Getting Your Earnings Presentation Right

If you’re in the middle of earnings prep, this one’s for you. Many IR teams will be building or finalizing their decks in the coming days, and it’s a good time to step back and make sure your presentation tells the right story.

An earnings presentation is your chance to tell investors why the quarter looked the way it did and what comes next. The best ones tell a story with numbers, not just a numbers story.

After reviewing hundreds of earnings decks, we’ve noticed a few common patterns:

  • Many decks focus on the numbers instead of explaining what drove them.
  • Some skip the story behind the results, leaving analysts to connect the dots.
  • Few include what’s happening across the business beyond the numbers.
  • And even fewer highlight strategic updates that show long-term progress and how leadership is driving the company forward.

A clear and consistent structure can make all the difference. Based on our work with many public companies, here’s a simple outline we’ve found works for most earnings deck.

Think of it as the table of contents for your presentation: four key sections that’ll help you tell your earnings “story” well. Each section might have one slide or a few, depending on your story and the level of detail you want to share.

Consider this a strong starting point. You can adapt it to your company’s priorities and your leadership’s style, since every CEO and CFO has their own way of telling the story.

1. Start with the Quarterly Highlights

Open with the big picture. Your first slide should summarize the most important outcomes of the quarter, i.e. what happened and why it matters.

Think of this as your executive summary. Investors should be able to grasp your key themes even if they only look at this slide.

Real example – here is an effective way to show your co’s quarterly highlights

A strong quarterly highlights slide generally includes:

  • 1-2 key business updates (new launches, customer wins, M&A)
  • Total company revenue and EBITDA performance
  • Other important numbers your audience cares for (orders, cash flow, leverage)
  • Outlook for the rest of the financial year (if your company provides guidance)

This slide also sets the flow for the rest of your deck. The sections that follow: business updates, financials, and guidance, expand on the key themes you share here.

Think of it as the one-pager for your quarter. If someone asks, “How was your quarter?” this slide should answer it clearly.

2. Share Strategic and Business Updates

Numbers reflect what has already happened. Use this section to show what’s happening inside the business and how it connects to your longer-term strategy. This is what the CEO and his leadership team are driving. 

Include:

  • Strategic updates or milestones (e.g., progress against Investor Day goals or long-term initiatives)
  • Major business updates like M&A, product launches, customer wins, cost initiatives, etc.

Limit this to a few slides that show meaningful progress. The goal is to highlight momentum, not activity.

Real examples: Business updates showing M&A news, key launches and customer wins

3. Dive into the Financials

Now move to the financials. This is the section your audience expects, but it’s also where clarity often gets lost. Don’t just show the numbers, provide necessary color. 

Highlight why results improved or declined, and write slide headlines that make your message unmistakable. For example:

“Top-line growth offsets margin headwinds” is more effective than simply labeling a slide Q3 Key Financials. 

Your financial section might include:

  • Consolidated results (revenue, EBITDA, and commentary)

  • Segment performance (revenue, EBITDA with color)

  • Key balance sheet and cash flow metrics

  • Industry-specific KPIs that provide additional context (investors care about your operational / leading-indicator metrics)

Most companies can tell their financial story in 3–6 slides. Aim to focus on clarity over coverage.

Real examples: Financial updates showing total company P&L, segment financials, and key cash flow and balance sheet metrics

4. End with Guidance

Close by sharing your outlook for the rest of the year. Clearly state whether you’re reaffirming, raising, or adjusting your guidance, and add brief context for why.

Almost every company provides guidance, but a short explanation of the underlying drivers helps your audience understand the confidence behind your outlook.

Real examples of guidance slides

Bringing It All Together

When done right, your earnings deck tells a complete story: what happened, why it happened, and what’s next.

This four-part structure helps you keep the narrative clear, focused, and repeatable, quarter after quarter. It keeps investors anchored on what matters most and shows leadership in control of the story.

Useful Resources

Ready to sharpen your next earnings presentation?

  1. See the framework in action with this real-world example
  2. Apply the Earnings Presentation Framework to elevate your story and tighten your messaging.
  3. Explore the Earnings Presentation System for a reusable slide library that simplifies quarterly updates.

Learn more about OUTKREATE’s Investor Relations Solutions

We help Investor Relations teams to ELEVATE presentations for any occasion – be it your Investor Day, General Overview, Quarterly Earnings, Investor Conferences, ESG Updates.

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