The Minto Pyramid Principle was created by Barbara Minto, who spent twenty years in corporate reporting and writing at McKinsey & Company. The Minto Pyramid Principle is a framework enabling writers to attract the attention of the reader with a simple yet compelling and memorable story.
Understanding the Minto Pyramid Principle
After she left the organization in 1973, Minto began her own consulting business to help business leaders write with conviction. Those lessons combined with her extensive corporate experience were then distilled into the Minto Pyramid Principle.
The principle is based on the premise that an argument is easier to understand – and far more convincing – when it is arranged in a pyramidal hierarchy. At the top of the pyramid sits the most important takeaway message of the piece, which is then followed by layers of evidence that flow in a logical order. Structuring the article in this way allows the reader to absorb a central idea and then be presented with information that supports it.
While the Minto Pyramid Principle is used to attract the attention of time-poor executives, it is arguably more effective as a persuasive communication tool. An entrepreneur may use the pyramid to win over prospective investors, while a leader may use it to communicate with project stakeholders during a proposal.
The three levels of the Minto Pyramid Principle hierarchy
Three levels comprise the Minto Pyramid Principle.
The bottom of the pyramid comprises the data and factual information that support arguments. From there, the writer should move through increasingly abstract levels until they arrive at their core message.
Let’s take a look at each level below, starting at the top.
1 – The answer
The answer is simply a clear, concise, and effective core message that has four components:
Situation – good writers set the scene by describing a situation to create a mental picture in the mind of the reader.
Complication – what is the factor causing the conflict, problem, or opportunity? These factors should compel the reader to act, or at the very least, continue reading.
Question – then, a question is posed to highlight the decision an individual or business must face. The question should extend logically from the complication.
Answer – or a recommendation that solves the problem and ensures the story has a happy ending. For businesses, solutions need to be mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive (MECE).
2 – Supporting arguments
Supporting arguments should then be sorted, grouped, and summarised in a logical way. To facilitate this process, the Minto Pyramid Principle suggests “ideas in writing should always form a pyramid under a single thought.”
In other words, each supporting argument should resemble a mini-pyramid, complete with its own single thought (answer) and supporting arguments, data, and facts.
As a general rule, each single thought should be backed by three supporting arguments. Ideas at any level in the pyramid must also be summaries of the ideas grouped below them.
3- Supporting data or facts
As the name suggests, the bottom of the pyramid houses the evidence, data, and other findings that validate the supporting arguments.
Where applicable, it may also be wise to include customer testimonials on this level.
Key takeaways:
The Minto Pyramid Principle is a framework enabling writers to attract the attention of the reader with a simple yet compelling and memorable story. It was developed by corporate writing consultant Barbara Minto.
The Minto Pyramid Principle is traditionally used to attract the attention of time-poor executives, but it is also useful as a persuasive communication tool.
The Minto Pyramid Principle has three levels. At the top of the pyramid is the answer, or a clear and concise core message that answers a question or solves a problem. Two more levels represent supporting arguments and supporting data and facts respectively.
The Aristotle model of communication is a linear model with a focus on public speaking. The Aristotle model of communication was developed by Greek philosopher and orator Aristotle, who proposed the linear model to demonstrate the importance of the speaker and their audience during communication.
The linear model of communication is a relatively simplistic model envisaging a process in which a sender encodes and transmits a message that is received and decoded by a recipient. The linear model of communication suggests communication moves in one direction only. The sender transmits a message to the receiver, but the receiver does not transmit a response or provide feedback to the sender.
Berlo’s SMCR model was created by American communication theorist David Berlo in 1960, who expanded the Shannon-Weaver model of communication into clear and distinct parts. Berlo’s SMCR model is a one-way or linear communication framework based on the Shannon-Weaver communication model.
The helical model of communication is a framework inspired by the three-dimensional spring-like curve of a helix. It argues communication is cyclical, continuous, non-repetitive, accumulative, and influenced by time and experience.
The Lasswell communication model is a linear framework for explaining the communication process through segmentation. Lasswell proposed media propaganda performs three social functions: surveillance, correlation, and transmission. Lasswell believed the media could impact what viewers believed about the information presented.
Modus tollens is a deductive argument form and a rule of inference used to make conclusions of arguments and sets of arguments. Modus tollens argues that if P is true then Q is also true. However, P is false. Therefore Q is also false. Modus tollens as an inference rule dates back to late antiquity where it was taught as part of Aristotelian logic. The first person to describe the rule in detail was Theophrastus, successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school.
The five canons of rhetoric were first organized by Roman philosopher Cicero in his treatise De Inventione in around 84 BC. Some 150 years later, Roman rhetorician Quintilian explored each of the five canons in more depth as part of his 12-volume textbook entitled Institutio Oratoria. The work helped the five canons become a major component of rhetorical education well into the medieval period. The five canons of rhetoric comprise a system for understanding powerful and effective communication.
A communication strategy framework clarifies how businesses should communicate with their employees, investors, customers, and suppliers. Some of the key elements of an effective communication strategy move around purpose, background, objectives, target audience, messaging, and approach.
Noise is any factor that interferes with or impedes effective communication between a sender and receiver. When noise disrupts the communication process or prevents the transmission of information, it is said to be communication noise.
The 7Cs of communication is a set of guiding principles on effective communication skills in business, moving around seven principles for effective business communication: clear, concise, concrete, correct, complete, coherent, and courteous.
The transactional model of communication describes communication as a two-way, interactive process within social, relational, and cultural contexts. The transactional model of communication is best exemplified by two models. Barnlund’s model describes communication as a complex, multi-layered process where the feedback from the sender becomes the message for the receiver. Dance’s helical model is another example, which suggests communication is continuous, dynamic, evolutionary, and non-linear.
E-business models utilize advanced communication technologies and digital information to streamline various business processes online. These processes include customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management, payment processing, employee services and recruitment, and information sharing.
Strategy maps are single-page, visual representations of organizational strategy. Their simplicity makes them ideal for communicating big-picture objectives to every employee in an organization – regardless of seniority or project involvement level. A strategy map is a visual representation of organizational objectives and how they relate to one another.
Integrated marketing communication (IMC) is an approach used by businesses to coordinate and brand their communication strategies. Integrated marketing communication takes separate marketing functions and combines them into one, interconnected approach with a core brand message that is consistent across various channels. These encompass owned, earned, and paid media. Integrated marketing communication has been used to great effect by companies such as Snapchat, Snickers, and Domino’s.
Story mapping is a simple holistic approach to using stories in agile development without losing sight of the big picture. Story mapping was first introduced by Jeff Patton in 2005 and is based on the concept of user stories, or stories that communicate product requirements from the perspective of user value.
An effective communication strategy starts with a clear brand identity, by defining clear boundaries and compromises your brand will not take in the marketplace. Based on that, understanding, whether context, formats, and scale are in line with your business message to prevent a loss of identity.
Marketing strategies are based on a set of channels that can be used to amplify your brand and your product. So that you can connect it with the right audience. You can amplify the product to further scale the business. And you can build a strong business model around your brand.
Real-time marketing is as exactly as it sounds. It involves in-the-moment marketing to customers across any channel based on how that customer is interacting with the brand.
Gennaro is the creator of FourWeekMBA, which reached about four million business people, comprising C-level executives, investors, analysts, product managers, and aspiring digital entrepreneurs in 2022 alone | He is also Director of Sales for a high-tech scaleup in the AI Industry | In 2012, Gennaro earned an International MBA with emphasis on Corporate Finance and Business Strategy.
