How can you communicate strategic insights to stakeholders who lack industry knowledge?

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your presentation, do some research on your audience. What are their backgrounds, interests, goals, and pain points? What do they already know about your industry, and what do they need to know to understand your insights? How do they prefer to receive information, such as visually, verbally, or numerically? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message, tone, and format to suit their needs and expectations.

3 Highlight the value

Your audience may not care about the details of your analysis, but they will care about the value and impact of your insights. Therefore, you need to highlight the benefits and outcomes of your recommendations, and how they align with your audience's goals and priorities. Use stories, case studies, or testimonials that show how your insights have helped or can help similar clients or situations. Also, anticipate and address any potential objections or questions that your audience may have, and show how you can overcome them.

4 Use visuals and data

Visuals and data can help you support and communicate your insights more effectively than words alone. However, you need to use them strategically and sparingly, to avoid overwhelming or confusing your audience. Choose the most relevant and compelling visuals and data that illustrate your insights, such as charts, graphs, diagrams, or infographics. Make sure they are clear, concise, and consistent, and that they have labels, titles, and captions that explain their meaning and purpose. Use colors, shapes, and fonts that are easy to read and understand, and that match your brand and style.

5 Engage your audience

Finally, you need to engage your audience throughout your presentation, to keep them interested and attentive. You can do this by asking questions, soliciting feedback, encouraging participation, or using humor or anecdotes. You can also use gestures, eye contact, voice modulation, and pauses to emphasize your points and create rapport. At the end of your presentation, summarize your key insights and recommendations, and provide a clear call to action that tells your audience what you want them to do next.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?