The document outlines essential techniques for improving presentation skills, particularly in the accounting and finance sectors, emphasizing preparation, tailoring messages to the audience, and using effective visual aids. It highlights the importance of engaging storytelling and body language while managing presentation anxiety and fielding questions from the audience. Additionally, it addresses the significance of both hard and soft skills in professional roles, backed by survey data on employer preferences.

1. Presentation
Techniques
YICAP_Key Manager
23/06/2021
By Sitthiches Chenruay
(Khru TongkanT)

2. 10 Ways to Build
Top Presentation
Skills in
Accounting and
Finance by Robert
Half (2017)
How to improve your presentation
skills
1) Face your fears.
2)Do your homework.
3)Practice, practice, practice.
4)Stand and deliver.
5)Anticipate questions.

3. How to create strong presentation
slides
BEGIN WITH A CLEAR
OUTLINE.
LET YOUR TITLES GUIDE THE
WAY.

4. Why Do
Accountant
s Love Their
Jobs? It’s
Not Just
Numbers
1. Collaborate across departments
2. Cultivate teamwork and delegate
effectively
3. Maximize insight from data
4. Make it visually engaging.
5. Provide a next step.

5. 1. Begin with a clear outline.
WEʼVE ALL SEEN
PRESENTATIONS
THAT GO NOWHERE
FAST.
THAT OFTEN
HAPPENS BECAUSE
THE PRESENTER
DOESN'T HAVE A
HANDLE ON WHERE
TO GO WITH THE
PRESENTATION.
GRAB A PEN AND
PAPER BEFORE YOU
OPEN YOUR
PRESENTATION
SOFTWARE.
START CREATING
YOUR
PRESENTATION BY
WRITING AN
OUTLINE, WITH
SPECIFIC FOCUS ON
YOUR GOALS AND
WHAT YOU WANT
TO ACCOMPLISH BY
THE TIME YOUʼRE
DONE.
THIS WILL HELP
YOU STICK TO THE
SCRIPT WHEN ITʼS
TIME TO PUT THE
DECK TOGETHER.

6. 2. Let your titles guide the way.
Each slide’s title should provide context and explain the slide’s content,
including the conclusion. For example,
“A Third of Managers Regret Not Taking Enough Vacation Time” is
better than just “Vacation Time.”
A more descriptive title keeps your audience focused on the message.
Also san-serif fonts that are easy to read.
Titles should generally be between 36 and 44 font, and other content
should be at least a 24-point font, with a 20-point font for captions,

7. 3. Keep your slides succinct.
Don't overwhelm your audience with
too many words and numbers on your
slides. Yes, you love your numbers,
but don’t go number-happy. When
deciding what to place on a slide,
remember your slides should support
what you’re saying, not the other way
around.
A slide with too much information is
challenging to read. You’re essentially
asking your audience to read and
listen at the same time. Again, don’t
make your audience work. If your
presentation needs to be shared as a
handout or forwarded to others,
consider making two versions: a
slimmed-down version to talk
through and a sharable version with
more explanatory text.

8. 4. Make it visually
engaging.
No, a page or screenshot from Excel
doesn’t really count as an image. Use simple
photos or illustrations that support your
message. A well-chosen image is a nice break
from text that can grab your audience’s
attention and help reinforce your message. You
can find professional stock images on sites like
Shutterstock. Also consider colors, and make
sure your text and background colors contrast
well.

9. 5. Provide a next
step.
Don’t just end your presentation by
saying thank you; give a call to action.
Close your presentation by including a
slide that mentions what you’d like the
audience to do with the information
you shared with them.

