Data Storytelling For Business Decisions

Communicating financial insights with business impact & confidence.

A 2-day intensive training in Power Point

DURATION:  2-DAYS (16 HOURS)

DIFFICULTY LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

TARGET PARTICIPANTS

Finance professionals, FP&A analysts, accountants, controllers, and anyone responsible for presenting financial insights to drive business decisions.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Equip participants with the ability to transform financial data into clear, actionable presentations. Master essential analysis, visual design, narrative-building, and presentation skills, with practical integration of AI tools like Copilot.

METHODOLOGY

Hands-on workshop with a blend of practical exercises, projects, interactive discussions, and live presentation practice. Interweaving AI technology using Copilot in PowerPoint and Excel.

SETUP REQUIREMENTS

PowerPoint 365, Excel 365, Copilot.

DURATION

2 days

LEVEL

Intermediate

OUTLINE

1.  Introduction to Presenting Financial Insights

The importance of communicating financial data effectively

The framework of communicating & presenting to business audiences

Types of presentations and underlying required preparation

2.  Core PowerPoint Skills for Financial Presentations

Adding, removing, duplicating, and re-arranging slides

Changing a slide layout

Adding headers and footers

Changing slide Views

Using Slide Master

Changing presentation themes under Design tab

Using Designer for different views of images

Change Format Background of slides under Design tab

Inserting and customizing icons and shapes

Animating still slides

Creating GIFs

3.  Working with Financial Data

Collecting and organizing financial data

Key financial metrics and KPIs

Identifying trends, variances, and drivers

Identifying anomalies and drivers with Copilot

4.  Turning Data into Insights

Conducting variance, ratio, and trend analysis

Extracting actionable insights from financial data

Using Copilot as a starting point, but validating with professional judgment

5.  Visualizing Financial Insights

Selecting the right charts (bar, line, waterfall, etc.)

When to use tables versus charts

Dashboards and slide layouts for financial presentations

6.  Crafting the Financial Narrative

Building a logical story around financial insight

Aligning the story with business decisions

Executive summaries and recommendations

Addressing audience needs (board, management, operations)

7.  Assembling the Executive Presentation

Drafting presentation layout, designing for clarity & impact

Bringing it all together in PowerPoint

Integrating Excel graphs & charts

Demo on integrating Power BI Service with PowerPoint

8.  Presentation Simulation

Key delivery techniques for financial presentations

Handling Q&A on financial data

Using Presenter View effectively

Rehearsing financial presentations

Live presentation, followed by feedback and critique