How to Make A Compelling Financial Presentation

Do you find writing financial presentations challenging? Typically, you have a lot of information to convey in a finance presentation and you have a short time. And your audience is not always interested. How do you write a finance presentation and create a financial presentation?

Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball

Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London.  Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

How to Get People to Listen to You in a Financial Presentation

Why should anyone listen to you when you are presenting financial information? How do you make the balance sheet, the income statement and a financial report interesting? And how do you look confident and compelling?

It’s the question we answer in our financial presentation coaching programmes.

Of course, the main reason for wanting better finance presentation skills is to impress those you are speaking to and get them to make the right decision. And this is very important if you are presenting to the board. But the big question is, what do you do to achieve this?

You Must Make Your Finance Presentation Interesting

Financial presentations should never be dull. Good financial presentations are all about how well you tell your story. Don’t tell me what the financial report numbers are – tell me what they mean. Tell it properly and you connect with your audience – whether it is the board, or your investors or financial commentators.

There are tried and tested techniques you can use to tell powerful financial stories. Our experts help businesses, CFOs and financial professionals with their financial presentations, investor days and fundraising presentations. 

We have been coaching financial professionals to create successful financial presentations for nearly 15 years. Over the years we have discovered a series of common best practices that underpin the most successful financial presentations. Here are a few gems we’ve learned over the years.

Let’s review each of these points in detail:

1. Be Clear What You Want to Achieve

Before creating fancy slides and analysing data, take a step back. Ask yourself: what is the single most important takeaway you want your audience to have after your financial data presentation? Are you informing them about a new investment strategy?

Persuading them to adopt a specific financial product? Reporting on monthly numbers? A clear objective keeps your message focused and avoids information overload. Remember, a good presentation isn’t just about the information you deliver, it’s about the action you want your audience to take.

Unless you are clear how you want to be seen by others, it’s a real challenge to get the results you want. But, the simple question: “What impression do you want to make?” is hard to answer.

To be good at presenting financial information in business you should be clear how you want others to see you, and your goals. Once we help you clarify how you want to be seen, we can then polish what you say and how you say it.

For example, if you are creating a monthly report, do you just want to give the relevant data, or do you want to reassure management that everything is on track?  Do you want to focus their attention on something that is going wrong?  Do you want extra resources to run your department better?  Each of these are clear objectives.  Reporting monthly numbers is NOT a clear objective.

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Why Pick Benjamin Ball Associates for Your Coaching

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve been coaching business people to improve their business communication skills for over 15 years.  Our coaching is fast and effective.  We work with individuals and with companies, one-to-one and in groups.  Call us today to learn more.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

Our most popular training courses include:

• Presentation Coaching
• Public Speaking Coaching
• Investor Pitch Support and Coaching

Trusted by some of the most successful companies globally

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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2. Build Your Financial Presentation Around Strong Messages

With your goal in mind, craft a handful of strong messages that support it. These messages should be clear, concise, and resonate with your audience. Think about the current economic climate, investor concerns, and industry trends. Use powerful language that connects with your audience’s needs and motivates them to listen.

Here’s an example: Instead of a generic statement like “Annual Report” or “Monthly Report,” try a more informative message: “Exceeded Budget in June.”  Then, below that you can build your financial presentation around a few strong sub-messages. “Our new products were well received”. “Sales teams beat targets” “Forward pipeline not looking so strong.”

Especially for a very dry presentation of financial statements like the balance sheet, cash flow statement and income statement, your job is to bring the numbers to life and explain what those numbers mean for your audience.

If you are not sure if your pitch deck or presentation has powerful messages, check our BBA Pitch Book Audit.

3. Design Your Financial Presentation for Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial. Are you presenting to board members, to a sceptical sales team or to seasoned investors from financial institutions?  What’s their level of financial literacy? What key elements do they know?  What do they want from your presentation?  What mood are they in?  How can you make their lives easier?  Tailor your language, examples, and data complexity accordingly.

Consider your audience’s expectations as well. Are they a management team expecting a formal presentation or a more interactive session? Are they finance professionals or not? Knowing your audience allows you to design a presentation that engages them, addresses their specific needs and delivers the information in a way they can readily absorb.

For all audiences: give clear explanations, relatable analogies, and avoid overwhelming detail.  And remember, tell them what the numbers mean to them.

4. Don’t Confuse a PowerPoint to-Read Document with Visual Aids

People rarely want to be taken through a presentation. The best presenters do not use PowerPoint in a boring way. While PowerPoint may not be going away, you can use it differently. For example, did you know that PowerPoint is a terrible planning tool? There are many more effective ways of structuring and story-boarding an engaging financial presentation.

So, with your presentation, you can avoid “turning the pages” in a meeting. You can learn how better to plan, make more impact and, most importantly, make a real positive impression with your audiences. This means clear confident financial presentations.