10. Once you
improve
your
presentation
skills
Once you improve your presentation skills, you
can assume you've added valuable skills to
your career toolbox. Not only will that help you
succeed in your role, it will also help you
advance in your accounting and finance career.
https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/salaries-
and-skills/accountants-need-hard-and-soft-
skills-for-success

11. 8 ways to
improve your
presentation
skills
Reference: https://mycareer.aicpa-
cima.com/article /8_ways_to_prese
ntation_skills /

12. 8 ways to improve your presentation skills
1. Plan and
rehearse your
presentation
2. T
ailor your
words to the
audience
3. Choose your
presentation tools
carefully
4. Project
positivity using
body language
5. Keep your
first-night nerves
in check
6. Make a strong
start
7. Tell the
audience a story
8. T
ake care
when fielding
questions

13. Management accountants can
no longer tuck themselves
away in the back office,
knowing that they will never
be asked to step into the
limelight. The ability to make a
good presentation is now a
key skill...

14. 1.Plan and rehearse your presentation
Few people are able to make a brilliant
presentation off the cuff, so careful
preparation is vital. In most cases, simplicity
works best, so resist the temptation to be
too clever by half. Focus on how to get your
message over to the audience clearly and
concisely.
“Knowing your topic is the single most important
point,” says Dave Coker, a finance lecturer at the
London School of Business & Finance. He warns
against delivering material produced by others and
stresses the need for rehearsal. “Every
presentation I give is rehearsed, sometimes as
many as 100 times if it’s a new topic. Time your
presentation and keep a timer running to ensure
that you’re keeping on schedule,” he adds.

15. 2 Tailor your words
to the audience
“Because of a lack of presenting skills, training or talent,
most finance professionals treat all presentations in the
same way, with the result being a one-dimensional style,
a lack of relevance and an indifferent reaction,” claims
Rob Brown, author of How to Build Your Reputation
(Ecademy Press, 2007). “But, when they consider the
different audiences, objectives and ways to deliver the
message, their chances of hitting the mark increase
dramatically.”

16. 2 Tailor your words to the
audience
With so many different potential audiences, it’s important to
tailor your message, says Phil Sheridan, senior managing
director at recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK. “Imagine
you’re introducing information on your company’s UK Gaap-
IFRS convergence to your IT team: in this case, it’s best to
keep your speech free of jargon and acronyms. Instead of
explaining the financial implications, focus on how you think it
will make a difference to IT systems and processes.”

17. 3 Choose your
presentation tools
carefully
It’s best to decide which presentation
tools to use right at the outset, advises
Giles McIntyre, senior manager at
recruitment consultancy Hays
Accountancy & Finance. But it’s also
important to ensure that the venue can
cope with what you’ve chosen.

18. “Have a plan B”
“Have a plan B,” he says. “For
example, if you have a PowerPoint
presentation, ensure that you print it
out and arrive at the location early
to check that all is in working order.”

19. Make your slides easy to read
Make your slides easy to read, Coker stresses.
“I’m pretty disciplined: I use bullet points only and no
more than six per slide. Density is a turn-off, so your
points should be structured as single, simple sentences
that you can talk about for protracted periods.
The worst thing is to stand up reading slides – boring!”

20. 4 Project positivity
using body language
“You don’t need to dance around the room to be a good
presenter,” according to John McLachlan, a former FD in industry who is now MD of
Monkey Puzzle Training & Consultancy.
“You actually project more authority and come across as more
credible if you stand still and move only to accentuate specific points
with hand or arm gestures,” he says.
“People often see entertaining presenters and think that
they need to copy them in order to be good. This isn’t true.
You need to be you.”

21. Strong Presence
Richard Newman, director of UK Body Talk, a presentation
skills training company, points out that great actors such as
Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Judi Dench build their stage
presence by controlling their posture.
“Most people stand off-centre, with their weight on one foot,
so they look like a pushover,” he says. “Make sure that you
project yourself as a strong presence, regardless of your
audience, as your message deserves to get noticed.”

22. 5 Keep your first-
night nerves in check
Most presenters are likely to feel some
butterflies in their stomach, even if they’re
seasoned performers. Newman points out
that nervousness creates tension in your
body, which hinders you from projecting
your natural charisma.

23. Relax
“The easiest way to overcome
this is to clench any tense
areas of your body for a few
seconds and then relax them,”
he advises. “This is great
before an important meeting
in helping you to stay calm
and in control.”

