How to Get Stakeholders Hooked on Your Finance Updates

Alan Cameron-Sweeney

Have you ever gone down a rabbit hole of binging YouTube videos?

We all have.

But here's what's fascinating: It's not an accident—it's called retention editing.

And it holds the secret to making your stakeholders pay attention to your finance presentations.

Hook, Line, and Sinker

The start of a YouTube video is critical.

The video needs to keep you engaged for the first 30 seconds if it has any hope of you watching the whole thing.

You’ll recognise some of these tactics:

  • “I’m going to tell you five reasons you should...”
  • “You won’t believe what happened when I...”
  • “Watch until the end for a bonus tip on...”

Behind-the-Scenes Example

I have a YouTube channel.

YouTube shows you a retention graph for each video.

Here is the graph for a video I designed with retention in mind:

You can see that after 30 seconds, 86% of the audience is still watching. This is fantastic, as the goal is typically about 66%.

Even better, 66% of people stay engaged until they know the video is ending, at which point they click away.

Not Designed for Retention

I did some live business partnering workshops from my studio and recorded them.

I decided to upload some of the content to YouTube.

Obviously, these were not designed for YouTube retention. Doing a live workshop means you have a captive audience, which is very different from online content.

The initial retention was poor compared to the other video example—it dropped below 66% after 30 seconds and continued to decline quickly.

You can see that after 30 seconds, 86% of the audience is still watching. This is fantastic, as the goal is typically about 66%.

Even better, 66% of people stay engaged until they know the video is ending, at which point they click away.

Not Designed for Retention

I did some live business partnering workshops from my studio and recorded them.

I decided to upload some of the content to YouTube.

Obviously, these were not designed for YouTube retention. Doing a live workshop means you have a captive audience, which is very different from online content.

The initial retention was poor compared to the other video example—it dropped below 66% after 30 seconds and continued to decline quickly.

You can see that after 30 seconds, 86% of the audience is still watching. This is fantastic, as the goal is typically about 66%.

Even better, 66% of people stay engaged until they know the video is ending, at which point they click away.

Not Designed for Retention

I did some live business partnering workshops from my studio and recorded them.

I decided to upload some of the content to YouTube.

Obviously, these were not designed for YouTube retention. Doing a live workshop means you have a captive audience, which is very different from online content.

The initial retention was poor compared to the other video example—it dropped below 66% after 30 seconds and continued to decline quickly.

  1. The first big drop is at the mention of EBITDA.
  2. The next usual suspect is the big table of numbers.
  3. Revenue breakdowns and further details switch people off even more.
  4. If you still have their attention, a buzzword might finish them off—just say “synergy.”

How to Use This Structure

So, what can finance teams learn from YouTube retention design?

No, I don’t mean starting your finance presentation with: “Here are five things you won’t believe happened in last month’s management reports.” (Oddly, as a one-time gimmick, it might get people’s attention.)

I love a good visual, so here’s a mapping of how to design a YouTube video in sections:

It starts with the hook—that all-important first 30 seconds—then breaks down into individual tips or key points.

You can apply the same approach to a finance presentation.

For my board finance updates, I make decisions-focused presentations. I talked about this in a previous article.

I start by explaining what input I want from the board members—this makes them pay attention because they know I want their thoughts, advice, and answers.

Then, I structure my sections around specific topics and actively seek their input.

This keeps them engaged. It’s not a one-way street; it’s a conversation.

It’s much better than reading out a table of numbers.

By designing my presentation this way, my retention rate stays high after the opening.

Next time you’re preparing a financial update, start by writing down your 30-second hook.

What situation do you need their input on? How can you frame the update so that your stakeholders lean in?

Alan “Retention” Cameron-Sweeney

PS: Happy New Year!

PPS: Over the coming weeks and months, I’ll be sharing tips on how you can use AI to help influence more decisions in less time.

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