Knowing that many clients make their decisions from the bottom line up, it’s important to create a presentation that makes a financial case. In his book, Presentations That Change Minds: Strategies That Persuade, Convince, and Get Results (McGraw-Hill, 2006), Josh Gordon provides us with some smart strategies to “show them the money.” According to Gordon, thinking that because the numbers work, you don’t have to sell them on your story or idea is one of the biggest pitfalls when presenting financials. “Meeting the economic criteria is only part of the process of making a financial presentation,” he says. “Selling is still selling.”

To make a case for financials, Gordon says to follow this advice:

1. Understand your audience’s business model and financial goals. If after reviewing annual reports, press releases, and other company literature, you still have questions, don’t be afraid to approach your clients by asking questions such as: “When does your fiscal year start? What are your economic goals and how do you plan to achieve them? How do you make your profit? How are you doing against your competition?”
2. Find the number. “With a financial presentation, whenever possible, start your planning by finding the number on which you intend to close,” says Gordon.
3. Translate your benefits into financial terms. “Focus on the economic impact your product or option will have, if it is accepted,” says Gordon. If the ROI doesn’t translate easily, Gordon says to either measure something non-financial but valuable, or measure ROI after the fact to help you on your next presentation.
4. Find your financial hook. “With financial presentations, there are two basic hooks,” says Gordon. “Fear and greed.”
5. Build your financial story. This is where you can describe how you can deliver results. Gordon offers these elements to help build and sell your story. He says that you get big points if you can:

•connect your ROI message with their internal financial goals.
•use a recent example of a similar implementation that shows ROI results.
•offer a guarantee or assurance that the ROI you project will be met.
•offer some sort of measurement as part of the proposal.
•demonstrate your track record at delivering ROI results.

6. Make the numbers come alive. Present the numbers in an interactive way – prepare “what-if” scenarios or hold a Q&A session with prepared “what-if” scenarios.
7. Make the numbers exciting. Gordon says to align your presentations to emotional feelings of what money means to your audience and you will create excitement. For example, “this means two new retail stores in your biggest markets.”
8. Respect the emotional life of the economic decision makers as well as other decision makers. Basically, Gordon says for us to remember that accountants or VPs of finance have feelings, too. Treat them with the respect they deserve.
9. Make yourself and your organization seem consistent.
10. Finally, close – put a summary on the screen. Look for a change in tone, ask about the money timeline, and help them find the money (look into budget categories and departments that could be tapped).