Training
How to present under audit or investor pressure
Think back to when you’ve performed at your best - in sport, in business, indeed in life. Almost certainly you did it under some kind of pressure. Pressure releases adrenalin and gives us energy, a sparkle, that edge. The problem is when there’s too much. Isobel Rimmer, founder of international training and development consultancy, Masterclass Training, discusses ways to manage pressure, and the need for clarity in leading listeners to successful outcomes through focussed presentations.
The secret to a great presentation is in the preparation planning and rehearsal and knowing what you can do, in the moment, when the pressure rises. With a solid foundation you can focus on managing nerves, warming up your voice, handling challenging questions and looking and sounding confident.
Confidence comes from knowing your audience, what they need and want from you and making sure that what you talk about helps them.
Isobel Rimmer,
Founder, Masterclass Training
Auditors and investors have much in common. As you present, they’ll be asking questions to confirm or check their thinking, establish risk or unveil something they suspect lies behind the numbers or the narrative. How secure is their investment? Will analysts be happy with the results? What’s the story behind the numbers? Your content must be watertight. You must know your facts, figures and data and have double checked that they are correct. One small chink in your armour and they’ll be all over it.
As you plan and prepare, be clear what you want your audience, (whether they are auditors, investors or analysts), to go away thinking, feeling, saying, doing or knowing as a result of what you say, and then write that down. Your aim is to lead them, gently and meticulously to those outcomes. Audiences need to know what’s expected of them. For example:
Thinking?
That these numbers are correct; their position is protected; risk is minimal
Feeling?
Confident in your handling of the situation; that they are safe in your hands
Saying?
Happy with your findings; agree with your recommendations
Doing?
Sign off. Agree new investment. Approve the audit. (As applicable)
Knowing?
That this is a quality, accurate report and can be trusted
You can then direct them to the most important outcomes when you plan your introduction.
I recommend that you focus on the two or three things you MUST talk about to achieve those outcomes. Why only two or three? Because that’s as much as people can take in. By chunking down to two or three (I prefer two) you make it easier for them to remember the key points and easier for you to speak without notes.
In your introduction you can then lead your audience to where you want them to go:
Over the next 15 minutes I will share the Q3 results; focusing on three key areas: financial statements, budget versus actuals and finally forecast and projections, so that you can…
Be confident that your investment is secure (thinking)
Be assured that the business will deliver against Q4 (feeling)
“Agree the investment tranche for Q4 (saying)
“Approve the report to the audit committee (doing)
“Know that your we can deliver the ROI you seek (knowing)
Charles Story
Director, Operations for Corporate Investigative Services, Rehmann
Pressure can come from the frequent interruptions that you’re likely to get. You can ask if they can hold their questions to the end, and they might, but the reality is that they’ll start firing questions sooner rather than later, putting you back under pressure.
Having a framework for handling questions is one of the best ways to check understanding, buy you time, build greater rapport and boost your confidence. From now on, when you face a question, use the following traffic lights – red, amber, green.
Red
Stop - repeat or rephrase the question. This ensures you understand the question, allows the rest of the audience to hear the question (they may not have) and buys you time to consider your response.
Amber
Answer the question and only the question. Avoid unnecessary detail or waffle. If you don’t know the answer, say so, but make sure that you follow up later.
Green
Get the green light to check that you’ve answered their question. Phrases like, “Does that address your question?” “Have I covered that for you?” show that you are keen to help your audience. You don’t want anyone left feeling that their question wasn’t answered.
Every presentation is unique because every audience is unique too. When you focus on the needs and concerns of your audience and put yourself in their shoes, you can anticipate the pushback or pressure you’re likely to get. You can be ready for their questions and practice answering them. And by planning what you want to say, rehearsing how you’ll say it and making it clear in your introduction what the outcomes will be, your audience knows what to expect and you know where you’re going.
Don’t forget, a little pressure is a good thing because adrenalin gives you an edge. It will improve your performance - so long as you’ve planned and prepared in advance.
Main image: Brad Brown, Global Head of Tax Technology & Innovation and CTO – Tax, KPMG US
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