If you ever watched Shark Tank, you know how quickly dreams can be devoured by unconvincing stories. Entrepreneurs walk in with passion and data—but often walk out defeated because they fail to do one thing: make the sharks believe.

The same is true for your MBA Capstone.
You’re not just presenting a marketing plan. You’re selling a story that makes your audience—your “sharks”—believe in your idea enough to act.

From Story-Telling to Story-Selling

A group of students consulted ProfIA Bong regarding their marketing plan presentation.

The video below was generated from the transcript of that consultation meeting.

In my years of mentoring students and executives, I’ve seen a pattern: the best presenters are not the most articulate—they’re the most believable. They don’t recite features. They sell transformation.

Your job is not to explain what your product is. Your job is to convince skeptical non-users that your product is the better solution to their problem.

As I often tell my students,

“Convince me that you have a good product from my perspective. What’s in it for me?”

That mindset flips the presentation from self-centered to customer-centered.

The Core Shift: From Product Pitch to Persuasive Story

The strongest capstone presentations begin not with the product, but with the problem.

Start your story by describing:

1. Who your target market really is – their habits, emotions, frustrations.
2. What core pain point they feel – not superficial issues like price or packaging, but the fundamental reason they buy.
3. What they’re currently using – and why that’s no longer good enough.
4. How your product becomes their better story – a believable change that makes life easier, safer, or happier.

When you build your capstone this way, you stop being a student presenter. You start being a strategist.

The Secret Behind Shark-Tank-Worthy Presentations

Think about this: The best Shark Tank pitches rarely go through all the technical details. They tell a story that makes investors feel the pain of the customer—and then see the joy of the solution.

That’s why in your MBA defense, the live presentation should never sound like a checklist of the 11Ps. The slides are for your instructor. The story is for your market.

“You are selling me a story that I will believe enough to change or to do something about it.”

That’s the essence of story-selling. It’s not information transfer—it’s belief transfer.

A Case in Point: Turning a Commodity into a Compelling Story

One of my students once handled a tough product: evacuated blood collection tubes—a true commodity. Instead of describing tube sizes and specs, the group reframed the story around variability of service.

They positioned the brand not as a supplier of tubes, but as a partner in reliability—offering training to hospital staff to ensure consistent, safe blood collection.

In one stroke, the group shifted from selling a product to selling peace of mind.
That’s story-selling in action.

Why This Matters

Your MBA capstone is not just an academic requirement—it’s your rehearsal for the real world.
When you can turn data into drama and frameworks into conviction, you become the kind of leader who can inspire change—inside boardrooms and beyond.

So, when you stand before your “sharks,” remember this rule:

Facts inform. Stories persuade. Strategy converts.

Tell your story well—and you’ll not only survive the sharks. You’ll earn their respect.

The Briefing document, generated by Notebook LM from the Marketing Plan Consult meeting is listed below. Change the words a bit, and this can apply to a Strategic Management Paper, A Digital Marketing Plan, a Brand Playbook. For avoidance of doubt, the 11P mentioned below are specifically suited for Marketing Plan presentations for ProfIA Bong De Ungria’s class. Other Professors might prefer a different format. Other subjects might require a different template.

Marketing Plan Presentation: Core Concepts and Strategic Guidance

Executive Summary

This document synthesizes key strategic guidance for developing and delivering a marketing plan presentation. The central thesis is the shift from a conventional product presentation to compelling “story selling.” The primary objective is to convince a skeptical target audience of non-users to believe in a product’s story enough to change their behavior and make a purchase.

A critical distinction is made between the comprehensive slide deck—which serves as a detailed repository of information for internal review (i.e., the instructor)—and the live presentation, which must be a curated, narrative-driven experience for the target market. The live presentation should strategically select only the most impactful elements from the foundational “11Ps” framework to build a persuasive story, rather than simply listing them. Success hinges on accurately identifying the customer’s fundamental problem and framing the product as the superior solution. This approach is exemplified by a strategy for a commoditized product, where offering training is framed as a solution to the core marketing challenge of “variability of service.”

1. The Core Objective: From Product Pitch to Story Selling

The fundamental purpose of the presentation is not a technical recitation of product features but a persuasive act of storytelling designed to convert non-believers.

