It is predicted that the demand for data analysts will grow by 25% between 2020 and 2030. As more information is easily available, businesses understand the importance of data analysts and how beneficial it is for the success of a business. Data analysts not only need technical skills, but they also need to be effective communicators who are excellent at sharing findings with business stakeholders.
Data analysts collect and organize data to solve problems and answer questions for businesses. More often than not, data analysts are communicating their findings with individuals who may not have a technical background in complex analysis. Communicating these findings is pivotal for a non-technical audience that must interpret the data to drive business decisions. In addition, different team members need the information delivered disparate.
In this article, you’ll learn the five effective communication techniques that help data analysts leverage their findings and successfully communicate them with stakeholders.
1. Storytelling
With endless dashboards, spreadsheets and charts, data analysts can engage stakeholders with a compelling storytelling that thoroughly explains the findings. Storytelling takes data into another dimension, allowing business leaders to understand data in a new perspective. It removes all the noise and focuses on the key insights.
2. Data Visualization
As human brains process visuals 60,000 times faster than text, data visualization is a critical skill for data analysts. Data visualization helps individuals interpret the data visually, allowing them to quickly absorb the insights and drive business decisions. Additionally, it adds a compelling narrative to business leaders to get a better understanding of the data presented.
3. Critical Thinking
Identifying different trends, patterns and asking the right questions is vital for data analysts. Critical thinking, although it is not a direct data skill, is one of the most sought-after skills for data analysts. Data analysts are able to objectively analyze business problems and evaluate them from all angles.
4. Present Data for Impact
Data analysts work with masses of data that must be shared in a simplistic way for business stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to keep the audience in mind when presenting data in a compelling way that thoroughly explains the findings. Creating visuals from reports and data analytics will facilitate the understanding of the presentation.
5. Clarity and Concision
Oftentimes, data analysts are communicating their findings with non-technical team members and business leaders. When presenting data, it is critical to be clear and concise. The most important objective is to quickly lay out the findings, but not overwhelm stakeholders with information they may not need.
Data analysts collect, clean and interpret masses of data for businesses worldwide. The need for business stakeholders to understand the data available to drive business decisions is critical. The different communication techniques we listed above will help data analysts work with team members and present the findings in a concise form.
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