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Communication and presentation skills

A range of articles, reports, eBooks and guides to help you successfully develop your communication and presentation skills.
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Latest on communication and presentation skills

Read our latest features and articles on communication and presentation skills.
Access resources to help you meet ICAEW CPD requirements
Free CPD: essential skills for people managers
  • Article
  • 07 Jun 2024
People skills, such as the communication, empathy, flexibility and active listening, are essential for line managers wishing to lead happy, productive teams. Brush up on your soft skills with these free Continuous Professional Development (CPD) resources.
Access resources to help you meet ICAEW CPD requirements
Free CPD: communication and influencing skills
  • Article
  • 22 May 2024
A recent survey revealed that nine out of 10 global executives believe soft skills to be more important than ever, with communication topping the list of sought-after skills for 2024. Use your Continued Professional Development (CPD) hours to build your communication confidence.
Access resources to help you meet ICAEW CPD requirements
Free CPD: soft skills for leaders
  • Article
  • 30 Apr 2024
If you’re in a leadership role, an aspiring CFO, or even a CFO looking to become CEO, having strong people skills is a top priority. ICAEW has a range of resources to boost your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) hours while raising your EQ.
Male wearing headphones working on his laptop
How to have difficult conversations with clients
  • Article
  • 30 Apr 2024
Awkward or challenging discussions with clients are never moments that accountants look forward to – but there are ways to make these tricky chats proactive and productive.
A great communicator makes for a successful CFO
  • Article
  • 18 Apr 2024
Kelly Smith is CFO, Kantar Insights UK & Republic of Ireland, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading market research companies. Smith talks about why good communication is key to good leadership, worrying about climate change, and challenges her peers to find ways to maintain engagement in a world of hybrid working.
How to tell a good ESG story
  • Article
  • 30 May 2023
Effective communication of ESG progress is an increasingly vital part of companies’ efforts to secure investment. Experts discuss the hallmarks of a robust narrative.
Chartered Accountants’ Golfing Society celebrates 125th anniversary
  • Article
  • 04 May 2023
CAGS seeks new joiners to increase diversity and enjoy the networking and mental health benefits of the sport.
How to maximise your virtual impact
  • Article
  • 24 Aug 2022
Virtual meetings are here to stay, but this can be a more challenging environment in which to communicate and connect.
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Reports

Exclusive SR72 The aspiring CFO
  • Report
  • 2021
  • PDF (1,950kb)
A practical, realistic, hands-on and immense learning opportunity of all you need to know to become the CFO
Preparing smarter business plans
  • Report
  • 2020
The ICAEW Business and Management Faculty shares hints and tips for businesses writing a business plan at a time when many businesses are applying for finance to help them through the pandemic.
Exclusive Special Report 65 - Smart Reporting
  • Report
  • 2019
  • PDF (1,597kb)
This special report will be a handy go-to guide – we take you through the latest techniques and thinking behind the new smart world with which CFOs, and aspiring CFOs, must contend.
Exclusive Special Report 64: Managing People
  • Report
  • 2019
  • PDF (1,487kb)
Managing people is one of the most important skills needed to successfully navigate your way to the top of the corporate ladder. This report provides practical tips and advice on topics such as team management, dealing with difficult people and the effect of technology on recruitment.
Exclusive Special report 60: Communication skills
  • Report
  • 2018
  • PDF (2,459kb)
This report seeks to assist with some of the more pertinent reporting needs for busy finance executives at all levels.
Exclusive Special Report 56: Soft skills that FDs need
  • Report
  • 2017
  • PDF (5,953kb)
A special report looking at the soft skills that FDs need to succeed
Exclusive Special Report 49: Skills and Productivity
  • Report
  • 2015
  • PDF (2,470kb)
This report provides the background and some explanations of the issues surrounding UK productivity including articles by leading think tanks and economists exploring the background and possible reasons for the UK's relatively poor performance.
Exclusive Special Report 47: Smarter business planning
  • Report
  • 2014
  • PDF (1,467kb)
Creating a written business plan offers the opportunity for an enterprise to clarify and understand it's objectives before exposing them to a wider group. This report will help to draw up your plans and offer some ideas which you haven't considered.

