Do all accountants do presentations?

Do all accountants do presentations?

Didn't find your answer?

Do you have to do presentations every month or just for some bigger companies? I feel the best way for me to become an accountant (i'm a large introvert) is to work for a smaller sized company, like a manufacturing company, with a small office of less than 5 people. What are your opinions?

Replies (23)

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By Steve Holloway
13th Jul 2011 09:08

Best advice for you ...

 is to go get some presentation training. It comes naturally to very few people but it is skill that can be learned. You are thinking only about a formal presentation (i.e. standing up in a room full of people) but life and work is full of small presentations every day e.g. interviews, meetings, appraisals etc. If you learn some basic skills you will be better at all of these and you won't limit your career choices through a fear that can be worked around.

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By mumpin
13th Jul 2011 11:06

No...

Explain to whoever is employing you that your time is far to valuable to taken up doing presentations.

I'm 50 and never made a presentation in my life. A particularly tedious MD tried to make me do one once so i prepared a series of graphs and charts showing his salary as a proportion of post tax profit, etc. He quickly changed his mind.

If the thought of it really freaks you out then go to your GP and tell him so and that someone has recommended Beta Blockers and can you have some please. Then do your presentation all Beta Blockered up reaalllly slowly and make it in as minute technical detail as possible. Job Done.

 

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By Steve Holloway
13th Jul 2011 11:53

Ha ha ....

 or hide in the toilet!

I repeat it is not easy for anyone but you can learn the tecqniques and with practice it gets easier. Once you can do this sort of thing there is nothing that will scare you in the workplace. Every time you have a meeting with 3 or 4 people it will seem easy and you will get your point across better. You will be a better manager of people and a better negotiator (of your own salary perhaps!).

You can of course live the next 30 years of your working life dreading someone requesting you do it.

 

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By mumpin
13th Jul 2011 12:37

If you do that...

then you will lose all the qualities that make you benj and you will become a second-rate Steve Holloway clone.

What Steve's suggesting is really just Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Far better to build your life around avoidance and Beta Blockers, IMHO.

CBT was invented by the Chinese after the cultural revolution to make the survivors contribute to the grand plan. "OK we murdered all your family, took you out of your nice job and sent you to work in a paddy field 2,000 miles away but these negative thought patterns of yours aren't helping!"

You must be true to yourself and your own character.

Change your surroundings, don't try and change your character.

Also try and work in a creative industry with like minded individuals.

 

 

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Torben Halvorses owner of PaperLess Document Management for Sage
By torbenhalvorsen
13th Jul 2011 14:09

Toastmasters - a great way to learn to do presentations

For some people presentations can be a nightmare.

Toastmasters International has clubs all over the world where people get together and practice their presentation skills in a supportive environment. It is learning by doing and a wonderful experience, even if you ahve done loads of presentations, there is still lots to learn.

My membership of Toastmasters International has been inavulable to me and I would heartily recommend it.

Phil

 

-- Accounting the PaperLess way™

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By Steve Holloway
13th Jul 2011 14:33

@ mumpin

 So why learn anything? Why bother training to be an accountant at all? I used to work for someone with that attitude, then I was the same level as him and after a while he worked for me. Funnily enough he is now a client so I guess I work for him again ... but he pays me more this time.

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By thisistibi
13th Jul 2011 14:51

Lol!

"Far better to build your life around avoidance"

I've never heard such bad advice in my life!  Steve is bang on with his comments and although you might not like hearing it, you will agree with him 100% in years to come.

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By benj18
13th Jul 2011 15:06

I am not interested in presentation training

I am wondering if all accountants working for a manufacturing company for example do presentations or do they just print off the sheets and hand them to the finance head or company owner.

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By Steve Holloway
13th Jul 2011 15:30

No ... accountants have to communicate

with other human beings. There are no jobs (apart from HMRC) where this is now optional.

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By benj18
13th Jul 2011 16:04

What percentage of accountants do presentations?

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By thisistibi
13th Jul 2011 16:39

@benj18

I have worked in an in-house finance department.  You still need to give presentations, although I would say less often.  The answer is as Steve says.  Get used to it - communication is key.  Anyone can adapt to give presentations - once you've done a few it's not so scary anymore.  They used to scare me s***less!

