PYRAMID OF NEEDS

pyramid PRINCIPLE

3 reasons to adopt it.

Your thinking is easier to grasp: a clear structure makes it easier to organize and remember the information.

It satisfies the central need for information right at the beginning when attention is at its peak.

Maximise and effectively use the limited time of the audience

Being more persuasive

Finally, you are more persuasive when you are direct.By answering the question first, you sound more assertive and confident. You’re not searching for reasons or words, and you don’t sound like you’re wavering. You are plainly and directly answering the question that was posed to you.

Busy people often think in a “top-down” manner. They want to focus on the big picture—in this case the “answer”— and don’t want to get bogged down by details. By delivering your recommendation in the “answer first” format, you are fitting into the their mental model and allowing them to quickly process your recommendation.

To get the most out of your short time with your audience, you want to make your recommendation first and foremost. In some cases, they may already mentally be at the conclusion you want them to reach, in which case they will accept your recommendation and move on (without you having to go into the detailed supporting arguments).