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Hello Reader 👋

The overwhelming majority (more than 75%) of the people are expected to share a recommendation during a presentation.

But what is a recommendation anyway?

I remember some exchanges with Anders Liu-Lindberg on demystifying what a recommendation was at the end of a presentation.

It's true that, said like that, it can scare a lot of people because you cannot find new ideas each week/month

Let's see together what we mean with recommendations in Finance.

So take a coffee, sit down and read FP&A Stories just like 23k other readers (yes, the cleanup took place)

This week in FP&A Stories

💬 Demystifying Recommendations in Finance Presentations

If you’re like most finance professionals, you’re expected to offer recommendations at the end of your presentations.

But let’s be honest, the word “recommendation” can feel daunting.

Are you supposed to come up with groundbreaking new ideas every month?

Not quite.

What Is a Recommendation Anyway?

A recommendation doesn’t have to be a brilliant, life-changing idea.

It just needs to follow a few simple guidelines:

✔ It should have a logical connection to your insights. Your recommendation should flow naturally from the data and analysis you’ve presented.

✔ It should be concrete and specific. Think along the lines of SMART goals—recommendations should be actionable and measurable.

✔ It should explain how it solves the issue. Your audience needs to understand the impact of your suggestion.

✔ It should be linked to your story. The recommendation should tie in with the narrative you’ve built throughout your presentation. Ideally, you introduce the need for it without saying it outright in the beginning.

Why I Prefer Presenting Options Over Recommendations

Now, we work with humans and while recommendations are great, I often lean toward presenting options rather than a single recommendation.

Here’s why.

People have egos, and rightly so.

Many leaders don’t want finance to make decisions for them.

They want to feel in control.

When you present options instead of a hard recommendation, you’re giving them a choice.

You’re saying, "Here’s what’s on the table; now you decide what’s best for your business."

This approach is powerful because it:

1. Respects Your Audience's Authority: You provide them with actionable insights, but leave the final decision in their hands.
2. Increases Buy-In: When people feel they’ve made the decision themselves, they’re more likely to commit to the action. It’s less about finance imposing a directive and more about empowering your audience to take informed steps forward.

What Could These Options Look Like?

The problem is that we're not all creatives. We cannot all find innovative ideas to solve an issue or save the company.

But don't stress, options can be easier than you'd think.

In finance, especially when presenting monthly results, your options could be simple, actionable steps that empower your audience without overwhelming them.

For example:

❗ Option 1: Adapt the forecast based on current trends.

❗ Option 2: Maintain the forecast as is but introduce a recurring follow-up for a specific product that isn't performing as expected.

❗ Option 3: Stay the course and continue the current plan if results are on track.

With options, you’re laying out the path forward without dictating which way they have to go.

It’s collaborative rather than prescriptive.

👀 Something's coming in the next weeks

It's been some time since I launched the Financial Storytelling Program and received some interesting feedback.

One recurring feedback was that many people learn better with a group and a live session.

So, I won't say more today but I will ask your help.

I'm looking at the coolest name possible for this course

Thanks for your help

Stay tuned,

That's a wrap for this week

See you next week!

PS: Whenever you're ready to develop your financial storytelling skills and become the visible face of finance, join the Financial Storytelling Program​