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By Phillip
13th Jul 2011 17:08

.

I work in a small manufacturing company. You will still need to present your accounts to the users of them, maybe in a less formal manner than a larger company.

You will need to pass information/accounts to the shareholders, directors, banks, accountants etc. Just printing something and handing it to them isn't really doing your job properly. These people will be your customers and you need to help them understand the information you are giving them so that they can make decisions on the running of the business.

Once you get to know what your customer wants it gets easier and the presenting is more like a chat than an arduous task. You will probably find that your confidence will grow quite quickly once you get to know what your audience wants to see / hear from you.

 

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By Top_Cat
13th Jul 2011 19:34

What bothers you ?

Is it fear of speaking in "public" ?

Or is it a lack of confidence in your ability to field questions?

 

One of the best pieces of advice I ever heard was by Billy Connolley who said that when dealing with authority figures, just imagine them sitting on the toilet with their trouser round their ankles - you can't take them seriously after that. 

Warning - this doesnt work with traffic police.

 

 

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By benj18
13th Jul 2011 19:57

What is the answer?

Thanks guys for the responses but I still don't really know. Do all accountants do presentations?

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By User deleted
13th Jul 2011 20:17

Nope they don't

Not all accountants do presentations cos I don't! But I'm not in manufacturing, I'm in practice.......

The very thought of doing one scares the **** out of me but I think some of the earlier advice about training to do them is good. I'm an introvert (large, to refer to your original post, in terms of very introverted, a tad well-padded in other respects!) too so I can sympathise with that side of it (introverted doesn't equate to shyness but in my case does go skipping along hand in hand). I do practice avoidance but not sure that's necessarily the best way forward. If you're more shy than introverted then go with the training concept. If you're more introverted quit employment, start your own practice and avoid people!!!!

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By User deleted
13th Jul 2011 20:34

Depends what you call presentation!

If you mean standing up in front of a black board/ whiteboard/ laptop with powerpoint or whatever, I've never done one in 30 years as an accountant and will never do so. I have had scores of meeting to discuss many things, to gain new clients, to review accounts etc. but I wouldn't call them "presentations"

I agree it is a skill you can learn, but you can spot those who have "learned" it a mile off, and I am usually asleep within a few minutes. The ability to "present", IMHO, is a natural talent that you have or don't have.  Sure, it can be honed, it may need "training" to realise you have it, but it has to be there, in the same way people have the ability to paint, to carve, to grow plants, to cook etc. Yes, we can all learn to do them adequately, but few can learn to do them well, and only those born with the latent talent can ever do them excellently.

 

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By Steve Holloway
14th Jul 2011 08:51

I do agree OGA ....

 but we can all learn enough sufficient to get us through so that we don't make career choices based on our fears (which was what the OP was appearing to do). 

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John Stokdyk, AccountingWEB head of insight
By John Stokdyk
15th Jul 2011 10:06

LOL x2

"Far better to build your life around avoidance"

That's the kind of advice you'd expect from an accountant! Have you considered a career in tax?

But seriously, I'm with Steve and most of the others who advocate confronting your demons and doing a bit of training. Presenting is an easily acquired skill that improves with practice, and I'm guessing that what you call introversion comes over here as more a fear of the unknown.

You do need to be able to communicate to be an effective accountant and once you are aware of the mechanics, there on only a few minor differences between doing it for one person, a group of 4-5 , or 20+.

That's enough of my pontificating. If you've got a bit of spare time, try researching the subject a little more in these articles on the site:

Top tips for perfect presentationsBody language: How to hide presentation nervesPowerPoint presentation tips from the experts

You'll find all of these and more on our Soft Skills index page - good luck with your career, whatever route you decide to take.

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Replying to cfield:
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By cuiknox
01st Jul 2013 15:23

good info

Good information. Thank you John.

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By lindaluvdup
15th Jul 2011 11:43

Hi Benj

I, too, agree with Steve and those that say you should give it a bash.

I'm a shy person, working in accounts since I was 18, sat exams late at 34 and have worked in both practice and commerce - I'm now the company accountant for a small local firm.

