don’t mean actual clearing of the throat here.  Unfortunately, many teams engage in endless introductions, expressions of gratitude to the audience, even chattiness with regard to the task at hand.   Get to the point .  Immediately.  State your business.

Deliver a problem statement . . . and then your recommendation, up-front .  With this powerful introductory method, your presentation takes on more clarity in the context of your already-stated conclusion.

2)  Lack of confidence

Lack of confidence is revealed in several ways, some of them subconscious.   Uptalk , a fad among young people, undermines even the best substance because of its constant plaintive beg for validation.  Dancing from foot to foot, little dances around the platform, the interjection of “you know” and “you know what I mean” wear away the power of your message like a whetstone.

3)  Unreadable PowerPoint slides

The visuals are unreadable because of small fonts and insufficient contrast between numbers/letters and the background.  Ugly spreadsheets dominate the screen to no purpose.  This sends the audience scrambling to shuffle through “handouts” instead of focusing attention on the points you want to emphasize.  You have created a distraction.  You have created a competitor for your attention that takes focus off your presentation.

4)  Ineffective interaction with visuals

Rare is the student who interacts boldly with his or her slides.  Touching the screen, guiding our eyes to what is important and ensuring that we understand.  Instead, we often see the dreaded laser pointer, one of the most useless tools devised for presentation work (unless the screen is so massive that you cannot reach an essential visual that must be pointed out).

The laser pointer divides your audience attention three ways – to the presenter, to the slide material, and to the light itself, which tends to bounce uncontrollably about the screen.  I forbid the use of laser pointers in my classes as a useless affectation.

I have said that the business case competition no time for modesty or mediocrity.

The Business Case Competition is your chance to demonstrate a wide range of corporate business skills in a collaborative effort.  You receive recognition, valuable experience, sometimes monetary reward, and perhaps an open door to corporate employment.

See The Complete Guide to Business Presenting for an entire chapter on winning case competitions.

Winning the Business Case Competition

This is where students bring to bear all of their business acumen in a public demonstration of their abilities to collaborate across a range of sub-disciplines in business.

This includes finance, marketing, operations, accounting, and strategy.

It is a tough but necessary rite of passage for the best of students.  I look forward to the presentations and will review them in this space later in the week.

As a precursor, let me explain the concept of a business case competition and its parameters.

The Business Case Competition

The business case competition is an event in which business teams deliver business presentations, competing against other teams in front of a team of judges.  Teams display how quickly, thoroughly, and skillfully they can ingest a case, analyze it, and then present their conclusions and recommendations to a panel of judges.

Business case competitions vary greatly in the details, and they are quite similar to business plan competitions .  They do have a standard format and purpose.

Each team is judged independently how well it handles the assigned case and presents its analysis and recommendations.

All teams compete under the same conditions of time limit and specific rules.

At times, teams engage in several rounds of competition, with the final round typically judged by outside company executives.

Especially Powerful Presentation Openings

Of  course  you know how to begin a business presentation  with a powerful presentation opening.

The Presentation Opening is surely easy .

But do you really know how to launch a powerful presentation ?

Consider for a moment . . .

Don’t Tiptoe

Do you begin confidently and strongly?  Or do you tiptoe into your presentation opening, as do so many people in school and in the corporate world?

Do you sidle into it?  Do you edge sideways into your show with lots of metaphorical throat-clearing.

Do you back into it?

Do you actually start strong with a story , but let the story spiral out of control until it overshadows your main points?  Is your story even relevant?  Do your tone and body language and halting manner shout “apology” to the audience?

Do you shift and dance?

Are you like a turtle poking his head out of his shell, eyeing the audience, ready to dart back to safety if you catch even a single frown?  Do you crouch behind the podium like a soldier in his bunker?

Do you drone through the presentation, your voice monotone, your eyes glazed, fingers crossed, actually hoping that no one notices.

A Bad Presentation Opening

I viewed a practice presentation that purported to analyze a Walmart case.  The lead presenter was Janie.  She began speaking, and she related facts about the history of the company and its accomplishments over the past 40 years.

She spoke in monotone.  She flashed a timeline on the screen.

Little pictures and graphics highlighted her points.

