Data is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, we have to have the data to back up our work. On the other, nothing kills a presentation like a data dump. How many pitches, presentations, and earnings calls have eaten your day away with processions of data-filled slides? You feel time ticking away as you, along with everyone else, disengage from the presentation and the speaker.
Over-reliance on data cannot only alienate the audience, it can also damage your presence in the room. The ability to give compelling, high-impact presentations that make sense out of complex data is key to building trust with your audience and increasing your executive presence. So how do you present key information, keep the audience interested and move them to action?
Storytelling is getting a ton of buzz lately and it’s almost as easy to tell a bad story as it is to oversaturate the audience with information. Here are three tips to help you integrate storytelling effectively into your presentations and speeches:
1. Be selective with your data. Just because you have data does not mean that you must share all of it. What is the big picture or broad trend that you are illustrating for the audience? Think about what you want them to do after hearing you speak and choose only the data or charts that will help get them to that place of action.
2. Use a story to support each point. Stories can bring data to life, filling numbers with meaning and giving listeners a way to link your information to a concrete example. The story does not have to be long to illustrate a point—one or two sentences will be enough to engage the listener. Using phrases like “for example” or “let me share a quick story” will immediately have people leaning forward to hear more. And keeping it memorable, personal, and impactful will make sure that it sticks with the audience long after the presentation.
3. Structure your stories. Recent research has demonstrated that our brains are wired to respond to a well-structured story. All stories, even those about companies, have a protagonist, a hook, a conflict, emotion, stakes, and a clear resolution. Who is the protagonist of your story and what do they want? What stands in the way of that goal and how does the protagonist address that obstacle? At the end, have they achieved their goal?
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has done a masterful job of telling stories that place his company’s data within a broader context. In an October 2014 earnings call, he had all the reason in the world to exult in his company’s performance: Netflix shares were at an all-time high. Hastings no doubt had all the data he needed to paint a picture of a thriving success that could let the market determine the company’s value. Instead, he took the opportunity to downplay the numbers. Rather than resting on his laurels, he fixed his eye on the future casting HBO as Netflix’s great competitor and laying out a strategy to surpass HBO in global subscribers and quality content. The story that emerged was of a company dedicated to growth and transformation even in times of success.
A well-told story, whether conveyed through words or images, takes the audience on a journey. And when we look at data—whether it’s earnings reports, financial projects or research findings—we’re not just looking at numbers or charts. We’re looking at a story. As representatives of our organizations, it’s our job to take that data and weave it into a narrative that will help the audience engage with and navigate their way through the information. The results are stronger presentations, deeper relationships, and increased executive presence.
For more on how stories can help cut through mountains of data, we love this 5 minute video by Stanford Professor Jennifer Aaker about Persuasion and the Power of Story.