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derk.disselhoff 846c684b8f Add helloprint-presentation-creator skill — writing-style-guide.md

2026-04-16 11:09:25 +00:00

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Helloprint Writing Style Guide for Internal Presentations

Source: Helloprint Writing Style Guide (April 2026) — applies to ALL internal presentations. Scope: Internal only. Not for external customer or partner communications.

1. Brand Personality — Four Pillars (always active)

Pillar	What it means
Friendly	Accessible and warm — but never casually informal. Write for busy professionals, not consumers.
Pragmatic	No-nonsense. No woolly language, no corporate jargon. If it isn't needed, leave it out.
Expert	Knowledge-driven and helpful. Plain language. Don't assume everyone knows everything — but treat the reader as intelligent.
Direct	Always lead with the main message. Conclusion at the top — not after three paragraphs of build-up.

2. Green List & Red List

✅ Do this

Conclusion-first titles. The slide title is the takeaway, not the topic. Good: "Q1 above target — but one risk needs attention"
Specific numbers. A number makes a claim credible; an adjective does not. Good: "NPS rose from 42 to 57"
Honest about limitations and misses. Internal trust is built through transparency, not spin. If something didn't work, say so directly.
Tables for comparisons. Use tables when comparing 3 or more items across multiple dimensions.
One core idea per slide. If you're unsure whether a slide says two things — split it.
Active and personal writing. 'We decide', 'You do X', 'I propose'.
Document metadata at the top. Always include For / Author / Date / Status.
Use → for direction or impact. 'Days → hours', '42 → 57 NPS', 'Weeks → 1 run'.

❌ Avoid this

Topic titles with no point. Titles like 'Strategic Update' or 'Q1 Review' say nothing.
Vague claims. Words like 'enormous', 'great', 'a lot' without evidence. No number = no argument.
Glossing over or omitting bad news. Internal readers see through it.
Nested bullet points deeper than 2 levels. Restructure instead of nesting.
Multiple messages on one slide. The reader remembers the first or the last — rarely both.
Passive and impersonal writing. 'It has been decided', 'It is being considered', 'One aims to'.
Documents without a metadata header.
Adjectives as proof. 'Significant', 'large', 'many'. Always quantify.

3. Tone by Context

Context	Tone	Real Helloprint Example
Strategy / Leadership Deck	Clear, data-first, ambitious but realistic	"Helloprint is at a decisive inflection point. The ambition: €1B in revenue, minimal headcount growth."
Kickoff / All-Hands	Energetic and confident — but concrete, never hype	"We are rolling out Claude. Not as a buzzword — as a real competitive advantage."
OKR Update / Retrospective	Honest, constructive, data-driven. Own your misses explicitly.	"Goal not reached (❌). Cause: supplier delay. Fix: new ETA 22 Apr, owner: Tim."
Operational Update	Concise, status-driven, action-oriented	"Status: 🟢. Blocker: Cube data validation. Owner: Joao. ETA: week 16."
Team Email	Warm, direct, goal stated upfront	"Hi everyone — we're taking a major step in our AI-first transformation. Here's what it means for you."

4. Standard Presentation Structure

Use this sequence. Not every deck needs all blocks — but the order is always the same.

#	Block	What goes here
1	Metadata	For / Author / Date / Status (Draft / Final) at the top of every document.
2	Title / Conclusion	The takeaway goes in the title — not the topic. Write the title as if you already know the conclusion. Good: "Q1 above target — structural risk in NL requires a decision" Bad: "Q1 Review"
3	Executive Summary	Max 3–5 sentences. What's happening, what you're proposing, what you need from the reader.
4	Data / Core	Tables for comparisons. Bullets for lists of 3+ items. Always concrete numbers. Use → to show direction.
5	Implication	What does this mean? One sentence, active and assertive. Good: "This requires a decision on X before 30 April."
6	Next Step	Format: Owner · Action · Deadline. Always specific. No action item without a name on it.

5. Language & Style Rules

English or Dutch? Choose one language per document. Dutch for Dutch-only teams. English when the audience is international or at leadership level. Mixing languages within a single sentence is always wrong.

