How can you use data to support your writing when communicating with senior leaders?

1 Know your audience

Before you write anything, you need to understand who you are writing for, what they care about, and what they expect from you. Senior leaders are busy, strategic, and results-oriented. They want to know the big picture, the key insights, and the implications for their decisions. They don't want to read long reports, technical jargon, or irrelevant details. They want to see data that is relevant, reliable, and easy to understand.

3 Present the data clearly

How you present your data can make a big difference in how your audience perceives it. You need to use the right format, language, and visuals to communicate your data effectively. Use tables, charts, graphs, or infographics to illustrate your data, but don't overload them with too much information. Use simple, precise, and consistent terms to describe your data, but don't use acronyms, abbreviations, or slang. Use comparisons, trends, ratios, or percentages to highlight your data, but don't use misleading or confusing statistics.

4 Tell a story with your data

Data alone is not enough to persuade your audience. You need to tell a story with your data, one that connects with their emotions, values, and goals. You need to show them why your data matters, what it means, and what it implies. You need to explain the context, the problem, the solution, and the action. You need to use examples, anecdotes, or quotes to illustrate your data, but don't use personal opinions, assumptions, or biases.

5 End with a call to action

The purpose of your writing is not just to inform your audience, but to influence them. You want them to take action based on your data, whether it is to approve a proposal, support a project, or change a behavior. You need to end your writing with a clear, specific, and compelling call to action. You need to tell them what you want them to do, why they should do it, and how they can do it. You need to use positive, confident, and respectful language to motivate them, but don't use pressure, threats, or guilt.

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?