Economy
How to Make Financial Presentations Tell a Story
Financial presentations are not the greatest friends of time. A report that spends far too long pulling numbers from various spreadsheets and sourcing them together is boring to even people in finance—and a great direction if you want to lose your audience. But in a landscape where financial presentations are decidedly ho-hum, how can you craft one that reveals necessary fiscal information while keeping everyone engaged?
Basic storytelling is a fine way to start. It allows you to explain the “why” behind the numbers and can be the difference between a bland presentation and one people remember.
Begin with a Clear Narrative Structure
Every good story has a beginning, middle, and end—Cinderella, Hansel & Gretal, and yes, even your financial presentation. Start by defining the problem or challenge, then walk your audience through the data, and finish with a conclusion that presents your solution or recommendation. This doubles as a more engaging presentation format, and a way to help audience members follow your train of thought more easily—critical when displaying slides full of digits.
Think of your financial presentation as a story arc. In the beginning, you set the stage, explaining why the numbers you’re about to share matter. In the middle, you dig into the data, revealing key insights. Finally, you tie it all together in the conclusion, leaving your audience with a clear takeaway or action plan.
Use Visuals to Bring Data to Life
Financial data can be dense and overwhelming, especially for non-financial experts who may frequent your presentations. Visuals like graphs, charts, and infographics can help make your data more digestible for visual learners. Rows of numbers can be overwhelming for your audience, so use visuals to highlight trends, comparisons, or important figures that are key to your story.
It’s not just about throwing charts onto slides. You need to carefully choose visuals that complement your narrative. For instance, if you’re presenting financial performance over time, a simple line graph might work best. If comparing departments or products, bar charts do a far better job. Case in point: avoid clutter—use visuals to make complex information clear and accessible.
Structure Your Printed Content for Clarity
While visuals on screen are essential, printed content can add another layer of clarity, particularly when dealing with detailed financial data that can’t all be digested in a single sitting. Presentation folder inserts are an excellent tool for providing supplementary information in a structured and accessible way. Instead of bombarding your audience with too much information, you can guide them through the critical takeaways while offering inserts for deeper exploration.
For example, attaching a stitched, printed brochure to your presentation folder’s spine helps you structure your printed materials in a crafted way. This and various presentation folder add-ons make it easier for clients to follow along precisely in the order you intended.
Engage with Storytelling Techniques to Highlight Key Financial Takeaways
Just as a good story has moments of climax and resolution, your financial presentation should highlight information in a way that glues everyone’s attention. Think of major financial data points—like revenue growth or cost savings—as the plot twists in your story. These are the moments where you should zoom in, emphasizing their importance and making sure your audience grasps the full significance.
You can use storytelling techniques like contrasts (before vs. after), building tension (forecasting negative consequences if action isn’t taken), or framing milestones and projections as chapters in your company’s growth journey. By weaving these insights into a larger narrative, you give your numbers context, making them not just more understandable, but more memorable.
End with a Strong Call to Action (CTA)
The difference between a story that ‘has an ending’ and a story that ‘ends’ is the difference between a soft landing and a hard landing. A soft landing is subtle, ending your presentation with a satisfying conclusion; hard landings end abruptly, appearing graceless and hardly inspiring a meaningful call to action (CTA).
In a financial presentation, ending ‘softly’ doesn’t mean going out with a whimper; rather, it’s all about including a natural-sounding call to action that translates into follow-ups. Once you’ve walked your audience through the data and told the story of your financial performance, guide them toward a decision or next step.
Important to note is that a strong CTA isn’t just about what you want—it’s about persuading your audience that taking action will lead to the outcome they desire, based on the story you’ve just told.
From Numbers to Narratives
The role of any CFO is to tell your company’s financial story, condensing data that can come from many places into cohesive and engaging plot lines. An excellent financial presentation does just that. It is by turns interesting, interactive, and simple—as these tips have hopefully shown.
Remember, your audience may not always be as comfortable with financial figures as you are. But with these techniques, you can guide them through your presentation with ease, ensuring they both understand your message and are motivated to act on it.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Securities and Exchange Commission is working on new rules that will allow cryptocurrency trading and digitized transactions to be taxed as it seeks to boost revenue.
According to Bloomberg, the bill outlines a framework for taxing crypto transactions and introducing other levies.
The bill is currently before lawmakers and is expected to be adopted this quarter.
“[This] will ensure that all eligible transactions on regulated exchanges are brought into the formal tax net,” the agency said.
It also “acknowledges the substantial amount of tax revenue that will accrue from cryptocurrency transactions,” the SEC added.
This is coming at a time that Nigerians can’t actively trade cryptocurrencies via banks without repercussions, so many opt for Peer-to-Peer (P2P) trading.
