How do you explain complex data to your clients?

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your data presentation, you need to know who your audience is and what they care about. What are their goals, challenges, and expectations? What level of detail and technicality do they need? How familiar are they with the data sources and methods you used? By answering these questions, you can tailor your data presentation to suit their needs and interests, and avoid unnecessary jargon or information.

2 Choose the right format

Depending on the type and amount of data you have, you may want to use different formats to present it to your clients. For example, you can use charts, graphs, tables, dashboards, infographics, or animations to visualize your data and highlight the key points. You can also use text, audio, video, or interactive elements to explain your data and provide context and insights. The format you choose should match the purpose and tone of your presentation, as well as the preferences and devices of your audience.

3 Simplify and summarize

One of the main challenges of explaining complex data to your clients is to avoid overwhelming them with too much information. To prevent this, you should simplify and summarize your data as much as possible, without losing accuracy or relevance. You can do this by using simple language, avoiding acronyms and technical terms, grouping and categorizing your data, focusing on the most important or relevant metrics, and providing comparisons and benchmarks. You should also provide a clear and concise summary of your main findings and recommendations at the beginning and end of your presentation.

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?