The Power of Storytelling: Reflections on the CBV Challenge 2024

On November 6th, I had the pleasure of competing in the 2024 Business Valuation (BV) Challenge alongside my teammates Ish (AFM), Akshat (AFM) and Ansaar (Mathematics/CPA). This competition gave us the opportunity to apply our knowledge of finance and business development to a real-world case. However, we quickly realized that one of the biggest obstacles wasn’t solving the case itself – it was presenting our analysis in a way that resonated with the client.

While we were confident in the quality of our model, we understood that communicating this level of complexity in a 20-minute presentation would be near impossible. For us, the real challenge was simplifying our work without losing its essence.

Our Presentation

To ensure that our presentation was as effective as possible, we focused on 5 main principles:

Focus on Key Value Drivers

We focused on the components of the case that impacted our conclusion the most. By zeroing in on these drivers and the associated assumptions, we made sure that our audience understood the big picture of how our models worked.

Use High-Level Visuals

Rather than explaining every calculation in detail, we created custom, condensed tables and graphs that allowed the audience to easily follow along without getting lost.

Tie Analysis to Recommendation

Every point we shared reinforced the “why” behind our recommendation. We made sure that the audience always understood how the analysis informed our decision, clearly conveying the value our work added.

Incorporate Qualitative Factors

While quantitative metrics like internal rate of return or impliedfair market value were crucial, we recognized that clients appreciate qualitative issues as well. Therefore, we made sure to tie in factors such as market conditions, risks and opportunities and alignment with the firm’s strategy and long-term goals.

Adopt the Client’s Perspective

By adopting the decision-maker’s point of view, we presented ourselves as advisors – not just analysts. This allowed us to convey our findings so that they would translate to an actionable outcome.

Final Takeaway

The BV Challenge gave me a new appreciation for the practice of business valuations, emphasizing that technical analysis must be paired with strong communication. I believe that this experience has helped me to develop both my analytical and storytelling abilities and I am grateful to have tackled it with such a great team.