Capitalisation & Punctuation:

NO ALL CAPS, except abbreviations (OKR, B2B, NPS, FTE)
NO exclamation marks in titles or conclusions
Title Case only for section headers, not in running text

Emojis — Functional, not Decorative:

Use ✅ ❌ 🟢 🟡 🔴 for status in tables or OKR updates
Maximum 1–2 emojis per document for tone or atmosphere
Never in a formal conclusion or Executive Summary

Bold & Formatting:

Bold only for key terms or KPIs
Italics for quotes or examples
Never underline (it looks like a hyperlink)
Never bold and italics at the same time

6. Before vs After — Concrete Examples

Type	❌ Don't	✅ Do
Slide title	Q1 Strategic Update	Q1 above target — NL margin requires a decision before 30 April
Conclusion	The results are positive and we've learned a lot this quarter.	NPS +15pt. Revenue +8% vs target. One critical risk: NL churn up 3%.
Action item	We will endeavour to address this in the coming period.	Owner: Derk. Action: complete NL margin analysis. Deadline: 22 April.
Limitation	The data is not yet fully available at this point in time.	Cube pricing data is partial. Cross-check with Looker before deciding.
Impact	This will save the team a lot of time.	This reduces manual content creation: weeks → hours per market.

7. Slide Templates by Type

Template 1 — Opening Slide

Purpose: Introduce the presentation and orient the audience immediately.
When: First slide of every presentation.
Layout: Visually dominant, minimal text. Dark background (Thamar Black #191919).
Required: Title (central question or assertion — not the topic) · Subtitle or occasion (max 1 sentence) · Presenter(s) + role · Date and audience (e.g. "MT — 15 April 2026")
Optional: Helloprint logo · Short agenda overview (max 3 items)
Example: TITLE: "Road to Independence — Where do we stand, and what decisions need to be made?" SUBTITLE: MT update Q1 2026 BY: Derk Disselhoff, AI & Growth DATE: 15 April 2026 | Management Team
Writing rules: Title is a question or assertion — never just a topic. No welcome sentence. Get straight to it.

Template 2 — Video or Full-Screen Visual Slide

Purpose: Capture attention, set the scene, or demonstrate something without distraction.
When: Opener, interlude, or product/tool demonstration.
Layout: Full screen. Video or image fills the entire canvas.
Required: Nothing — the visual or video is the content.
Optional: Maximum one line of text as context, at the top or bottom (small font, high contrast). Video duration goes in speaker notes — not on the slide.
Writing rules: No title on the slide if the image speaks for itself. If text is needed: maximum 6 words. Put all explanation in the speaker notes.

Template 3 — Agenda Slide

Purpose: Show the structure of the presentation so the audience knows what's coming.
When: Directly after the opening slide for presentations of 20+ minutes.
Required: Numbered list of topics (max 6) · Time indication per block (recommended)
Example: 1. Situation & context (5 min) 2. Q1 performance (10 min) 3. Three strategic choices (15 min) 4. Decision & next steps (5 min)
Writing rules: Agenda items are topics — this is the exception to the conclusion-first rule. Short noun or verb phrases. No full sentences.

Template 4 — Company Update

Purpose: Deliver a broad organisational update on strategy, direction, or major developments.
When: All-hands, MT update, quarterly update.
Required: Title = the central message (conclusion-first) · What changed or was decided? · What does it mean for the organisation? · What do you need from the audience?
Structure: TITLE: [Central message / decision] CONTEXT: Why is this relevant now? (max 2 sentences) UPDATE: What has concretely changed or been achieved? IMPACT: What does this mean for teams / individuals? NEXT STEP: Owner · Action · Deadline
Writing rules: Warm but to the point. No management-speak ('synergies', 'alignment', 'strategic pillars'). If there's bad news: put it in the title, not buried at the end.

Template 5 — Performance Update

Purpose: Report results against targets.
When: Weekly/monthly/quarterly reports, OKR reviews.
Required: Title = the conclusion of the numbers, not 'Performance Update' · Status per KPI: 🟢 on track / 🟡 attention needed / 🔴 action required · Actual vs Target (always both) · Commentary on deviations
Structure per KPI: METRIC: [KPI name] STATUS: 🟢/🟡/🔴 ACTUAL: [Number] TARGET: [Number] TREND: [Comparison with prior period] COMMENTARY: [One sentence on cause or expectation — only for 🟡 and 🔴]
Writing rules: Use → for trends. Never 'the results are positive'. State the number, the target, the gap. For a 🔴: always include the cause and the corrective action.