I wondered at what all of this might mean.

I waited for a linking thread.

I waited for her main point.  As the four-minute mark approached, my brow furrowed.  The linking thread had not come.

The linking thread would  never  come . . . it dawned on me that  she had no point.   At the end of her segment, I asked a gentle question.

“Janie, what was that beginning all about?  How did your segment relate to Wal-Mart’s strategic challenges in the case at hand?”

“Those were just random facts,” she said.

“Random facts?”

“Yes!” she said brightly.

And she was quite ingenuous about it.

The Wrong Presentation Opening

She was reciting “random facts,” and she thought that it was acceptable to begin a business case presentation this way.  I do not say this to disparage her.

Not at all.

In fact, she later became one of my most coachable students, improving her presentation skills tremendously.

She has since progressed to graduate school.  And now she delivers powerful presentation openings.

But what could convince a student that an assembly of “random facts” is acceptable at the beginning of a presentation?  Is it the notion that  anything  you say for a presentation opening is okay?

Let’s go over the beginning, shall we?

Together, let’s craft a template beginning that you can  always  use, no matter what your show is about.  When you become comfortable with it, you can then modify it to suit the occasion.

You begin with your presentation opening.  Here, you present the Situation Statement.

The Situation Statement tells your audience what they will hear.  It’s the reason you and your audience are there.  What do you tell them?

The audience has gathered to hear about a problem and its proposed solution.  Or to hear of success and how it will continue.  Or to hear of failure and how it will be overcome . . . or to hear of a proposed change in strategic direction.

Don’t assume that everyone  knows  why you are here.  Don’t assume that they know the topic of your talk.   Ensure  that they know with a powerful Situation Statement.

Set the Stage with Your Situation Statement

A powerful situation statement centers the audience –  Pow!   It focuses everyone on the topic.

Don’t meander into your show with chummy talk.  Don’t tip-toe into it.  Don’t be vague.  Don’t clutter your presentation opening with endless apologetics or thank yous.

What do I mean by this?  Let’s say your topic is the ToughBolt Corporation’s new marketing campaign. Do  not  start this way:

“Good morning, how is everyone doing?  Good.   Good!   It’s a pleasure to be here, and I’d like to thank our great board of directors for the opportunity.  I’m Dana Smith and this is my team, Bill, Joe, Mary, and Sophia.  Today, we’re planning on giving you a marketing presentation on ToughBolt Corporation’s situation.  Again, thank you for your attention and time.  We’re hoping that—”

No . . . no . . . and no.

Direct and to-the-point is best.  Pow!

Try starting this way:

“Today we present ToughBolt’s new marketing campaign — a campaign to regain the 6 percent market share lost in 2013 and  increase  our market share by another 10 percent.  A campaign to lead us into the next four quarters to result in a much stronger and competitive market position 12  months from now.”

You see?  This is not the best intro, but it’s solid.  No “random facts.”  No wasted words.

No metaphorical throat-clearing.

No backing into the presentation, and no tiptoeing.  Just an especially powerful and direct statement of the reason you are there.

Put the  Pow  in Power!

Now, let’s add some  Pow  to it.  A more colorful and arresting introductory Situation Statement might be:

“Even as we sit here today, changes in the business environment attack our firm’s competitive position three ways.  How we respond to these challenges  now  will determine Toughbolt’s future for good or ill . . . for survival or collapse.  Our recommended response?   Aggressive growth . “We now present the source of those challenges, how they threaten us, and what our marketing team will do about it to retain Toughbolt’s position in the industry and to continue robust growth in market share and profitability.”

Remember in  any  story, there must be change.

The very reason we give a case presentation is that  something  has changed in the company’s fortunes.  We must explain this change.  We must craft a response to this change.  And we must front-load our intro to include our recommendation.

That is why you have assembled your team.  To explain the threat or the opportunity.  To provide your analysis.  To provide your recommendations.

Remember, put  Pow  into your beginning.  Leverage the opportunity when the audience is at its most alert and attentive.

Craft a Situation Statement that grabs them and doesn’t let go.

For more on crafting an especially powerful presentation opening, consult The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting .

