Making Numbers Talk: How to Get Non-Financial People to Actually Listen
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Most people do not think in statements, ratios, or IFRS paragraphs. They think in plans, people, and paydays. If we want our advice to land, we must translate numbers into clear actions that help a business grow, save cash, and avoid trouble. Clear financial communication helps owners make better decisions and builds trust between finance and operations.
This article gives you a simple playbook you can use right away. It shows how to present financial information so that clients, managers, or boards listen, remember, and act.
Always add context before content
A number without context is just noise. Do not say, “Profit is R2.4 million.” Say, “Profit improved 15 percent because diesel costs fell and collections improved.” Then add what happens next: “We will use the savings to clear supplier arrears and secure discount terms.”
Always answer three questions:
What happened?
Why did it happen?
What will we do next?
Turn ratios into stories people can feel
Ratios are relationships. Make them human.
Current ratio 2 to 1: “We have two rand in short-term assets for every rand we owe. That means we can pay our bills comfortably.”
Debt to equity 80 percent: “For every rand the owners put in, we borrowed 80 cents. The business is using debt to grow, but it is still manageable.”
Debtor days 52: “Clients take 52 days to pay. If we bring it down to 40 days, we will free up nearly a million rand in cash.”
Always link a ratio to a decision. “If we shorten debtor days, we can stop using the overdraft.”
Explain profit and cash with a timing story
Many people think profit equals cash. Use a simple timeline:
March: invoice R500 000
April: customers pay R500 000
May: you pay suppliers
Profit shows in March, cash arrives in April, the bank balance moves in May.
Profit is the score. Cash is the fuel.
Make the balance sheet real with a home analogy
The balance sheet shows what the business owns, owes, and is worth. Use a home example:
Assets: what we own and use to earn money.
Liabilities: what we owe to others.
Equity: the part that truly belongs to us after debts are paid.
Example: “We hold R12 million in productive assets, funded R5 million by loans and R7 million by owners’ capital. That is a stable base for growth.”
Keep the income statement simple
Show the three main layers:
Revenue
Costs
Profit
Group lines so people do not drown in detail:
Sales
Cost of goods or services
Operating costs
Finance costs
Tax
Then give meaning: “Sales grew 10 percent, but fuel costs rose faster, so our margin fell slightly. The fix is better route planning and fuel management.”
Demystify the cash flow statement with three buckets
There are only three types of cash flow:
Operating: the daily business activity.
Investing: buying or selling assets.
Financing: loans, repayments, or dividends.
Use one line: “Cash flow shows where the money came from and where it went.”
Example: “We generated R1.2 million from operations, bought a bakkie for R350 000, and repaid R300 000 on the loan. Cash increased by R550 000.”
Show how the three statements connect
Use arrows to show flow.
Income statement profit increases equity on the balance sheet.
Balance sheet changes explain movements in cash flow.
Example: “Higher sales grew debtors by R700 000, which reduced cash even though profit increased. The action is to tighten credit control.”
Use days and rands, not only percentages
People think in time and money.
Replace “inventory turnover improved by 0.6 times” with “stock moves 12 days faster, freeing R400 000 in cash.”
Replace “margin improved by 1.5 percent” with “we now keep R3 more on every R200 sale.”
Numbers mean more when they touch real outcomes.
Present one page that people remember
Build a single summary that answers four questions:
What changed?
Why did it change?
What risk do we face?
What will we do next?
Use three to five key indicators with simple traffic lights: green for good, amber for watch, red for act.
Add one action per line. “Debtor days 52, red. Action: contact top 10 debtors and offer early payment discounts.”
Turn insights into professional value
Good communication is a service worth paying for. Accountants can help clients by offering:
Cash improvement plans that pull in money faster.
Board pack redesigns that summarise key information on one page.
Working capital reviews that show where cash is tied up.
When clients understand their numbers, they make faster and better decisions. That is how accountants move from report providers to trusted business partners.
Use questions to build ownership
Turn presentations into conversations with these prompts:
What result matters most to you this quarter?
What do these numbers say about that goal?
What can we do to improve it?
What decision can we take today?
When people speak, they take responsibility. That is when the numbers begin to work for them.
Avoid the habits that lose attention
Reading slides word for word
Using unexplained acronyms
Showing too many charts
Giving no clear action
Keep slides clean. Use simple colours, large fonts, and clear messages. People will thank you for being easy to follow.
The bottom line
You do not need fancy language to make financial information land. You need clarity, relevance, and direction. Speak in days and rands. Always link a number to a choice or action.
When you make numbers talk, you help businesses grow and people succeed. That is what professional accounting is really about — not just counting value, but creating it.
Join CIBA here for a CPD on Making Numbers Talk: How to Get Non-Financial People to Actually Listen
🎯 Making Numbers Talk: How to Get Non-Financial People to Actually Listen
🗓️ 7 November 2025 | 14:00 | 1-hour Live Event
📍 Free for Channel 2 subscribers | R230 (VAT incl.) for others
Ever tried explaining cash flow to someone who only hears “blah blah balance sheet”?
This session is for anyone who’s tired of watching eyes glaze over when financials hit the table. You’ll learn how to:
✅ Turn financial reports into stories people actually understand
✅ Use visuals, tone, and language that capture attention
✅ Explain the why behind the numbers to build trust and buy-in
✅ Communicate confidently with clients, boards, and colleagues
Forget jargon. Forget endless spreadsheets. Let’s make numbers speak a language everyone understands.
🎙️ Presented by Leana van der Merwe, CIBA Technical Manager and thought leader in governance and financial communication.
🔗 Register here now
