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- Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
- Kategorie: Wissenschaft und neue Technologien
- Sprache: Englisch
Are you suffering from Data Presentation Zombification? Billions of dollars and thousands of hours are lost every year during ineffective business meetings worldwide. Data practitioners painstakingly present their valuable analytical insights, only to fall flat, inspiring more yawns than yeses. In Present Beyond Measure: Design, Visualize, and Deliver Data Stories That Inspire Action, Lea Pica provides a 4-phase, step-by-step blueprint for planning, designing, visualizing, and delivering compelling data storytelling in business presentations. Following her blueprint, you will learn how to use neuroscience and cinematic storytelling techniques to galvanize your stakeholders into action. By the final page, you'll know exactly how to: * Choose the data that matters most to your decision-makers * Speak to different stakeholder audience personality types (even the most challenging) * Infuse your data presentation with a persuasive narrative storyline * Craft strategic recommendations that get approved and implemented * Design simple, stunning slides that communicate without confusing * Transmit your data story with best-practice data visualization techniques * Avoid the most common data visualization violations and charting pitfalls * Prepare for and deliver your presentation like a professional speaker * Navigate challenging meeting conversations and logistics with ease Whether you work with little or big data, this book will show you how to prevent presentation zombies and inspire the action and credibility you and your organization deserve.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023
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Table of Contents
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Prologue
Why Are You Here?
The Way Out Is Through
Prepare to Reimagine What's Possible for You
Why Listen to Me?
How to Get the Most Out of This Book
Learn by Doing
Set Regular Practice Dates
Note
Act I: Conceptualize: Presentation Planning, Story, Structure, and Brainstorming
1 Understand Why Effective Data Presentation Is Critical to Good Business
Bad Meetings Cost Money
Winning Over the Audience
The Two Pillars of Successful Data Presentations
Throw Down the Gauntlet
Chapter Recap
Notes
2 Be Your Audience
The Most Important Person in the Conference Room Is…Not You
There Is No “Stakeholder School”
More Essential Questions to Get Started on Your Data Presentation
Chapter Recap
3 Learn to Speak Different Audience Languages
What Is the Stakeholder-Savvy Quadrant?
Chapter Recap
4 Transmit a Clear Message
One Tool to Rule Them All
Make the Title Slide Your Presentation Trailer
Chapter Recap
Note
5 Tell an Actual Story
Data Storytelling: It's Not What You Think It Is
The Narrative Arc in Storytelling
The Five-Step Narrative Arc Structure
Avoid the Three “Kiss of Attention Death” Opening Phrases
The Role You Play in This Story
Chapter Recap
Notes
6 Create Conceptual Clarity with Analogies
Communicating Relatable Scale with Large Numbers
Chapter Recap
Notes
7 Suit Up Your Recommendations for Action
S for Specific: The Recommendation Outlines a Clear Course of Action
M for Measurable: The Recommendation's Impact Is Feasibly Measured and Motivating Toward Action as a Result
A for Assigned: A Person or Team Is Accountable for Task Completion
R for Relevant: The Recommendation Is Tied Directly to an Insight in the Presentation
T for Time-Bound: The Recommendation Is Given a Reasonable Deadline
Chapter Recap
Note
8 Translate Your Content into a Persuasive Outline
One Method to Rule Them All
The Role of the Appendix
Chapter Recap
Notes
9 Brainstorm Your Content into Slide Format
Why You Should Brainstorm Offline
How to Brainstorm Offline
The Single Idea per Slide Philosophy
Edit and Organize Your Brainstorm into Your Boxes
Chapter Recap
Notes
10 Digitize Your Analog Slide Content
Avoid the “Flushed Money Trap”
Transpose Your Boxes into a Linear Format
Install Your Boxes Framework into Your Deck
