4 Presenting Tips for Finance and FinTech Professionals
I love working with financial professionals. From the bank tellers I trained back in the day, to the accountants, bookkeepers, and CFOs I work with now, I love it.
When I’m asked to work with financial organizations, there’s a common theme I hear, a common reason why I’m hired. No matter which company reaches out to me, I tend to hear the same thing: “Our team is amazing. They’re great at what they do. But their presentations are not clear to the audience. Help!”
Here’s what’s going on: I call it the ‘Beware the Expert’ syndrome.
Translation: When you’re really good at something; nay, excellent at your craft, you tend to forget that not everyone knows what you do, nor do they know it as well as you do, nor do they understand what your knowledge means for them.
Read on for my top presenting and speaking tips for finance professionals.
4 Presenting Tips for Finance Professionals
Explain what the data means. Tell a story with the numbers.
A common mistake is to display the numbers or chart, and say something like, “Here are the numbers from [whatever].” This may be followed with a minor comment such as, “this was better/worse than expected…” and then the speaker moves on. You might know what the numbers mean, but your audience doesn’t.
The fix: Push this out a bit: Does this affect the bottom line? What do these numbers tell us? Before you present, ask yourself, “What story do the numbers tell?” or, ask yourself, “so what?” about the numbers. Then answer it.Spell out your acronyms.
This is so common across all professions. You may have a newbie in your room, or you may have someone who isn’t paying attention, or you may have someone who’s never asked what EBITDA is because they’re too afraid to look stupid. Or you may have your public speaking coach in front of you, and she needs to ask you five times what EBITDA is.
The fix: Explain or spell out your acronym the first time you use it - or spell it out on your slide or handout. Then use the acronym. Example: “Our EBITDA - earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization…”Meet your audience where they’re at.
Or, as I like to say, “Oscar Martinez” your presentation. Taken from my most-favorite cold open of “The Office” where Oscar explains a budget surplus to Michael as if Michael is 5 years old. (Not surprising - whenever I lead a workshop with a roomful of accountants, they all tell me - to a one - they can relate to this scene from “The Office.”)
And I’m not saying “dumb it down.” To “dumb” something down is to show contempt for your audience. Put it in terms they can understand. If you’re not sure what your audience will and won’t understand, ask someone as you’re preparing your talk: “Does X make sense to you"?” Run your terms and concepts past someone who is not in finance.Use clear, simple charts and graphs - and don’t overdo it.
So many pros are convinced that what they’re sharing is SO important and it MUST be on the slides. (I used to produce decks at McKinsey. They are guiltier than anyone of this.)
Guess what? To your audience, it’s not.
Before you dump all the data and charts (that mean something to you) onto your slides, first ask yourself, “What is the main takeaway here? What do I want my audience to get from this?” That’s the data you need to include and speak to - not the rest.
Contact us for a workshop for your finance department. We’ll help you Oscar Martinez those presentations in no time!
About The Author
Hi! I’m Marianna. I make public speaking and presentation skills easier for my clients. I’ve worked with financial institutions and finance departments across the country. In addition to Presentation Skills workshops, I offer executive coaching and Keynote speeches. My partner Randy is a media coaching expert. To learn more, Get in touch.