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Description

Speaking the Language of Numbers: Summarise, Illustrate and Convince

Presenting financial results to audiences who do not read financial statements

  • 2 days — 14 h
  • In-person or virtual
  • Foundation
  • Up to 6 participants

Finance professionals know their numbers, yet the audience disengages. Full spreadsheets are projected on screen and technical terms follow one another without translation. Decisions end up being taken elsewhere and on other grounds. The issue is not technical mastery but how the message is shaped and delivered.

This short programme is designed for numbers professionals who need to convince non-financial stakeholders. You will learn to extract the essential message from a data set and then carry it verbally. Each participant reworks a presentation taken from their day-to-day work and submits it to the group.

Learning objectives

  • Identify the essential message to be retained from a set of figures
  • Translate an accounting term into accessible wording
  • Build a visual document that can be understood in a single reading
  • Structure an oral presentation of financial results
  • Answer questions and challenges without jargon

What makes this programme different

Rework of a real presentation brought by the participant
Individual delivery in front of the group with immediate feedback
A bank of reformulations for the most commonly misunderstood accounting terms

Programme

1Extracting the Message from the Figures

Less data, more meaning

  • Identifying the information that matters to the audience
  • Prioritising between the key figure and supporting detail
  • Selecting comparisons and orders of magnitude
  • Spotting what can be removed without loss

2Making the Figures Readable

Materials that serve the message

  • Translating accounting terms into everyday language
  • Choosing the chart that fits the point being made
  • Streamlining tables and highlighting variances
  • Slide titles written as conclusions

3Delivering the Message Verbally

Holding the room and the questions

  • Structure of a short results presentation
  • Opening and stating the message in one sentence
  • Technical questions and challenges to the figures
  • Adapting to the time available and to interruptions

Who is it for

Accountants and management controllers as well as finance and administration managers required to present results internally.

Prerequisites

No prerequisites

Dates & locations

36 scheduled dates between November 2026 and December 2027. Seats are confirmed in the order enquiries are received.

November 2026

December 2026

January 2027

February 2027

March 2027

April 2027

May 2027

June 2027

September 2027

October 2027

November 2027

December 2027

None of these dates suit you? We open additional sessions on request, and any programme can be run privately for your team.

Practical details

Before the programme
Online positioning questionnaire. Your development objectives are shared with the trainer, who tailors the practical case studies to your context.
Teaching methods
Theoretical input, workshops and practical case studies. Digital course materials and method sheets provided.
Assessment
Multiple-choice tests and role-play exercises. Assessment of learning at the start and end of the programme, with immediate and 60-day follow-up evaluations.
After the programme
One year of access to the e-learning platform. Self-assessment of the skills acquired and a 30-day follow-up session with your trainer.
How to register
Registration online or on the basis of a quotation.
Lead time
11 working days after confirmation of registration.
Accessibility
Accessible to people of determination. Contact our accessibility coordinator to design a suitable solution: contact@mpf-academy.ae
Start dates
Rolling intake: in addition to the scheduled sessions, this programme can start on request.