Former governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Godwin Emefiele, enforced a ban on crypto trading and his successor, Mr Yemi Cardoso, has followed in the path— blaming their activities for the weakening of the Naira.
Despite these restrictions, Nigerians continue to use cryptocurrencies daily which adoption as high as top 5 globally.
Cryptocurrencies have helped Nigerians to sidestepped double-figure inflation and depreciation of the Naira against the Dollar since devaluation was carried out in June 2023.
The SEC is also looking to extend the scope of crypto licensing, including issuing permits that will enable residents to trade in formal centralized exchanges where transactions can be monitored and taxed, the regulator said.
“We anticipate gradual traction toward centralized exchanges, because they will provide greater protections and comfort for investors,” the SEC said.
Nigeria is exploring all avenues to raise more revenue and ease borrowing in the 2025 budget.
Last week, the National Assembly approved a N54.99 trillion budget, the highest ever for the country but analysts note that the country will struggle to fund it without significant increase in government revenue.
AXA Mansard Investments Limited, a leading asset management firm in Nigeria, has reaffirmed its commitment to improving financial literacy for the financially excluded Nigerians.
The company said its commitment becomes important as financial inclusion in Nigeria is slowing with the growing numbers of Nigerians entering financial responsibility stages.
According to the firm, reliable and actionable knowledge sharing and transfer are important not just for informed financial decision-making but also for financial independence and stability.
“In an era of economic uncertainty and complex financial markets, understanding the principles of personal finance, investing, and wealth management is crucial,” said the Chief Operating Officer of AXA Mansard Investments Limited, Alex Edafe, explained that AXA Mansard Investments Limited is dedicated to helping individuals and families build the financial acumen required to navigate 2025 and beyond.
Edafe stated, “In recent years, the dearth of financial literacy in Nigeria has become alarming, with many individuals lacking the necessary knowledge to make sound financial decisions.
From transitioning from savings to investments, budgeting, asset allocation, managing debt as well as retirement planning, to mention a few, many Nigerians, especially the younger generations, need these skills to effectively manage their money”.
“Financial education is foundational for achieving financial independence. This year, we are focused on making financial knowledge more accessible to Nigerians at every stage of their financial journey. We believe that a financially educated population is better positioned to make informed decisions that can lead to long-term financial success and economic prosperity for the nation.”
“So, we are actively working to bridge the knowledge gap in the Nigerian financial sector by offering a range of educational initiatives to provide valuable insights on investment and personal finance. Some of the key programs and resources available to Nigerians include free physical and virtual financial seminars, which we host to help individuals understand the basics of investing and financial planning, expert-driven content, which includes a wealth of articles, blogs, and videos on financial topics offered via traditional, digital-owned and paid media platforms. We also have the option for one-on-one financial advisory targeted at people who would prefer more personalized guidance, helping them to understand their unique needs and goals and creating tailored winning strategies for investments, savings, and wealth-building.”
Financial education empowers individuals to make choices that lead to financial security and prosperity. It empowers individuals with an understanding of financial principles to make better financial decisions, helps individuals to identify opportunities for wealth creation and preservation, and prepares individuals for the future to create long-term security and increase financial confidence.
AXA Mansard Investments remains committed to its mission of promoting financial education and helping Nigerians achieve financial independence. With a greater focus on educating the public about sound financial practices, we believe that more Nigerians will be empowered to take control of their financial futures.
“We believe that by focusing on education, we can transform the financial landscape of Nigeria,” added Mr. Edafe. “When Nigerians are empowered with the right knowledge, they are better positioned to invest wisely, create wealth, and secure their financial future.”
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria will continue to play a leadership role in Africa’s energy sector, leveraging the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and a robust legal framework to drive investment and development.
This is according to Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Mr Heineken Lokpobiri, while hosting TotalEnergies’ Senior Vice President for Africa, Mr Mike Sangster, along with a high-level delegation, including Mr Matthieu Bouyer, MD & Country Chair, TotalEnergies Upstream Companies in Nigeria, and Mr Abiodun Afolabi, Executive Director, Strategy, Business & Asset Management.
Discussions focused on TotalEnergies’ ongoing investments in Nigeria and how the Federal Government can further support industry players to boost oil and gas production.
“Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, the government is fully prepared to support all stakeholders in increasing production.
“By strengthening partnerships with key investors like TotalEnergies, we remain committed to unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s energy sector to drive sustainable economic growth and national prosperity,” Mr Lokpobiri stated.
The meeting underscores Nigeria’s push to attract global energy investments, ensuring that the country remains a key player in Africa’s oil and gas industry while maximizing benefits for Nigerians, Africa, and the global energy market.
Last year, the oil major secured approval from its board for significant investment in the Bonga North Offshore project, marking a pivotal step in its commitment to expanding offshore operations in Nigeria. The investment was valued at $5 billion.
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