No PPT for First 2 Minutes

So we’re going to talk about PowerPoint.

Don’t worry if you’re thinking wow we’re talking about financial presentations this long and he hasn’t talked about PowerPoint yet.

Yes we’re going to talk about PowerPoint.

I like PowerPoint.

I use it every day I understand for your financial presentation you probably want to use PowerPoint.

But here’s the thing I do want you to realize it’s still your presentation.

If it’s just about the numbers email it stay at home or go sell to more customers.

Don’t take the time to stand up and people and just go through the numbers and just go through the slide deck.

Here’s one big tip if you do this one thing you’ll be much better at PowerPoint than almost everyone else.

You’re giving a financial presentation.

You have a deck and maybe your Head of Investor Relations worked on it for three months non-stop and it’s 80 pages and it’s too late to change it fine.

But here’s my tip.

Before the first slide ever comes up.

Leave the screen blank and just talk to people.

Talk to investors.

Talk to your audience for two minutes.

Tell them the most important thing they need to know out of this entire presentation.

Look at them.

Don’t be one of these as you can see on my next slide.

Don’t be the butler to your PowerPoint slide.

Speak with authority.

Show this audience.

You know this.

You know it cold.

You know it like the back of your hand.

And if you didn’t have a PowerPoint you could simply talk to them for the next hour and answer every single financial question they have.

I’m not asking you to memorize a 60 Minutes speech.

I just want you to talk for a minute or two at the beginning.

No slides that way you can really establish your authority.

You can establish your expertise and you’ll let this audience know that you are the financial expert.

You’re not simply the butler to the slide show.