24. Pause
Another way to control nerves is to
pause before saying anything. It was a
trick perfected by the Hollywood star
John Wayne.
“He was asked how he delivered
powerful lines,” Newman says. “Wayne
said: ‘Simple. I just count to two…
Then I say it. That way everyone is
thinking: what’s he gonna say?’”

25. 6 Make a strong
start
You need to grab your audience at the beginning or
they will soon switch off.
“Some good things to do are to thank the previous
presenter for a great talk, thank the organisers for the
invitation to speak, if that’s appropriate, or make a
reference to the nice food or venue,”
McLachlan suggests, but he warns against some
common openers.

26. No Self-effacing jokes/ Make
fun of others
“Self-effacing jokes such as ʻthis wonʼt take long and
then you can get to the drinksʼ will merely take away
your credibility,” he says. “Similarly, making fun of
others doesnʼt make you look good to your audience,
even if the people youʼre talking about can take it.
The audience may not know that and this will present
you as someone who needs to put others down to feel
good.”

27. 7 Tell the audience a
story
Financial managers are so au fait with
the numbers that they often assume that
others have the same enthusiasm, but
people outside the profession are
unlikely to be engaged, particularly by
the more technical aspects, says Sue
Binks, a senior consultant at the Roffey
Park leadership institute.

28. Storytelling can be a useful
technique
“Storytelling can be a useful technique in dealing with
this,” she says. “This may mean talking about real
scenarios or fictional ones, but the idea is to talk
about how real people use the data, or what happens
if they donʼt spot the underlying message. Build your
knowledge and understanding of how your business
operates and then use this information to show the
context behind the figures.

29. Highlight specific
examples
Highlight specific examples, such
as business wins. This will not only
demonstrate your knowledge, but
also engage the audience, helping
them to understand how their
contributions fit into the wider
picture.”

30. 8 Take care when
fielding questions
Usually, questions from members of the
audience will focus on what they feel are
the most important issues. It’s helpful to
consider before your presentation what
people are likely to ask and prepare some
outline responses.

31. Coker advises taking a
tough line with irrelevant
queries.
“You donʼt want to turn
off most of your
audience, so donʼt be
afraid to terminate off-
topic questions,” he says.

32. Reference
https://mycareer.aicpa-
cima.com/article /8_ways_to_presentation_skills /

33. Now, letʼs try
your turn

34. Some sources for Taxation on Value-
Added-Tax
https://www.slideshare.net/kulbeerbumrah/value-added-tax-
35624073
I recommended this
https://www.slideshare.net/horizon8586/value-added-
tax?next_slideshow=1

35. Infographic Speakings
1. Get the big
picture
2. Speak out,
loud and clear
3. Make friends
everywhere
4. Embrace
diversity
5. Stand up and
lead

36. Hard and Soft skills in demand for
accounting and finance professionals.
Analytical
and
strategy
skills
Written
communica
tion skills
Technology
skills

37. Technology skills
Advanced Excel
Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP)
Data analytics
Business intelligence
software (e.g., IBM
Cognos)
Microsoft Visual
Basic
Cloud-based
software
QuickBooks (for
positions with small
and midsize firms)
Revenue recognition
Risk and compliance
Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles
(GAAP)

38. Ask for
professional
training

40. TECHNICALLY
SPEAKING
CFOs evaluate the importance of
technical skills vs. soft skills for
accounting and finance positions:
Source: Robert Half Finance &
Accounting survey of more than 2,200
CFOs from companies with 20 or more
employees in the United States.
© 2016 Robert Half Finance &
Accounting. An Equal Opportunity
Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
STAFF-
LEVEL
SENIOR
LEVEL
Much greater weight on
technical skills
11% 12%
Somewhat greater weight
on technical skills
25% 28%
An even split 54% 50%
Somewhat greater weight
on soft skills
7% 6%
Much greater weight on
soft skills
3% 4%