Webinars

Exclusive Networking positively and confidently
  • Webinar
  • 10 Oct 2024
In this on-demand webinar, networking expert Joanna Gaudoin gives you the tools to develop a networking strategy and plan, and the skills to navigate a room effectively.
Exclusive Presenting for the 2020s with PowerPoint and AI apps
  • Webinar
  • 25 Jul 2024
PowerPoint MVP & YouTuber David Benaim highlights his favourite features of PowerPoint, and showcases some game-changing AI tools for image manipulation.
Exclusive Strategic story telling
  • Webinar
  • 11 Jul 2024
Master the art of storytelling: engage, persuade, and influence with effective communication techniques.
Exclusive Using social media and LinkedIn effectively for business purposes
  • Webinar
  • 21 Nov 2023
Insights, tips and practical advice on how to use social media and LinkedIn to get what you want.
Exclusive Networking and building connections
  • Webinar
  • 15 Nov 2023
This on-demand webinar from the ICAEW Career Breakers community aims to empower participants to change the way that they perceive networking, encouraging them to practice and experiment with different approaches to building and creating connections.
Exclusive Positive personal impact for professional success
  • Webinar
  • 15 May 2023
ICAEW Small and Micro Business Community webinar looking at the importance of professional relationships, the psychology of personal image and impact and the three personal impact ‘tools’ which affect what people say about us when we’re not in the room.
How to enhance your online presentation skills
  • Webinar
  • 11 Sep 2020
Gain insight into virtual classroom learning, and identify how to revolutionise training delivery.
Simple techniques to improve communication
  • Webinar
  • 22 Jun 2020
Learn how to communicate clearly and get people on your side.
More webinars

Training courses

Our personal impact training courses cover topics including communication, commercial skills, strategic management skills and influence.
A-Z of CPD courses by topic As a global leader of the finance profession, ICAEW offers a comprehensive range of learning solutions for every stage of professional development, designed for finance teams and finance leaders.

eBooks

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides full text access to a selection of key business and reference eBooks from leading publishers. eBooks are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users. If you are unable to access an eBook, please see our Help and support advice or contact library@icaew.com.

Exclusive Narrative and numbers: The value of stories in business
  • eBook
  • 2017
  • Aswath Damodaran
  • Columbia University Press
This book describes how storytellers can better incorporate and narrate data, and how investors, CEOs and FDs can calculate more imaginative models that withstand scrutiny. It uses case studies from Uber, Twitter, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Vale to show the benefits, challenges and pitfalls of weaving narratives around numbers in the context of valuing business and making investments.
Exclusive Financial Times guide to management: how to be a manager who makes a difference and gets results
  • eBook
  • 2014
  • Anne Francke
  • FT Press
A guide to becoming an effective manager, full of practical tips and advice on to the everyday challenges of: Managing yourself; Developing communication skills and emotional intelligence; Managing others; Setting strategic direction; Managing change; Managing money, resources and technology.
Exclusive How to write a marketing plan
  • eBook
  • 2013
  • John Westwood
  • Kogan Page
Study guide for group marketing planning exercises.
Exclusive How to write reports and proposals
  • eBook
  • 2013
  • Patrick Forsyth
  • Kogan Page
A practical guide to writing persuasive business proposals.
Exclusive Better than bullet points
  • eBook
  • 2013
  • Jane Bozarth
  • Wiley
A guide to using Powerpoint to create engaging e-learning programmes.
Exclusive Strategic marketing planning for the small to medium-sized business: writing a marketing plan
  • eBook
  • 2012
  • David Anderson
  • Business Expert Press
A guide to marketing for SMEs.
Terms of use

You are permitted to access, download, copy, or print out content from eBooks for your own research or study only, subject to the terms of use set by our suppliers and any restrictions imposed by individual publishers. Please see individual supplier pages for full terms of use.