PowerPoint is a fantastic tool, but it shouldn’t replace your ability to communicate effectively. Obviously, avoid cramming slides with text-heavy paragraphs. Your audience shouldn’t be reading the screen – they should be listening to you.

Instead, use visuals strategically. Think of them as complements to your spoken message, not replacements. Charts, graphs, and images should be clear, concise, and directly support your key points.  Only use a visual aid if you can’t describe it better in words.

Here are some tips:

• Visualise your data: Use charts and graphs to present complex data in a way that’s easy to understand.
• Keep it simple: Avoid cluttering visuals with unnecessary details.
• Use high-quality visuals: Find professional-looking images and icons that are relevant to your topic.

Remember, visuals should enhance how you present financial information, not distract from it.

5. Keep it Simple, Even if the Data is Complex

The financial world is full of detail and complexity. However, your presentation shouldn’t be.

You want to present the key takeaways from your data analysis. Don’t overwhelm your audience with technical jargon or overly detailed charts.

Here are some strategies:

• Talk about trends, not every data point: Highlight the compelling story the data tells, not every minute fluctuation.
• Explain complex terms: If you must use technical terms, take a moment to explain them in simple language.
• Use storytelling: Weave a narrative around your data to make it more engaging and memorable.

By simplifying your message, and using plain language you help your audience understand the implications of your data so they can make informed decisions.

6. Create Graphs that are Easy to Read

Graphs and charts are powerful tools for conveying financial information. But poorly designed visuals can be confusing and counterproductive. Here’s how to create graphs that are easy to read and understand:

• Use Strong titles: Your chart title should explain what the data shows.  Not ‘Revenue’ but ‘Revenue has grown 26% in the last 2 months’
• Have Clear Labels: Check your graphs have clear and concise labels for axes, data points
• Avoid legends: Instead put data labels next to the data series (see below)
• Keep it simple: Avoid excessive chart junk like 3D effects or distracting gridlines.

By following these tips, you create graphs that are visually appealing and effectively communicate your financial message.

For example see these two examples:

Things to note here for better graphs in financial presentations:

• Choose a chart format that helps interpret the data
• Tell the story in the headline
• Keep text horizontal
• Get rid of legends – they make the reader work hard
• Eliminate unnecessary text
• Fainter Y-axis grid lines look good
• Keep series labels next to the line

7. Make the Right First Impression

You only get one chance to make a first impression, and presentations are no different. Here’s how to grab your audience’s attention from the start:

• Confident Introduction: Start with a strong introduction that introduces your topic, yourself and the key takeaways.
• Opening Hook: Use an attention-grabbing anecdote, statistic, or question to pique their interest.
• Professional Appearance: Dress professionally and project confidence through your body language and tone of voice.

For example, what happens in your first 30 seconds when you present financial performance information?

• Do you have good eye contact?
• Do you show interest in them?
• Do you ask the right questions?

Can you be sure that you have made the right impression?

A strong opening sets the stage for a successful, effective presentation and makes it easier for your audience to be engaged from the start.

8. End Your Financial Presentation with Impact

Don’t fizzle out at the end. Conclude your presentation with a clear executive summary. Briefly reiterate your key messages and the call to action you want your audience to take.

Here are some tips for a strong ending:

• Summarise Key Points: Recap the most important takeaways from your presentation.
• Call to Action: Clearly state what you want your audience to do next, whether it’s contacting you for further information or making an investment decision.
• Never finish with a Q&A Session: Instead, make sure the last words are your words.

A strong ending leaves a lasting impression and helps your audience remember the value you provided.

9. Practice to Build Your Skills

Even the most carefully prepared presentation can fall flat without proper practice. Investing time to rehearse your delivery will build your confidence and help you give a smooth, polished performance.

Here are some tips for the best way to practise:

• Practise Out Loud: Rehearse your presentation out loud, paying attention to pacing, clarity, and body language.
• Time Yourself: Check your presentation stays within the allotted time.
• Practice with Others: Ask a colleague or friend to listen to your presentation and provide feedback.
• Keep fixing and changing.  Don’t rehearse like an actor, who has a perfect script.  Instead, rehearse like a tennis player, so you keep improving and are ready for whatever is thrown at you.  

By practising properly (perhaps with a professional coach), you can overcome nerves, deliver your message effectively, and command the attention of your audience.

How To Improve Your Financial Presentations For Ever

From our tailored presentation training you will find it easier to create engaging financial presentations. You will take away financial presentation tips that you can apply immediately.

One firm told us that the financial presentation training programme we developed completely transformed the quality of presentations internally. A quick return on your investment is one of the many benefits of working with us.

If you want to build your presentation skills, please get in touch. Call us now to discuss how to get the results you want. Speak to Louise Angus, our client services director to discuss how we can best help you.

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Why Choose Us:
Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

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Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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FAQ: How to Write an Interesting Financial Presentation

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