I don't know anyone holding the title of Accountant that hasn't had to present a report or explain the accounts/express their views in front of at least a couple of people - it's necessary because you won't always be dealing with other accountants and non-accountants will appreciate the job you've done so much more if you present the results clearly and in a way that they can understand. Some people just can't or don't read accounts and pick out relevant points, they want/need some kind of spoken word.

All my life I would rather have all my teeth pulled out without anaesthetic than give a proper presentation, so I've avoided them as much as possible. Those odd occasions I couldn't avoid I rushed through, shaking like a leaf whilst loosing every last shred of intelligence and humour! I wish I had done some training, or joined the Toastmasters, as I think (although I'm very happy with my life and salary now) it would have helped to make me a happier and more confident person throughout my life and I maybe could have made more of it with less stress.

I think it's healthy to for us to confront our fears (in as safe a way as possible) and overcome them, I think it's life enhancing and helps us to make the most of our lives. If I had my time again, I'd get some training and experience to the point that I'd at least know I could cope in a relatively calm manner, then I give it a bash - if it really was still like my (almost) worst nightmare, THEN I'd do my best to find roles in which I could avoid the subject altogether! It sounds to me like you're young enough for it to be worth your giving all things your very best shot and seeing where it takes you.

You'll be too young to remember Tommy Steele - in my opinion, a brilliant cockney actor/singer and all-round lovable bloke - he looked like he was having a ball on stage but you'd find him throwing up in a bucket before performances as he was terrified...and he was a success! Lots of people blag it, you don't have to actually be that confident to actually appear confident, there are lots of tricks etc to learn and the more you practice the better you become until you believe it yourself - then it actually becomes true.

I'm old and experienced enough to be able to cope with small gatherings, now, but can assure you I'll never be standing boldly on a stage anywhere!

-- Lin

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By Ermintrude
15th Jul 2011 17:39

Mumpin - I agree totally

You are spot on, in my opinion.

I have had to give presentations in the past - and they've gone really well, thanks to the beta-blockers.  But now I don't have to do them, and I couldn't be arsed anyway - unless there was good money involved - in which case I'd pill-up.

Benj18 - you are bound to have to present at some time.  Your nervousness will probably be connected to the fear of showing your nervousness in front of people, rather than your ability to deal with the technical.  Just knowing your body won't let you down (because of the pills) means you can relax and concentrate and deliver the technical.

 

 

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By murphy1
15th Jul 2011 19:22

@benj18

I think YES is the answer...

unless you have never had a job interview in your life. There, you are presenting yourself, which I beleive is a much harder thing.

Believe in yourself, know your subject inside out, and the rest will take care of itself! You might stumble, or need to take a few minutes out...nobody will care, so long as you provide them with the information that they need.

Good luck!

Murphy

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By brent
17th Jul 2011 22:54

presentations

I hate them.

I specialise in being "behind the camera, stage whatever"

However, nerves aside having seen 1000's of performances and presentations over the years, the key is actually just getting over your nerves / fear.

My presentation "skills" have come not from training, rather being dropped in it without warning.

In the end, if you know your topic, talk on what you know. Don't try and do anything in front of a large group you would not do in front of friends.

And remember as you start - the people in front of you for whatever reason (coercion still counts) want to hear what you have to say about your specialist topic, so stick to it, and get it over with.

As a starting point be honest - "I am nervous standing in front of you all, I apologise now for the mistakes I will make - I am a specialist in <insert your skill here> not in presentations" - your audience warned, you are on your way, and thye have a low expectation on your delivery aside from your topic knowledge.

Things like toastmasters will help, because they give you  a chance to practice wher it doesn't count

As an example of being dropped in it - I have been asked to go and setup something at a display, the organiser came and asked me to come into the next room - there I was introduced and asked to explain to the assembled board what I had setup in the next room that I was about to demonstrate to them in 10 minutes! I was prepared for neither - but I did know what I was doing, so said "Hi, I was not told about this little session, so please bare with me while I explain what we do, I would be very happy to answer question while I demonstrate the system..."

I nearly killed my boss on return.

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