How to Pass the Baton in Your Business Presentation

One of the least-practiced aspects of the group presentation is how you pass the baton – the transition between speakers.

Yet these baton-passing linkages within your presentation are incredibly important.

They connect the conclusion of one segment and the introduction of the next.

Shouldn’t this connecting link be as strong as possible, so that your audience receives the intended message?  So the message isn’t lost in a flurry of scurrying presenters moving about the stage in unpracticed, chaotic fashion?

Don’t Lose Your Message!

It sounds absurd, but group members often develop their individual presentation segments on their own, and then the group tries to knit them together on the day of the group show.

This is a formula for disaster.

The result is a bumbling game of musical chairs and hot-baton-passing.  Imagine a sports team that prepared for its games this way, with each player practicing his role individually and the players coming together as a team only on the day of the game and expecting the team to work together seamlessly.

Sports teams don’t practice this way.  Serious people don’t practice this way.

Don’t you practice this way.

Don’t yield to the tendency on the part of a team of three or four people to treat the presentation as a game of musical chairs.

Pass the Baton Without Musical Chairs

This happens when each member presents a small chunk of material, and the presenters take turns presenting.  Lots of turns.   This “pass the baton” can disconcert your audience and can upend your show.

Minimize the passing of the baton and transitions, particularly when each person has only three or four minutes to present.

I have also noticed a tendency to rush the transition between speakers.

Often, a presenter will do fine until the transition to the next topic.  At that point, before finishing, the speaker turns while continuing to talk, and the last sentence or two of the presentation segment is lost.

The speaker walks away while still talking.  While still citing a point.  Perhaps an incredibly important point.

Don’t rush from the stage.  Stay planted in one spot until you finish.

Savor your conclusion , the last sentence of your portion, which should reiterate your Most Important Point.

Introduce your next segment.  Then transition.  Then pass the baton with authority.

Harmonize your Messages

Your message itself must mesh well with the other segments of your show.

Each presenter must harmonize   the message with the others of a business presentation.  These individual parts should make sense as a whole, just as parts of a story all contribute to the overall message.

“On the same page” . . .  “Speaking with one voice” . . .    These are the metaphors that urge us to message harmony.  This means that one member does not contradict the other when answering questions.

It means telling the same story and contributing crucial parts of that story so that it makes sense.

This is not the forum to demonstrate that team members are independent thinkers or that diversity of opinion is a good thing.

Moreover, everyone should be prepared to deliver a serviceable version of the entire presentation, not just their own part.  This is against the chance that one or more of the team can’t present at the appointed time.  Cross-train in at least one other portion of the presentation.

Remember:  Harmonize your messages . . . Speak with one voice . . . Pass the baton smoothly.

You can find more discussion on how to pass the baton in The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting , your key to personal competitive advantage in business school and beyond.

Surviving the Group Presentation

“How come I never get a good group?”

Who hasn’t uttered this pitiful refrain during business school when laboring over a group presentation ?

Leaving aside the conceit of faux martyrdom for a moment, let’s recognize that group work is a necessity in the 21st century business world.  Your group has been assembled with a professional purpose in mind, not to make your life miserable.

The Group Presentation Ethos

Hold in your heart, the group presentation ethos, which is to drive forward to your common goal regardless of personal differences.

You will disagree with each other on aspects of the presentation.  How you disagree and how you resolve those disagreements for the good of the team and of your presentation is as important as the presentation itself.

It’s essential that you maintain civil relations, if not cordial relations, with others in the group – don’t burn bridges.

You don’t want to engender dislike for people, perhaps for the rest of your life.  The people in the various group projects will form an important part of your network in years to come.

Remember that the relationship is paramount.  The group presentation itself is secondary.

The Arrogance of “I don’t have time for this.”

Your job is to craft a group experience, assign responsibilities, develop a reasonable schedule.  Some group members will make time commitment choices that do not appear aligned with your group objectives.  You hear phrases such as “I can’t make the meeting.”  You may hear the outright arrogance of “I don’t have time for this.”

This, of course, is simply a person’s choice to be somewhere else to spend time in other pursuits.  Everyone has the same amount of time, no more and no less.

Different people make different choices about the use of their time.