Audience Context and Mindset

The presentation’s context assumes a specific scenario:

• Presenters: A reporting group.
• Audience: The listeners are to be viewed as the primary target market.
• Audience Profile: This target market consists of individuals who are not currently using the product. They are either using a competitor’s product, a different alternative, or no product at all to solve their problem.

The task is to convince this audience that the presented product or service is a superior solution to a problem they have, compelling them to start using it. The audience should be considered skeptical, similar to the investors in Shark Tank, but with the goal of convincing them to buy or try the product, not invest capital. As instructor Bong De Ungria states, “The point of view is, from the customer, hey, convince me that you have a good product. Gaga meeting ko na.” (02:05)

The Power of a Believable Story

The guidance emphasizes moving beyond a simple “product presentation” to a more elevated form of “story selling.” The ultimate goal is to craft a narrative that resonates deeply enough with the audience to prompt action.

Key Quote: “you are selling me a story that I will believe enough to change or to do something about the story… there has to be a story for me to believe in, to buy in, to do that, because right now I’m using something else.”

This approach requires the presentation to make the audience believe in the narrative, fostering enough interest to either make a purchase or inquire further.

2. Differentiating Presentation Components: The Live Story vs. The Comprehensive Slides

The project requires the submission of three distinct outputs, each with a different purpose and audience.

It is explicitly stated that presenting all 11Ps during the live session would be a mistake, as the target customer is not interested in the academic framework.

3. Strategic Framework and Content Development

A clear process is outlined for developing the presentation’s content, anchored in customer-centricity and a structured workflow.

The Primacy of the Customer’s Core Problem

A significant risk in developing the marketing plan is focusing on superficial attributes while missing the fundamental reason a customer buys the product. De Ungria uses the example of beverages:

• Superficial Reasons: An endorser, a fun run, or brand appeal.
• Fundamental Reason: The customer is thirsty and wants to be sure the liquid is clean and safe to drink.

Failing to address this core need renders the entire presentation ineffective.

Recommended Workflow for Content Creation

1. Draft the Script First: The initial step should be to write the script or storyboard for the presentation. This script should be structured as a story that:
   • Describes the primary target market.
   • Identifies their core problem or pain point.
   • Details their current, inadequate solution.
   • Presents the product as the new, better solution.
2. Leverage the 11Ps as a Foundation: The 11Ps framework and its associated Excel guide are the source of information and analysis. The process of filling them out is essential for identifying the target market and understanding their needs, which then informs the story.
3. Utilize an Iterative Human-AI Process: A specific workflow is recommended for refining the script: a human writes the first draft, then AI is used to modify or improve it based on specific prompts (e.g., conforming to the 11Ps), followed by further human review. The process should always start and end with a human.
4. Prepare for Feedback: Groups are advised to prepare their presentations as if they were submitting the final version for the upcoming Monday session. This level of preparation will allow for more substantive and useful feedback, making it a “better investment” of time.

4. Case Study: Differentiating a Commoditized Product

A discussion with student Leisa Hernandez provides a practical application of these principles for a challenging marketing scenario.

• Product: Evacuated blood collection tubes, a highly commoditized product.
• Marketing Challenge: How to create differentiation in a market where products are largely interchangeable.
• Proposed Strategy: The company offers training to clients (hospitals, clinics) on the proper techniques for blood extraction as a value-added service.
• Underlying Marketing Concept: De Ungria connects this strategy to the formal marketing concept of “variability of service.”
  • Blood extraction is a service with high potential for variability; some technicians perform it well, others poorly.
  • This variability can negatively impact the quality and reliability of medical test results.
  • The training service directly addresses this pain point by standardizing the procedure, reducing variability, and ensuring a higher quality outcome.
  • This transforms the offering from simply selling a commodity to providing a solution that guarantees reliability, a powerful differentiator appreciated by the customer.

5. Project Significance and Collaboration

The marketing plan presentation is positioned as a “capstone” project with significant implications.

• Academic Weight: It carries the most points and has the most impact on the final grade.
• Integration of Learning: The project requires students to integrate everything learned throughout the course to demonstrate mastery.
• Real-World Application: It serves as direct practice for professional tasks required in strategic management (“strama”) and the workplace.
• Rationale for Group Work: While individual work is faster, the group format is deliberately chosen. The value of collaboration is seen in enhancing the quality of the final output, building camaraderie, and fostering professional networking.

More info on Marketing Plan Presentations: