{"id":9004111224888743,"date":"2023-09-05T08:05:52","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T08:05:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pragmaticinstitute.com\/resources\/?post_type=resources&p=9004111224888743"},"modified":"2024-02-05T18:11:14","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T18:11:14","slug":"10-ways-to-communicate-data-findings-effectively","status":"publish","type":"resources","link":"https:\/\/www.pragmaticinstitute.com\/resources\/articles\/data\/10-ways-to-communicate-data-findings-effectively\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Data Presentation Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a popular joke in data circles that you might have already heard: Data practitioners spend 80% of their time preparing data and 20% complaining about preparing data. The truth is, there\u2019s much more to being a data professional than this. Sure, you\u2019ll prepare data \u2014 and complain about it sometimes \u2014 but you\u2019ll also need to make data presentations to key stakeholders in your company. Remember, data doesn\u2019t mean much until you provide context and present it clearly.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, we\u2019re here to help. Here are 10 data presentation tips to effectively communicate with executives, senior managers, marketing managers, and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n

1. Choose a Communication Style<\/h2>\n

Every data professional has a different way of presenting data to their audience. Some people like to tell stories with data, illustrating solutions to existing and potential business problems. Others enjoy using personas to demonstrate how their data findings impact real people. And then some like to present data more conventionally and simply explain what different figures and statistics mean in a business context.<\/p>\n

Whatever style you choose, think about the words you will use and how you will present your information. You\u2019ll want to engage your audience as much as possible, even if your findings aren\u2019t particularly interesting.<\/p>\n

2. Break Down Complicated Information<\/h2>\n

Not everyone will comprehend data as well as you do. As a data practitioner, you\u2019ll understand the nuances of data, such as how different data sets correlate with each other and how outliers can impact analysis. However, most people lack knowledge of these concepts.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why you should simplify your data presentations and focus on key takeaways from your findings that stakeholders will understand. For example, instead of showing your audience a spreadsheet with lots of numbers, explain what those numbers\u00a0prove<\/em> and what they mean for the company you will work for.<\/p>\n

3. Choose the Right Data Visualizations<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sharing cold, hard data sets with people won\u2019t be very effective. Instead, use different data visualizations so your audience can understand the relationships between data sets and the context behind them. There are lots of\u00a0different visualizations<\/a>\u00a0that help you communicate important information:<\/p>\n