Recognize that this will happen and that it is neither good nor bad – it is simply the hand that you are dealt.

How you react to it will in large part determine the success of your group.  One part of your job to properly motivate others to contribute to the group goal.

I always communicate to my students what to expect in a 5-person group.  The 2-2-1 rule will usually hold.

Two people work hard, two cooperate and are damned happy to be there, and one rarely shows up, because he or she has a “busy schedule.”  Another popular take on it is to apply the Pareto 80-20 rule: Eighty percent of the work is done by twenty percent of the people.

The corollary, of course, is that 80 percent of problems are caused by 20 percent of the people.  A different 20 percent.

Group Presentations Aren’t Fair?

That’s reality.  Is it “fair?”  Maybe or maybe not, but that’s a question for philosophers of distributive justice and irrelevant to the imperatives of group work.

Regardless of how you couch it, do not take your group woes to the professor for solution.  Your professor knows well what you face.  He wants you to sort it out.

You must sort it out, because your professor is not your parent.

Your professor won’t appreciate it any more than your CEO or VP superior at your company appreciates solving your personnel issues . . . repeatedly.  It reflects badly on you and gives an impression of weakness.

Moreover, if you begin to focus heavily on who’s not carrying their “fair share,” then that becomes the dominant theme of your group dynamic rather than that of accomplishing your group goal.

Such misplaced focus and animosity reflects badly in the final product.

Keep these guiding principles in mind as you chart your course through the labyrinth of group work.  Every group is different, temporary, and frustrating in its own way.

Don’t allow the briars of this ephemeral activity catch your clothing and slow you down from your ultimate goal – an especially powerful group presentation.

And consult The Complete Guide to Business School Presenting for more on Group Presentations.

Surviving the Group Presentation . . . PART 1

You find all sorts of problems in group work.

Anyone who has participated in even one group project in college knows this.

Perhaps you believe these challenges are external to you?  Others cause problems, because surely you must not be contributing to the challenges facing your group?

First . . . Unpredictability

The first major reason is the unpredictability of your situation.

One key characteristic of your group presentation is its rampant unpredictability.  The project appears submerged in ambiguity that we seem powerless to affect.

It’s bad enough to face the unknown variables of case analysis and its attendant presentation, but then several other variables are added to the mix in the form of . . .  those pesky other people.

We all prefer to control our own destinies.

Most all of us want to be judged on our own work.  We like to work alone.  This is very much the craftsman’s view.  Our labors are important to us.  We take pride in our work.

But with group work, the waters muddy.  It becomes difficult to identify who is doing what, and consequently, we worry about who will get the credit.

We begin to worry that our contribution will be overlooked.

We see ourselves becoming submerged, and as we sink into a kind of group ethos, our individual identity is threatened.  How will the boss, the professor, or anyone else, know what I do?

How will they know our contribution?

With every additional person, the unknown variables multiply.

Worse, what if we get saddled with a reputation for poor work because someone else screwed up?

Six different students, each with differing class schedules and who often are working part-time, must somehow work together.  Moreover, you may be involved in several classes that require group projects.

And you invariably are faced with the pathology of one or two team members who “don’t have time for this.”

Why the Group Presentation?

The group presentation is not easy.

It can be downright painful.

Infuriating.

It can turn student-against-student faster than anything else in college outside of Greek rush.

So why do your professors require them?  Why do all of your B-school professors seem determined to put you through this misery?

You’ve probably heard the spurious reasons.  One pervasive student myth is that professors assign group work so they can cut their own grading work load.

The reasoning goes something like this: it is much easier for a professor to grade six presentations or papers than to grade 30 individual papers.

This myth is so pervasive that it has become conventional wisdom among students.

We see three big problems with this.

First, by definition, individual work is not group work.

If group work is an essential part of the workplace experience, then individual papers or other assignments do not contribute to the learning experience that is specifically designed to prepare you for the workplace.

Second, professors often are required to assign some form of group work in their courses.

The prevailing pedagogy in most business schools advocates the group work experience as essential to prepare students for the 21st Century workplace.  Frankly, this is the way it should be.

Third, this myth assumes that professors enjoy watching students stumble their way through awkward presentations, poorly prepared and half-heartedly delivered.

