Let’s face it: many accountants choose the profession for the numbers, strategy, analytics, career opportunities, etc.—not for the public speaking. That said, presentation is a big part of your accounting career, especially as you take on more leadership roles. Learn these top 7 accounting presentation tips to ensure that you have the skills needed to grow your career with confidence.
Summary
To advance their careers, accountants must hone presentation and public speaking skills by defining a singular goal, planning and practicing thoroughly, leveraging AI tools and simple designs, employing engaging delivery methods, and utilizing feedback to translate complex data into actionable insights.
Why Do Accountants Need Public Speaking and Presentation Skills?
Accounting isn’t just about numbers; it’s about communicating what those numbers mean. Public speaking and presentation skills are essential because they help accountants translate complex data into insights that clients, executives, and stakeholders can understand and use.
Types of presentations and public speaking opportunities that accountants often face include:
- Financial results and reporting
- Budget and forecast presentations
- Audit and risk findings
- Client advisory and consulting
- Management and strategy presentations
- Operational and internal team presentations
- Educational or conference presentations
Top 7 Accounting Presentation Skills
#1: Define a Goal
Great accounting presentations have a single goal—be it a scope of reporting, set of actionable insights to solve a problem, etc. When preparing, ask yourself: what is the main thing I want my audience to remember?
If you find that you’re including too many disparate points, ask yourself whether what everything that you’re saying ladders into a single, overall goal. If so, your presentation will be more focused and will better stick with your audience.
#2: Plan Ahead
Make sure you have adequate time to prepare your accounting presentation. If you’re presenting a budget, financial or audit report, or any information that involves your team’s work, keep the project on track and ensure that the final report and findings are ready well before you have to present them.
Expect to put in several hours of prep time for every one hour of public speaking, giving yourself plenty of time to not only create the presentation, but also practice speaking through it. Understand how you will present to your audience and what technology or props you will need (i.e., projector, hand-outs, cables, etc.).
It may be helpful to create a calendar with specific items needed and on what dates, so you can ensure that you are fully prepared. Remember: the more prepared you feel, the less nervous.
#3: Leverage AI
If you have spreadsheets or files with your data and findings, combining these with organizationally approved AI tools can be extremely helpful in creating your presentation.
For example, if your organization has incorporated Microsoft’s Copilot in your PowerPoint program, you can:
- Open a new PowerPoint presentation.
- Open the embedded CoPilot sidebar.
- Upload your spreadsheets or documents with a prompt to the effective of: “Turn these sources into a PowerPoint presentation for [purpose].”
- Review and edit the created presentation, double checking that all the information is accurate and supporting the main point of your presentation.
While it’s very important to use AI within your organization’s approved policy, and the output still needs your human touch, you can save important time in organizing and formatting your presentation by leveraging the tool.
#4: Don’t Overdo Design
When it comes to designing your presentation, keep it simple. Avoid animated graphics, too many colors, and decorative fonts—these elements can just be distracting. Everything on your slides should drive your main point forward and be sure to keep slides to a minimum; less is more. If you’re preparing without slides, be sure to create handouts and share them ahead of time.
#5: Mix It Up
To make your presentation engaging and interesting, include different presentation methods that speak to all the people in the audience. Most people are a blend of learning styles; including multiple elements like the following can go a long way in engaging your audience:
- Charts, graphs, and images
- Break-out sessions and hands-on activities
- Modulating your voice
- Using inviting body language
Especially when presenting financial numbers to upper-level management, charts and graphs can be very helpful in making the information easy to understand, even for an audience that isn’t necessarily familiar with the intricacies of accounting.
#6: Track Your Timing
Always time your presentations when creating and practicing them. Most meetings run on a set schedule, so timing yourself during rehearsals can help ensure that you stay on track and don’t go over your allotted time.
Decide whether you’re going to hold questions until the end of your presentation or invite them during (and how this affects your timing).
#7: Get Feedback & Follow Up on Takeaways
After your presentation, receiving feedback is critical for your professional growth. Ask your supervisor or a colleague to provide you with private, candid feedback.
Also take a moment to reflect on your accounting presentation. Jot down a few notes about what worked and what didn’t, so that the next time you give a presentation, you know your strengths and weaknesses and can deal with them appropriately.
If you collected ideas or questions during your accounting presentation, make sure you have a plan in place to follow through on these items.
Boost Your Business Skills
Presentation is just one area of essential soft skills that accountants need as they grow their careers. Leverage your continuing professional education (CPE) courses to build your skills while meeting your requirements.
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