Financial Management

5Presenting and Communicating Financial Information

“Tell me the facts and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in my heart forever.”

—Native American Proverb

All analytical projects are made up of several phases. First, the objective must be understood, the client identified, and the work flow planned. Second, the analytical work is completed, including research and “crunching the numbers.” The third and most important phase is to present and communicate the findings of the analytical work. Rather than just present facts and figures, our presentations should tell a story to be impactful and memorable. The analysis should also call for some action and highlight alternative courses, and should recommend that a mechanism for monitoring progress be set in place. In this chapter, we will focus on the presentation and communication of the results of the analysis.

The greatest analysis will fail to achieve its objective if the results of the analysis are not presented or communicated effectively. In addition, financial managers should also recognize that, to a large extent, their career may be limited if they cannot effectively communicate. What do you call a strong finance professional with excellent communication and presentation skills? The CFO!

LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS

There are a number of overall behaviors and practices that can enhance the effectiveness of communicating finance and business information. ...