While you, as a student, prepare for only one or two presentations, the professor oftentimes must watch 25 presentations or more during a semester and then evaluate them.

Embrace Group Work

The proverbial bottom line that we all talk about in business school is this: You do “group work” because it is essential to the 21st Century business world.

In fact, corporate recruiters list it as the second-most-desired skill in the job candidates they consider.  So why not embrace the group presentation as a necessary component of your school experience?

The days of the business generalist are all but dead in corporate America.

Specialization rules the business workplace, and the manipulation of knowledge is ascendant.

This means, from a practical standpoint, that we cannot produce major products by ourselves.  There is little doubt that you will become one of these knowledge-workers upon graduation.

You also will begin to specialize in certain work, especially if you join a large firm. This is because business operations today are incredibly complex and fast-paced.

These two factors make it almost impossible for any one person to isolate himself or herself from the combined operations of the firm. Major tasks are divided and divided again.

Think of it as an extreme form of division of labor.

So we must work with others.  The globalized and complex business context demands it, and you can gain incredible personal competitive advantage if you embrace it.

In Part II, I show you how to not only survive the Group Presentation, but how to thrive and turn it into the cornerstone experience for your first job out of school . . . or your next job after getting your MBA.

How to Win a Case Competition

Treat it this way, and your chances of winning your case competition increase dramatically.

How to win a Case Competition

If your analysis is robust and your conclusions are sound, as should be with all the entries, then a powerful and stunning presentation delivered by a team of confident and skilled presenters will win the day most every time.

The competency of most case competition teams is relatively even.  If a team lifts itself above the competition with a stunning presentation, it will win.

If you have reviewed the step-by-step preparation to this point and internalized its message, you understand that you and your teammates are not something exclusive of the presentation.  You are the presentation.

By now, you should be well on the way to transforming yourself from an average presenter into a powerful presentation meister .  You know the techniques and skills of the masters.  You have become an especially powerful and steadily improving speaker who constantly refines himself or herself along the seven dimensions we’ve discussed:  Stance, Voice, Gesture, Expression, Movement, Appearance, and Passion.

Employ the Seven Secrets to Win a Case Competition

When I coach a team how to win a case competition, the team members prepare all of their analysis, conclusions, and recommendations on their own.  Here are some tips how to do this.  Their combined skills, imagination, and acumen produce a product worthy of victory.  The team then creates their first draft presentation.

Your case solution is not judged on its merit alone, as if the brilliance of your solution is manifest to everyone who reads it.  It is judged on how well you communicate the idea.  Powerfully and persuasively.

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[Updated 2023] Top 10 Templates to Propose a Winning Business Case

Nawsheen Muzamil

What is more important for you as a business owner; staying afloat and amassing regular profits or becoming competitive and aiming for higher company turnovers?

If you are searching for a context to state the right answer, then congratulations, you have the correct business etiquette.

In the business world, sometimes growth implies thriving while the mediocre lose stamina and become a memory. Yet, at other times, hustle is the rule of time, and a hint of passiveness can become the downfall of the century. In such scenarios, it is the intuition that guides ventures to be known for their campaigns, product launches or ambitions as quirky as inhabiting Mars.

Pertinently, your goals are the visions that make you prioritize some projects over others. A current state assessment will thus help you align projects in the order of their domination. But how do you propose such an idea to your team, your seniors, and most importantly, the stakeholders? That’s where a business case assumes importance. A business case is a document encompassing the details of your well-researched project proposal comprising:

• The risk and the perks 
• The budget and the ROIs.
• The main proposition.

Once all this information is set straight, it must then be passed on to the relevant audience to acquire their nods and awareness. Upon their agreement, your project plan will be put into action or prioritized (if other functional projects or campaigns are in order.) 

Apropos, we present the top choice of business case templates that will help you deliver professionally and guide you in pursuing your well-planned growth strategy. The following section comprises complete decks, single slides, and one pager with which you can create an impressive presentation. Read on to discover them!