Template 6 — OKR / Goals Update

Purpose: Transparently report progress on objectives and key results.
When: End of a month, quarter, or season.
Required per Objective: Objective (ambition in one sentence) · Key Results with status (✅ / ❌ / 🔄) · Percentage or number achieved · For ❌: cause + corrective action
Structure: OBJECTIVE: [Ambition in one active sentence] KR 1: [Description] | Target: X | Actual: Y | Status: ✅ KR 2: [Description] | Target: X | Actual: Y | Status: 🔄 KR 3: [Description] | Target: X | Actual: Y | Status: ❌ Cause: [one sentence] Fix: [action + owner + date] OVERALL: [X]% achieved
Writing rules: Be honest about misses. ❌ is not a shame — a ❌ without explanation is. Write the Objective actively. No long narratives per KR. Commentary only on deviations.

Template 7 — Team Update

Purpose: Share team results and developments with a broader audience.
When: All-hands, MT presentation, season review.
Required: Team name + mission statement (one sentence) · What did we do? (max 5 bullets, facts + numbers) · What did we learn? · Focus for the next period
Structure: TEAM: [Name] MISSION: [One sentence — what is this team's reason for existing?] WHAT WE DID: - [Result 1 + number] WHAT WE LEARNED: - [Insight 1] NEXT PERIOD: - [Focus 1] BLOCKER: [What's blocking us? Who needs to do what to resolve it?]
Writing rules: Mission statement in one sentence, active and specific. Not 'we aim to...'. Results always with a number or comparison. Be honest about blockers.

Template 8 — Decision Slide

Purpose: Request or present a decision to the audience.
When: MT updates, stakeholder presentations, go/no-go moments.
Required: Title = the decision being requested (as a question or assertion) · Context (why now?) · Max 3 options with pros/cons · A recommendation · An explicit ask to the audience
Structure: TITLE: [Decision question — e.g. 'Do we proceed with market X?'] CONTEXT: [Why now? Max 2 sentences.] OPTIONS: Option A: [Description] | Pro: ... | Con: ... Option B: [Description] | Pro: ... | Con: ... Option C: Do nothing | Pro: ... | Con: ... RECOMMENDATION: Option [X], because [one-sentence rationale]. ASK: [What do you need? Approval / input / decision?] DEADLINE: [When does the decision need to be made?]
Writing rules: Always give a recommendation. Options without a position is not a decision slide. Always include the 'do nothing' option. State the ask to the audience explicitly.

Template 9 — Closing Slide / Next Steps

Purpose: Close the presentation with a clear landing.
When: Last slide of every presentation.
Required: Core message of the presentation (1 sentence — the takeaway) · Next steps: Owner · Action · Deadline
Optional: Open questions for discussion · Contact / follow-up meeting
Example: CORE MESSAGE: 'Q1 is above target, but the NL margin requires a decision before 30 April.' NEXT STEPS: - Derk → Complete NL margin analysis → 22 April - Tim → Escalate with supplier → 18 April
Writing rules: Repeat the core message in one sentence — not the full summary. Every next step has a name on it. No 'thank you for your attention'. Close with the actions.

8. Brand Visual Identity

Colours:

Primary: Charmed Green #008539 · Link Green #049E46 · Thamar Black #191919 · Snowflake #F0F0F0 · Orochimaru #D9D9D9 · White #FFFFFF · Dark Green #005c26
Secondary: Heroic Red #D64545 · Honey Teriyaki #F36D13 · Ripe Mango #FDC325 · Hampton Beach #9D6639 · Seaside #67A5B1

Font: Inter (weights 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 900)

Slide layouts:

Title slide: Thamar Black (#191919) background, white text, green accent line
Content slide: White background, green section label, footer with logo and page number
Impact / Statement slide: Dark Green (#005c26) background — use sparingly, max 1 per 5 slides
Data / KPI slide: White background, KPI cards with green accent bar on left

Google Slides canvas: 1920×1080 (16:9)

Run through this before finalising any presentation:

Does the document include For / Author / Date / Status at the top?
Is the title of every slide the conclusion, not the topic? (exception: agenda slide)
Is the main message in the first sentence?
Are all claims backed by specific numbers?
Have misses or limitations been reported honestly?
Is the language active and personal (no passive constructions)?
Are emojis used functionally (not decoratively)?
Are ALL CAPS, exclamation marks, and jargon avoided?
Is every next step clear: owner · action · deadline?
Is the language consistent throughout (English or Dutch — not mixed)?
Does each slide type match the correct template from section 7?

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