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Numbers alone rarely inspire action. But they can help us share better and more impactful narratives. So this article’s topic: how to tell stories data is an important.
And this goes back to when I was a rookie newspaper intern. An editor asked me: Are you using the trooper’s story to share the story behind the data? Yes, sir. I am. The human story backed up and strengthened by the underlying data.
“Insights often get lost because they’re not telling the story the right way,” said Brian Monschein, owner of Narrative Insights, on “The Business Storytelling Podcast.”
Think of it like making a movie. Behind every blockbuster film, countless people work on sound, direction, production and acting. But viewers don’t see that complex machinery – they see a polished story that moves them. Stories based on data should work the same way.
Instead of bombarding your audience with charts and statistics, frame data as a journey. Brian recommends focusing on specific examples that bring the numbers to life.
“I can show you data points of somebody who uses a restaurant app and then goes into the restaurant to pick up their food. But if I told you the journey that one of your actual consumers took when they went into the store, and all the pain points they ran into during the process, you’re really going to see it now.”
This approach transforms abstract numbers into concrete experiences your audience can relate to. After all, we’re all consumers ourselves. When you help your audience step into the customer’s shoes, the data becomes meaningful.
The power of getting into character
One particularly effective technique Brian uses during research projects involves having participants embody different customer segments. During workshops on market segmentation, he’ll have team members actually role-play as specific customer types. And while Brian’s examples aren’t marketing business storytelling, the tactics can still give all of us ideas.
“We’ve done this with segmentations before, where we have people kind of mimic, okay, this is your segment. You are the value seeker in the restaurant industry. So how would that person act? Where would they go? How much money would they spend?”
This immersive approach helps stakeholders understand different customer perspectives in a way that pie charts and percentages never could. It transforms data points into living, breathing personas that inform better business decisions.
Read next: How to engage audience in PowerPoint presentation
“Nobody wants to listen to me for an hour talk because it’s going to get boring at some point,” Brian notes. “I make these a two-way street. I want to make sure that we’re having natural breaks within the conversation and really just talking versus just listening to me.”
Learning from others on how to tell stories with data
To keep presentations engaging, Brian studies techniques from other fields – including stand-up comedy.
“I even read some books of comedians of how they engage an audience,” he shares. “They have certain tactics that they’re using to keep that audience really on them the whole time.”
Comedians know how to build tension, keeping the audience on the edge of their seat waiting for the punchline. They add color to characters and maintain engaging commentary throughout. While business presentations serve a different purpose, these principles of audience engagement remain valuable.
Start with clear objectives
Before adding creative elements, ensure you’re delivering on the core purpose.
“Sometimes when researchers bring too much sizzle, they almost get off the mark of what the original objective was,” Brian cautions.
He always starts with a project brief that clearly outlines objectives and success criteria.
“I make sure that we’re fully aligned on the objectives,” Brian explained. “What are we gonna get out of this? And what’s our success criteria? What are those measures that we really want to look at?”
You can begin by clearly stating what you are trying to accomplish. This creates a framework for your story while ensuring you deliver the essential insights your stakeholders need.
Practice makes progress
Like any skill, data storytelling improves with practice and feedback. Perfection isn’t the goal. Focus instead on continuous improvement, learning from each content output and make the next one even better. First off, it’s important that we remember how to tell stories with data and not the other way around.
By focusing on the journey,sharing the story in an interactive way, you can turn even the most complex data into stories that stick. As Brian reminds us, it’s not about showing all the behind-the-scenes work – it’s about delivering insights in a way that drives understanding and action.
Remember to think like a consumer yourself when crafting these stories. After all, even the most sophisticated business decision-makers are human beings who respond to authentic, well-told narratives that help them see the real impact behind the numbers.
