How to Give a Finance Presentation That Won’t Bore the Business to Tears

What's the benefit of delivering a Finance presentation in person instead of sending an email?

I think about it like the live version of a song.

I try to only buy live albums now. Yes, buy - in the days of streaming, I’m still listening to music on vinyl.

The reason I love live albums is because you can hear the musicians engage with the audience.

In fact, the songs I love most usually have a call-and-response.

One famous example is from Queen at Live Aid, which some people say is the best live performance ever.

“All we hear is radio gaga… (Crowd claps)... Radio goo goo.”

The crowd, 72,000 strong, sings and claps along with the band.

You can’t get that kind of energy from a studio track.

What Made the Performance Amazing?

There were other stellar performers that day.?

David Bowie, Elton John, Status Quo. U2’s “Bloody Sunday” was a stirring performance.

But Queen stands out because the crowd was fully involved.

And it’s because of how well they communicated with them.

The definition of communication is: “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals.”

The key word is exchanged.

The studio tracks you hear on the radio, those are one-way conversations. It’s a broadcast - not communication.

But live music can be communication.?

Not convinced? Dig up Otis Redding’s Live in Norway 1967 and listen to “Try a Little Tenderness.” On stage, that 3 minute studio recording becomes a 6 minute masterpiece.

It’s twice as long because there’s communication happening. He built up the audience and drove them wild with three encores.

He couldn’t do that over the radio.

And you can’t do it over email.

Leave Them Feeling Good

Here’s a question I ask at my workshops: “How do your stakeholders feel after a Finance presentation?”

“Depressed!”

That’s the answer I got from someone at the Queensland Local Government conference. Usually, the answers aren’t as dramatic.

But they’re not positive, either.

I’m often told stakeholders leave the presentation feeling drained, confused, or frustrated.

Who can blame them? Most presentations aren’t exchanges - they’re one-way broadcasts.

And the audience can only take so much information before their brains switch off.

“What meeting is on after this one?”

“What am I going to cook for dinner?’”

“Oh, is this presentation still going?”

No one was thinking that when they were responding to Queen at Wembley.?

Bring the Energy

Ok, so you’re not Queen or Otis Redding. It’s okay, neither am I.?

You can’t get the audience to sing along during a Finance presentation or cheer for an encore - let alone three.

But you don’t have to drain them, either. You can energise them instead.?

And no, you don’t need Freddie Mercury’s stage presence to do it. You don’t even need to be charismatic.

You just need to involve them.

Presentations engage people when there’s a conversation.

When you focus on getting input from your audience, they become active participants instead of passive listeners. They’re engaged because you’re valuing their advice and feedback.?

You’re not just giving them your energy. The energy circulates between you and the audience.

This is the opposite of Death by PowerPoint, which does nothing but drain them.

Remember, communication is an exchange of information. If there’s no input from the audience, you’re doing it wrong.

Designing for Engagement

In the film Bohemian Rhapsody, you see how Queen designs their songs so the audience can be the fifth member of the band, whether through signing, clapping, or stomping.?

Just listen to “We Will Rock You” and try not to participate. It’s practically impossible.

You can create the same energy with your presentations.

All you have to do is design them around decisions that need to be made, not just presenting facts. That way, you can get the audience’s input, which will keep them engaged.

No one will leave the presentation feeling drained - or depressed!

To help you do this, I wrote a short guide on how to structure your presentations to involve the audience instead of losing them.

You can download it here and finally say bye-bye to draining people with Death by PowerPoint.

?- Alan “We Will Rock You” Cameron-Sweeney

P.S. Whenever you’re ready, here are three ways I can help you be more influential:

1. Grab my free insight paper

It’s your roadmap to having a more influential Finance team.

Click Here

2. Book a strategy call to discuss how to upskill your Finance team

If your Finance team needs to be more influential and you want to have more impact, reply to this email and we can arrange a free 60-minute strategy call. No strings attached.?

3. Get my free Engaging Presentations resource

It’s the solution, structure, and specifics to delivering engaging Finance presentations.

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