Lessons from a Data Storyteller
By Ellyn Steidl
As a quantitative consultant I spend a lot of time sorting through findings and deciding which are worth communicating to clients based on their needs and goals. I consider this process to be a type of storytelling. I begin with a question or need a client is facing, I describe what the data says about it and then explain why the findings support (or fail to support) particular courses of action.
I recently read “Storytelling with Data,” by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic who is an expert in data visualizations and communication and teaches how to effectively communicate data to others. While I sought out the book because of its relevance as a marketing research professional, I discovered the guiding principles she introduces are widely applicable for anyone wanting to improve their communication.
With that in mind here are some insights you may find useful in your business interactions:
Knaflic emphasizes the importance of considering context when by considering the Who, What, and How when communicating to set you up for success.
“Who” describes your audience. At W5 the audience for our research is always clients (sometimes an additional end-client), but Knaflic prompted me to think more closely about our stakeholders. For example, when I consider the audience I’m communicating with, can I narrow it down further to understand where the client’s team sits within the organization? Who is the decision maker? Does the client (or end-client) have prior experience conducting or interpreting insights? It is also important for business professionals to consider their own relationship to the audience. Depending on the existing relationship or credibility factors, this will impact what and how you plan your communications.
The second component is deciding “What” you hope to communicate. Knaflic stresses having a particular action in mind, that is, “what do you need your audience to know or do?” As a data analyst it’s tempting to skip this step and assume the data speaks for itself. I have made the mistake of assuming it is enough to have “interesting” findings or presume an audience will draw the same conclusions without explicitly stating them. These assumptions are risky and can set your communication up for failure. It is better to think through the intended action you want your audience to have or take because of what you say.
Excerpt from Storytelling with Data: A Data Visualization Guide for Business Professionals by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic. Copyright © 2015. Published by Wiley. Used with permission.
If you’re feeling unsure of what types of actions you might want your audience to consider, Knaflic includes a sidebar on helpful action words/prompts business professionals can consider (featured in image).
After you consider which actions you intend your audience to take, it is helpful to consider both the mechanism of your communication as well as your tone. Whether preparing a live presentation or delivering a report via email, this may shape the content you plan to include.
You might also need to consider the format of your deliverable. Here at W5 we recognize how powerful selecting the right tool for communicating research findings can be. Check out our approach to Design Driven Deliverables if you need creative ways to enhance your audience’s engagement with research insights.
Once you know who you are communicating with and what the desired outcome is, then you can determine how to make your case and the story you want to tell. As Knaflic puts it, “what data is available that will help make my point?”
She describes several helpful exercises one can use to plan content. For example, try narrowing down what you want to say into both a “3-minute story” and one “Big Idea.” The 3-minute story exercise requires selecting only the most pertinent findings and describing why they matter in—you guessed it—three minutes, similar to the “Elevator Pitch,”―telling your story in the amount of time it takes to ride an elevator. For non-research professionals, the “Big Idea” exercise may be more helpful: simply convey your main idea using a single sentence. Taking time to be concise about the “so what?” makes it easier to decide on the essential components of the story or points you want to make.
Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic provides an invaluable guide on the importance of context when communicating with others. Paying attention to your audience, goals, and main ideas ahead of important conversation sets it up to be a more productive and effective exchange. And while I plan to leverage the “Who, What, and How” framework as a quantitative consultant, I think the framework is just as beneficial for non-research professionals too.
What about you? How have you seen context shape your business communications? Share more in the comments below!