Using Data, Demonstrate and Demand

Making an elevator Speech, presentation or even while talking in an interview, using data to communicate is very impactful. We have all heard the popular phrase “Numbers speak louder than words”. This is especially true in the world of business. The ability to quantify something and demonstrate how it will impact the Business Goals is a critical skill to possess. 

Here is why: -

• Communicates the business impact in $ value

• Communicates the scale and the size of the issue relative to others

• Helps in Prioritization

• Grabs Attention!!- Helps gain mind share with your stakeholder/audience

• Conveys a strong understanding and grip on the subject- Increases your credibility

• Conveys an outcome focused mindset- Positions you as a strong business leader

• Makes an Emotional Connect with your stakeholder/audience

Let us look at an example: - Susan a Senior Project Manager has a team size of 20. The last Quarter the firm had a great run as a result they bagged 5 Big Sized Digital Transformation Projects. Susan regarded as extremely competent has been handed over 3. As she is getting into the details of the projects, she is realizing the complexity and knows that she needs to hire at least 5 more PMs’. She has managed to get a 10 min meeting with the Senior Vice President. She plans to sensitize him on the issue and hopefully follow it up with an approval to hire. 

Let us look at 2 scenarios’ one in which she uses Data to Demonstrate and Demand and the other where she doesn’t’.

Scenario 1: - Hello Mike ! How are you? I wanted to share with you that I have 3 projects under my belt. Am very excited as there is a lot to learn the projects scope is quite vast and different form the usual mi we get. My team and I are quite overworked. The workload is high as we have a lot of client handling as well as project execution to do. I would like to hire 5 more people in my team

Scenario 2: - Hi! Mike. How are you? I am happy to share with you that I am handing 3/5 new contracts that we bagged last Quarter. My team is working at a capacity of 125%. This is adding a lot of stretch. Given the projects complexity and scope I am afraid it has a likelihood of projects getting delayed by over 8 weeks costing us ~350 K USD. If we want to avoid it, I have done the math, we need to hire 5 more people asap. Any delay will only further add to the cost over runs I am afraid. 

So, what do you think which of the 2 is going to be more impactful? 

In the second scenario Susan has highlighted: -

• The Business impact of not hiring ~350KUSD, 8 weeks delay

• Quantified the capacity of her team – 125%, this shows that she has done her homework and builds ore confidence in Mike

The first scenario looks very weak in comparison as it does not communicate anything tangible to Mike. He gets senses that Susan is running short of man-power but is unable to understand the gravity of the issue. 

Here are some ground rules for using data effectively to communicate with impact: -

• Use Data to tell your story – pick up key data points and position them strategically in your narrative to highlight the key objectives of your story. Remember to make the right impact its important you stay focused on the key objective of the communication.

• Quantify the Business Impact in $ - wherever possible try to quantify your scenarios into business impact in terms of $. A financial impact helps prioritize the issue and accelerates the decision-making process.

• Keep it simple- do not over complicate the data narration. Stay focused on 2-3 key data points. Anything more will confuse rather than clarify the scenario.

• Chose a data point that will create maximum impact with your stakeholder/audience – for this its important you do some homework in understanding your stakeholder/audience prior. Once you know what is most critical and high priority for them, weave your story to bring out a data point that will play to that. 

• Back of the envelope calculation better than none – where ever quantification is hard due to lack of enough data points or accurate data availability do not shy away from using your experience and intuition to make some estimates – also called back of the envelope calculations. Openly say that when sharing. Most successful business leaders make a lot of key business decisions using their experience and intuition. Your organization values your ability to estimate basis your experience, hence share it. 

  
  

How to deliver the Data to make it most impactful- 

• When sharing the data point, speak slower than your normal rate. Do modulate your voice too. This will add weight to the numbers and will help your articulate the same very clearly. Pause before and after sharing the data points. This will give you time to understand the reaction of the audience as well as give the audience the time to understand the figures.

• When sharing data use body language to demonstrate the magnitude - standing with your arms wide open, for example, creates a sense of size.

• Use appropriate facial expressions demonstrate the reaction to the numbers. Shock, Sad, Happy, surprised whatever the emotion is, do show it as it will help build an emotional connection with your audience. 

  
  

Here is hoping the above helped you in understanding the importance of using Data to your advantage to communicate impactfully.