The Most Underrated Skill in Strategic Finance: Selling

With another month (and quarter, for some) just behind us, many finance teams have focused on closing the books, finalizing reports, and helping the business hit numbers.

But many strategic finance leaders we talk to say this is also a key moment to lean into another part of the role: Selling

Strategic finance is a constant act of selling. Influence is built into nearly every part of the job. Across the board, we hear examples like:

Selling the CEO on a shift in direction, grounded in forecast data
Selling the exec team on tradeoffs and longer-term bets
Selling budget owners on why their plan needs to adjust
Selling your own team on where things are headed and why it matters

This kind of selling isn’t about pressure. It’s about clarity, trust, and timing. It’s how finance leads conversations and aligns the organization around the path forward.

In order to sell effectively, high-impact leaders focus on building three capabilities:

1️⃣ BUSINESS FLUENCY

This means deeply understanding what drives growth, risk, and momentum. It allows finance to contribute meaningfully to every conversation.

2️⃣ COMPELLING NARRATIVES

The goal is to present data in ways that connect to real-world context. This helps stakeholders make confident, informed decisions.

3️⃣ STRONG RELATIONSHIPS

Building trust across teams ensures finance is involved early and often. It positions finance as a consistent partner and not a checkpoint.

End-of-month and quarter-end are naturally heads-down. But they’re also opportunities to step back, look across the business, and lead with insight.

Ready to take this a step further? This eBook on The Future of Strategic Finance outlines how to transition from day-to-day financial tasks to becoming a driver of business strategy.

👉 Explore The Future of Strategic Finance eBook

Storytelling is the backbone of effective selling

Selling in strategic finance is about translating numbers into narratives that help people see what's at stake, what's possible, and why it matters.

On The Diary of a CFO podcast, 3x CFO turned Cube CEO Christina Ross shares how finance leaders can elevate their influence by speaking the language of the business and making data more actionable through better storytelling. Listen as she dives into:

How finance maturity evolves across growth stages
Becoming a better storyteller in reporting
Why adaptability is the new competitive edge

Listen to the full episode for more insights

What did you think of this week's edition of The Finance Fix?

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We read every response. Thanks in advance for the feedback.

P.S. Navigating a strategic finance transition? We can help! Book a free consultation to diagnose where your team is now and how to plan for tomorrow.

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