Template 1: Business Case Study PPT Template

Are you tired of struggling to create an effective business case study presentation? Look no further! Our Business Case Study PPT Template is here to help you make a strong case for your business and showcase the value you bring to the table. Our template addresses a major problem that your business can solve and helps you highlight the benefits your business provides. With our template, you can showcase your increased efficiency, improved customer engagement, better decision-making, and financial savings, all in a visually stunning and engaging presentation. Our PPT Presentation saves you time and effort and impresses your audience with its professional design and compelling content. Whether you're presenting to investors, stakeholders, or your team, our template will help you communicate your message with clarity and confidence. Get it now.

Download this template

Template 2: Business Case Study Summary Highlighting Problem and Solution PPT Design

Take your business to the next level and showcase your success as a leader in your industry with the help of our Business Case Study Summary PPT Template! It helps you present a powerful case study summary highlighting the significant problem your business addressed, your approach, the action plan you followed with step-by-step solutions, and real customer testimonials. With our template, you can demonstrate your expertise and leadership in your industry and set your business apart from the competition. Download now.

Template 3: Business Case Evaluation PPT Deck

Presenting the first choice of business case deck to help you convey your proposal effectively and thoroughly. A compilation of 12 slides with models, scorecards, risk evaluation sheets, and graphs, this is a great template to impart factual and visual comprehension to your project proposal. Download this template to help your audience explore all the dimensions of your project.

Template 4: Business Case Outline PowerPoint Example

This is an introductory slide to encase your full-fledged business case. It comprises the executive summary, the market overview, industry position and competition, sales, financial forecast, etc. Use this slide as a base to then elaborate on these headings to create an independent, customized business case.

Template 5: One-Page Business Case Template 

This is a one-page business case template to showcase your project's crucial details. Use a combination of facts, graphs, and infographics to create an impressive awareness of your proposal. Elucidate your business goals, expenses forecasted, business strategies, acquisition, and retention in this one-slider PPT template.

Template 6: Project Management Business Case Template

This is another business case example from the category of one-pagers to gain a nod from your stakeholders. Comprising facts, graphs, and infographics it helps create an impressive awareness of your proposal. Share details about your key objectives, factor analysis, action plan, potential risks, cost projections, etc, in this one-slider PPT template. Download this PPT template now.

Template 7: Business Case Summary PPT Slide 

This is an example of a colorful single-slide presentation to record your business case. Justify the viability of your project plan that takes into account the resources, risks, and ROIs involved by utilizing this slide. State your business goals and specify the timeline for achieving them with your project.

Template 8: Business Case For Hiring New Staff PPT

If your business is revamping and needs to address all its previous projects and policies, here is a business case template that you can use. Propose your fresh-out-of-the-oven idea to increase hiring efficiency and make it smoother. Use this single slide template to deliberate on the eight-core facts, including the timescale, costs, and risks.

Template 9: Product Business Case PPT Template 

This is another example of a complete deck presentation rich in infographics and tables to convey a picturesque product business case. Use the thematic findings of this complete deck to get appraised. Demonstrate the estimation of finances, resources, and workforce required in your proposal using vivid graphics. Deploy this PPT presentation and start delivering engaging presentations.

Template 10: Executive Business Case Summary PPT  

This executive business case summary template will help you effectively propose a project to your team and stakeholders. Highlight the key takeaways from your proposal using this concise PPT template. Share your proposed project's business objective, business model, market, and financial standing using this single slide template.

We have served the best business case examples in the form of templates to help you dominate the meeting room like a boss and acquire admiration for your project idea! Let us know your comments on this guide and also your favorite template design! 

P.S: We also feel the need to share a guide on current state assessment with you to help you make better decisions when it comes to your company's growth and success. Read on to know more.

Related read: Why Current State Assessment Matters for Your Organization (Best PPT Templates Included) !

FAQs on Business Case Studies

What is a business case.

A business case is a formal document that outlines the justification for an investment in a specific business initiative or project. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the costs, benefits, risks, and expected returns associated with the proposed initiative or project. The purpose of a business case is to enable decision-makers to evaluate the proposed initiative or project objectively and determine whether it is worth pursuing or not.

How to write a business case?

