Calculations and Communications

February 19, 2024

They say it’s all about the numbers, and in 2023 they did dominate headlines. Interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, inflation on the move, and higher borrowing costs are the big financial stories that have been thrown your way. Toss in the increased prices for consumer goods and the need to keep financial institutions’ liquidity strong, and you’ve got a lot to talk about.

But to tell the full story, you need to dig deeper than the calculated numbers. This is where communication comes into play.

As a financial professional, you are good with data and numbers, but how well can you relay the story of what these mean to your stakeholders? Facts and figures can be standouts in a story, but the narrative and context that surround those data need to be clear and – with recipients’ high expectations – engaging so they walk away feeling informed.

With your 2024 goals set and ready, weaving in effective communication is crucial to your success moving forward.

Internal Communications: Always First in Line

Employees are a company’s most valuable assets and can serve as great ambassadors of your business story. Frequent and engaging communication begins with this important internal audience – and thankfully, there are many avenues to communicate with employees, including newsletters, video messages, town halls and more. If they are informed and passionate about your company, they are the best voices to help carry your message. Communicate with them first.

Thought Leadership: Take it From the Top

In your role within the financial sector, you can establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry, for your employees, and for your valued customers by focusing on your communication skills and messaging tools that relay your story. A commitment to sharing both the calculations and the communications sets the foundation for your personal brand. From stakeholder or media communication training to guest essays in local business publications to industry panel presentations, focusing on your communication skills will help support the net impression your stakeholder audiences have of you.

Financial Customers: More Than Just the Numbers

If your customers cannot understand it, then they won’t engage. Information context and clarity are keys to building great customer relationships. Doing the work now to build a strong, strategic communications strategy will ensure that your storytelling makes the facts and figures come alive and creates a foundation to share both the good and – occasionally – the bad. Make interactions with your customer base a priority as you focus on both the calculations and communications.

 

Blog by Colleen Scholer. As featured in the Corridor Business Journal and Quad Cities Regional  Business Journal.