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Business press

The ICAEW Library & Information Service provides access to leading business, finance and management journals. These journals are available to logged-in ICAEW members, ACA students and other entitled users subject to suppliers' terms of use.
Exclusive Communicating effectively when you’re running on empty
  • Article
  • 06 Feb 2024
  • Amy Bernstein, Amy Gallo
An interview with leadership development coach Muriel Wilkins, who provides tips on how to communicate clearly, completely, and persuasively when you're not at your best.
Exclusive Six communication dos and don'ts for next-gen advisers
  • Article
  • 01 Dec 2023
  • Kristine McManus
Good communication is more than the way you speak - it's about making sure clients feel heard, says Kristine McManus. The article offers advice on client management for financial advisers, highlighting communication essentials such as setting expectations, clarifying value propositions and avoiding haphazard communication.
Exclusive Strategic storytelling: How to amplify your impact and drive better risk management discussions
  • Article
  • 01 Oct 2023
  • John P.Angkaw
The article underscores the transformation of risk professionals into trusted strategic business partners. As part of this shift, the author believes risk professionals need to expand their skillset to communicating complex information well to a diverse set of stakeholders. He outlines a strategic storytelling framework that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of any risk professional, detailing a range of potential engagement scenarios.
Exclusive How to shine at spontaneous speaking when put on the spot
  • Article
  • 01 Sep 2023
  • Matt Abrahams
Mastering the art of spontaneous speaking is important for leaders. Matt Abrahams suggests that anyone can become proficient at this using the right tactics and behaviours. He offers key strategies that include avoiding conventional leadership responses in favour of establishing genuine connections, and prioritizing brevity while delivering clear messages. He also highlights the need to speak authentically without the pressure to be perfect - which means daring to be dull.
Exclusive The power of storytelling in the finance function
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2023
  • Daniel Butcher
The CFOs of RGP and Paychex provide tips for finance professionals to improve their communication skills through storytelling. Start with analysis and interpretation to get an accurate view of the data, then weave an insightful financial narrative adapted to your audience. A storytelling sklll set can be used many ways - within presentations, meetings, reports or just everyday interactions.
Exclusive Defining your personal brand
  • Article
  • 01 Jun 2023
  • Donald W.Caudill, Philip J.Slater
Creating a personal brand that reflects your abilities, values, and ethics is no longer a nice-to-have for accounting and finance professionals. It’s essential, say the authors. Otherwise you could be missing out on opportunities for speaking engagements, press, and enhancing your career and personal life.
More articles

Articles and books in the ICAEW Library collection

The collection of the ICAEW Library & Information Service includes a range of articles, books and reports on communication and presentation skills. Use the links below to see what we have available to request in our Library catalogue (Libcat).
Clarity and impact: inform and impress with your reports and talks
  • Library book
  • 2016
  • J. Moon
  • Oberon Publishing
A practical guide to producing clear information and presenting it via a suitable medium. Covers writing, talks, and charts.
How to write a business plan
  • Library book
  • 2013
  • B. Finch
  • Kogan Page
Designed to lead you through writing your own business plan, including the structure, business background, proposal, financial information and using business plans for bidding.
Primal leadership: unleashing the power of emotional intelligence
  • Library book
  • 2013
  • D.Goleman
  • Harvard Business Review Press
This book "illustrates the power - and the necessity - of leadership that is self-aware, empathic, motivating and collaborative in a world that is ever more economically volatile and technologically complex." (Back cover).
Painting with numbers: presenting financials and other numbers so people will understand you
  • Library book
  • 2012
  • R.Bolten
  • John Wiley & Sons
This book covers what you need to know to present numbers so that people can understand them quickly and get the maximum meaning from them.

To find out how you can borrow books from the Library please see our guide to borrowing books.

You can obtain copies of articles or extracts of books and reports through our document supply service.

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The ICAEW Library can give you the right information from trustworthy, professional sources that aren't freely available online. Contact us for expert help with your enquiries and research.

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Some of the content on this web page was provided by the Chartered Accountants’ Trust for Education and Research, a registered charity, which owns the library and operates it for ICAEW.