Here are some general steps to follow when writing a business case:

• Identify the problem or opportunity:  The first step in writing a business case is to identify the problem or opportunity the proposed initiative or project aims to address.
• Define the objectives:  Once the problem or opportunity has been identified, define the objectives the proposed initiative or project aims to achieve.
• Conduct a feasibility study:  Conduct a feasibility study to determine whether the proposed initiative or project is viable and identify potential risks or challenges.
• Analyze the costs and benefits:  Analyze the costs and benefits associated with the proposed initiative or project, including financial and non-financial aspects. This analysis should be based on thorough research and data gathering.
• Develop an implementation plan:  Develop a detailed implementation plan, including timelines, resource requirements, risk mitigation strategies, and evaluation metrics.
• Write the business case document:  Write the business case document, including an executive summary, background, objectives, analysis, recommendations, and implementation plan.
• Review and finalize:  Review the business case document with key stakeholders to ensure it is accurate, complete, and persuasive. Make necessary revisions and finalize the document.
• Present and defend the business case:  Present and defend the business case to decision-makers, stakeholders, and any other relevant parties.
• Implement the initiative or project: If the business case is approved, implement the proposed initiative or project according to the plan outlined in the document.  

What are the four key elements that a business case should contain?

The four key elements that a business case should contain are:

• Background and justification:  This section should clearly explain the background of the proposed initiative or project and why it is necessary. It should also provide a brief overview of the current situation or problem that the proposed initiative or project aims to address.
• Business benefits:  This section should outline the potential benefits of the proposed initiative or project, both tangible and intangible. It should also include an analysis of the expected return on investment (ROI) and the time frame for achieving those benefits.
• Risks and challenges:  This section should identify the potential risks and challenges associated with the proposed initiative or project and describe how they will be mitigated or managed. It should also include a contingency plan if any risks materialize.
• Financial analysis:  This section should provide a detailed financial analysis of the proposed initiative or project, including the costs, benefits, and ROI. It should also include a comparison with alternative options to show why the proposed initiative or project is the best option.

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Competition Analysis for Business

Competition analysis for business presentation, free google slides theme, powerpoint template, and canva presentation template.

We're not alone in this world (just count the millions of people living on Earth!), and no business is alone in the market. That's right, competition is always fierce, so you must stand out from the crowd. This is a template for companies who want to present an analysis of the competition so that they decide the best course of action. We've opted for a professional approach, with a sober color palette, a serif font for titles and some photos of office buildings and interiors.

Features of this template

• 100% editable and easy to modify
• 31 different slides to impress your audience
• Contains easy-to-edit graphics such as graphs, maps, tables, timelines and mockups
• Includes 500+ icons and Flaticon’s extension for customizing your slides
• Designed to be used in Google Slides, Canva, and Microsoft PowerPoint
• 16:9 widescreen format suitable for all types of screens
• Includes information about fonts, colors, and credits of the free resources used

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Am I free to use the templates?

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Attribution required If you are a free user, you must attribute Slidesgo by keeping the slide where the credits appear. How to attribute?

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Business Plan Competition Final Round Presentation Results

Student teams presented their business ideas and competed for cash and in-kind prizes totaling $86,000 at the Business Plan Competition 2024, hosted by the WSU Center for Entrepreneurship  (CFE).

Two hundred thirty-six students from nine WSU colleges, six universities, and six high schools across Washington and Idaho formed 118 venture teams that competed in three different leagues. The unique venture teams represented a wide variety of academic majors and programs of study including arts and sciences, natural resource sciences, veterinary medicine, neuroscience, global challenges, communications, business, and more.

The winning College League teams were:

• Cordoba, $15,000 Cordoba is an AI plug-in that facilitates communication between architects and clients.
• PicsGenie, $10,000 PicsGenie uses AI to allow anyone to customize shirts in under 15 seconds.
• Snap Chains, $7,000 Snap Chains is an alternative snow chain designed for instant installation and removal.
• Serenity Spaces, $4,000 Serenity Spaces is a furnishing company that allows individuals to rent customized furnishing packages.
• Main Street Trader Bar and Grill, $2,000 Main Street Trader Bar and Grill is a restaurant in Vancouver, Washington, offering diverse food, drink, and live entertainment.

For more information and a complete list of winning teams, visit WSU INSIDER