Stories Are More Powerful Than Statistics - Note to Self

I had just presented to executives and my message fell flat. Walking back to my seat with a forced grin – I was so angry with myself. No one else in the room seemed to notice, but I certainly did.

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Fast forward.

So, I usually try to guide my team to tell a story behind the data. I use the analogy of creating a highlight reel: the 15 second best hits of your narrative packed into a compelling hook. Give the audience a reason to stay engaged. Think of the start of any James Bond movie. Right out of the gate it’s an action scene with a struggle, iconic line, or a tension builder that sets the tone of the film’s essence.

I know this all to well and yet didn't take my own advice. I let structure dictate my approach. Despite preaching the power of data storytelling to my team and experiencing the success of narratives woven with data, I fell into the trap of dry numbers. Sure, everyone else in the room was engaged, but something felt off. Remembering my mentor's advice to gauge the room and have awareness of body language, I noticed the key executives - whose opinions mattered most - had crossed their arms defensively, pierced eyes, and tense faces. My comprehensive yet brief update with complementary statistics was honestly a snooze fest, and I wasn't just failing to engage them, I was wasting their valuable time by neglecting to show how the data connected to their goals. Big miss on my part.

Everyone else in the room thought my presentation was great because this was new data for them, yet I wasn't aiming my presentation towards them, I was speaking to the executives I just frustrated.

Just like the image above is unnecessary, I was annotating statistics which was not needed, and more importantly I didn't add anything new to the conventional wisdom. What I thought was a hook wasn't, and yet while my consideration for the executive mindset was there, I didn't hit the depth and alignment needed to make the data come to life.

So, then how does one tell a compelling story with data on an executive agenda, a forced PowerPoint template with only 2-minutes?

Answer: don't do what I did, but rather with a James Bond hook that requires more preparation than you might have time for (note to self). Make sure the hook and story align with executive goals, and be willing to break the rules (slightly), or at least deviate not from structure, but get creative in your voice over.

Had I had the opportunity to do it again I would have blocked off more time to prepare and memorize my presentation cold so not only would the data pop, but I'd also send the message that my executive's goals were top of mind.

I'd start with a surprising fact or compelling question (not a statistical hook). Grabbing their attention by highlighting a counterintuitive finding or posing a relevant dilemma from what our customers were dealing with.

Hit the "So-what?" in why this should matter - not just to align executive priorities, but where this fits into the bigger picture.

Quantify the pain: (Assuming a business case is available) I'd translate the story into concrete dollars and cents if we don't solve the problem.

Don't leave them hanging: Rather than saying, "We will continue to monitor." I'd conclude with a clear plan of action.

In hindsight easier said than done, but a note to self here to reference for the next time. A reminder that despite executives audiences and forced agendas, statistics are meant to be shared with a story, otherwise they're useless when needing to leave a lasting impression.