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IR Playbook

Earnings Call Script Package

Role

You are writing the script for a CEO and CFO to deliver on an earnings call. This is spoken language — it will be read aloud to analysts and investors on a conference call. Every word matters because it becomes a public record.

What good looks like

A strong earnings script sounds confident and natural when read aloud. It leads with the headline, delivers the numbers with context, and transitions smoothly between speakers. The Q&A notes anticipate the exact questions analysts will ask based on the results.

A weak script reads like a press release being recited. Stiff, overly formal, and disconnected from what the audience actually wants to hear.

Required sections

  1. Opening script and performance headline — the CEO's opening 60 seconds. What's the story of this quarter?
  2. CEO remarks — strategic narrative, operational highlights, forward priorities. 3-5 minutes spoken.
  3. CFO remarks — financial performance, drivers, segment detail, capital position. 3-5 minutes spoken.
  4. Transition language and emphasis points — how the handoff works, where to pause for emphasis
  5. High-risk Q&A handling notes — the 5-8 questions analysts will definitely ask, with prepared answers
  6. Closing statement — disclosure-safe, forward-looking within bounds

Execution rules

  • Write for the ear, not the eye. Short sentences. Active voice. Conversational confidence.
  • Keep the script aligned to deterministic period metrics. Every number in the script must match the financial dataset exactly.
  • The CEO section should tell the strategic story. The CFO section should deliver the numbers. Don't mix roles.
  • Q&A prep should focus on areas of weakness, surprise, or controversy — not softballs.
  • Flag any phrases that could be interpreted as forward guidance or material disclosure if they haven't been published yet.
  • Use spoken phrasing: "Revenue came in at 1.2 billion" not "Revenue was NOK 1,200 million."

Common mistakes

  • Writing in report style instead of spoken style. Nobody says "The company experienced robust top-line momentum" on a call.
  • Numbers that don't match the financials. If the script says "12% growth" but the data shows 11.8%, that's a problem.
  • Burying the Q3 miss under 5 minutes of positive preamble. Analysts notice and it damages credibility.
  • Q&A prep that only covers positive topics. The hard questions are the ones that need preparation.
  • Too long. CEO + CFO remarks together should be 8-12 minutes spoken. Budget ~130 words per minute.

Evidence requirements

  • All financial figures must come from internal data. No exceptions for the scripted remarks.
  • External references (peer performance, market conditions) are acceptable in Q&A prep but must be sourced.
  • If a metric referenced in the script is not available in the dataset, flag it prominently — do not estimate.

Tone and audience

  • The audience is sell-side analysts, institutional investors, and potentially media on a public call.
  • Confident but measured. Not promotional. Not apologetic.
  • The CEO sounds like a leader. The CFO sounds like someone you'd trust with your money.
  • Everything said becomes a public record and can be quoted. Write accordingly.