Financial presentations are one of the more common types of presentations. Financial presentations are usually quite bland and not very memorable, which is not a very good thing. Some presentations are lost on the audience. Others are filled with too much data to process in one sitting, but by using stories you can help the audience, and yourself, meet your ends. Here are some tips to tell a better story in financial presentations.
What is the Main Idea Behind Your Presentation?
You probably have a purpose to accomplish in making the presentation. You need to rephrase your purpose in favor of the audience. As yourself, “Why should the audience care?”. Once you figure out the answer to this question in relation to the exact presentation you’re presenting, you will know what story to tell. Since you’re making a financial presentation, your goal is to tell a story about how the data you will show, helps the audience solve their problem.
Choose the Numbers You Need to Tell the Story
If you’re watching a movie, and there is some unrelated information in the story, does it help or hinder you from the main story? For example, if you get to know that the protagonist has a brother, you might keep wondering about him if something happens to the main character. Even though the brother might never appear in the movie again. Now you know why so many protagonists don’t have a family. This is because too many characters take your attention away from the story.
Its works the same with your financial presentations. When you’re telling a story, leave out the details that don’t affect the story in a major way.
How to Tell a Story Using Numbers?
To tell a story using numbers, you will need to use visuals and a narrative that the audience can follow. If you want to show a pattern, then tell the audience about the pattern and then show them a chart which contains that pattern. You can use animation to make the charts even more interesting and easier to follow.
Image Courtesy:
Leave a Reply