Barclays Results Presentation Is A Tough Read

Does an annual results presentation fill you with glee or absolute horror? Now we know that there's a whole slew of financial analysts, pension funds and stockbrokers for whom a results presentation is business as normal. But for everyone else such a presentation is a horror show. Just, to explain, let's consider the example of the Barclays results presentation for 2018.

Barclays announced their 2018 financial results this morning. Now, it's fair to say that they might well have disappointed the City. Because annual profits are flat to stable.

But that's not my beef. Because I'm pretty relaxed about their performance in terms of my pension and their position on the High Street. Both of which, of course, I welcome.

Death By PowerPoint

No, my beef is with the Barclays results presentation itself. Since it's an epic example of death by PowerPoint. Now, you know that we've looked at some real PowerPoint horrors in the past. Remember the WPP results presentation?

Well, the Barclays results presentation is in the same league. Because it's a financial results document that's simply been re-posted to a PowerPoint format. That's all the investor relations team at Barclays has done. And that's a pity. Since we can see that they prepared an excel spreadsheet, extensive speakers notes and also a glossary of terms. So, they had a lot more detail to share. And, of course, it's there for everyone who needs it.

So, what's the matter with this Barclays result presentation? Simply put, there's too much of it.

We sense that this Barclays results presentation will be consumed by a very select audience. And that might not include their own employees.

However, to be fair, we must commend the investor team on the use of colour and corporate style throughout the presentation. That's noticeable and it's noticeably Barclays. Also, the headings are readable, the footers are simple guides and the Barclays logo doesn't feature on every slide. Good work.

You can always discover plenty of presentation tips with our regular series of posts, podcasts and videos. And, with more than 100 tips from which to choose, there's something for every occasion. Plus, when you are ready to give your own presentation skills a much-needed boost, then why not aim for some training. Since a training session can grow both your confidence and skills. So, when the time is right, please don't hesitate to get in touch.