Pro tips for productive budget meetings

Budget meetings are necessary for leaders to align their organization around financial goals. But, let’s be real — they can be a slog. So, here are some easy tips to transform what is often a dry presentation of numbers into an engaging, productive discussion.

Spotlight Metrics That Matter

Every budget contains volumes of granular data. But what truly matters are the key performance indicators and metrics that drive top and bottom-line strategic outcomes, financial performance, growth, and returns.

Specifically, call attention to metrics that directly affect the most important strategic and financial outcomes. Some of these vital KPIs include:

• Revenue growth
• Gross margin
• Operating expenses
• EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization)
• Capital expenditures (Capex)
• Working capital

Focusing on the most crucial budget metrics steers discussions toward the essential line items, assumptions, drivers, and levers, while mitigating potential distraction.

Connect the Dots to Real-world Business Impact 

Presenting key budget metrics is important, but clarifying what the data means for the organization can go a long way towards employee understanding.

Don’t just share revenue projections, expense assumptions, and other budget numbers on their own — actively connect the dots to real-world business impact.

Illustrate how revenue growth shapes strategic plans, how gross margins provide flexibility, and how operating expenses impact efficiency. Connecting top-level budget numbers to tangible outcomes fosters more informed discussions about plans, trade-offs, and strategic priorities — beyond just the finance department.

Use Visuals and Storytelling to Bring Budgets to Life

Simple and intuitive visuals can go a long way in clarifying complex concepts and interdependencies hidden within budget figures and assumptions.

Plus, visuals give meeting attendees a convenient reference for later and help them retain an overwhelming amount of information more easily.

A picture is quite literally worth a thousand rows in a spreadsheet.

For more recommendations on facilitating vibrant, meaningful strategy conversations, download Data, Demonstrations and Discussions: A Comprehensive Guide to Productive Budget Meetings.

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Sarah Murphy

Sarah is a Content Manager for Mesh Payments. Before working in marketing, she completed her Master of Journalism degree at Toronto Metropolitan University (f.k.a. Ryerson University) and worked as an arts journalist in Toronto. She was a content writer for tech companies in the retail and workforce management sectors before joining Mesh in 2022.