Transpose Your Box Outline in Your Slide Deck Using Sections
Chapter Recap
Act I: Intermission
Act II: Design Your Slides: Slide Graphics, Layout, and Emphasis
11 Why Bad Slide Design Is Not a PowerPoint Problem
Design Matters
Prezi Is Not the Solution to PowerPoint
Presentation Zombification Is a
People Problem
Time to Put on the Right Mindset
Chapter Recap
Notes
12 Sharpen Their Vision with Preattentive Attributes
How Memory Works
Preattentive Processing: In the Blink of an Eye
Gestalt Principles: The Relationship of Objects
Chapter Recap
Notes
13 De-fluff Your Slides and Embrace White Space
Overworking the Working Memory
Resist the Fluff and Embrace White Space
Distracting Object Misalignment
Effectively Effecting Change
Keep It Clean—and Legal
Chapter Recap
Notes
14 The Lethal Downside of Bullet Points
Why We Love Bullet Points
One Idea Per Slide
A Compromise: The Story Point Solution
Chapter Recap
Note
15 Create Hype with Your Type
The Power of Type
How to Emphasize Text
Putting It All Together
A Few Final Type Tips
Chapter Recap
Notes
16 Harness the Power of Real Imagery
Imagery Elicits Empathy
Imagery Stimulates Their Attention
Basic Design Techniques for Images
Web-Based Screenshots
Chapter Recap
Notes
17 Master Motion with Simple Animation
Object Pacing
Shape Pacing
Final Animation Pointers
Chapter Recap
Note
Act II: Intermission
Act III: Visualize Data: Data Visualization + Storytelling featuring the PICA Protocol Prescription
18 Data Storytelling: The Intersection of Conceptualization and Design
Introducing the PICA Protocol
19 P is for PURPOSE
Purpose Starts with a Q
Steering the PURPOSE Conversation
Chapter Recap
20 I is for INSIGHT
Transform Your Data Statements to Storified Insights
Applying the Narrative Arc to Your Insights
Where to Put Your Insights
Visual Tools to Facilitate Insight
Chapter Recap
Note
21 C is for CONTEXT
Visual Context Tools
Chapter Recap
22 A is for AESTHETICS
Chapter Recap
Notes
23 Choose the Right Chart
Chapter Recap
24 Avoid the Most Common Visualization Violations
Viz Violation: Dual-Axis Charts with Different Scales
The Solution: The Table Lens
Viz Violation: Tables
The Solution: A Table…Lens!
Viz Violation: Stacked Bars
The Solution: A 100% Stacked Bar Chart
Viz Violation: Clustered Bars
The Solution: It Depends
Viz Violation: Mismatched Title to Chart
Chapter Recap
Note
25 Next-Level Charts to (Carefully) Consider
The Target Variance Bar Chart
The Slope Graph
The Dumbbell Dot Plot
How to Use These Charts
Chapter Recap
26 Create Ethical Data Visualizations
Truncating the Measure Axis
Exception: Truncating Line Chart Axes
Check Your Own Bias
Chapter Recap
Note
27 Build the Story: The PICA Protocol in Action
Case Example #1: The Conversion Rate Caper
Case Example #2: The Roguish Redesign
Act III: Intermission
Act IV: Deliver: Public Speaking, Preparation, and Communication Mastery
28 Why Does Delivery Even Matter?
Chapter Recap
29 Practice Like the Pros
The Cure for Presentation Nerves
Make Presentation Practice Non-Negotiable
When Practice Makes Perfect
Chapter Recap
Note
30 Refine Your Speech Patterns
Hyperspeed
Filler Words
Uptalk and Vocal Fry
Get “Fun-Comfortable” with This Process
Enlist Some AI Assistance
Chapter Recap
Note
31 Master Your Mind and Body
I'm Terrified Before Even Going in There!
Why Are They Looking at Me Like That?
I Can't Remember What Comes Next!
I'm No Expert/They're Going to See I'm a Fraud!
Believe That Nerves Are OK
Sound Body, Sound Mind
Chapter Recap
Notes
32 Master Your Audience and Overcome Challenging Communication
It's All About Needs
Answering Challenging Questions
Chapter Recap
Note
33 Beast Mode Techniques for Maximum Audience Engagement
Two Questions Your Audience Is Silently Asking You
How to Invoke Suspense
Three Ways to Make Them Wait
Chapter Recap
Notes
34 Send an Effective Presentation Handout
Never Goad a Godin
Why Sending Your Slides Doesn't Work
The Double Document Doctrine
The Practical Presentation Handout Solution
Final Thoughts on Presentation Handouts
Chapter Recap
Notes
Act IV: Intermission
This Is the End…and Just the Beginning
Make Small Moves
Take the Next Step
Learn Through Teaching
Parting Thoughts
Did You Enjoy This Book?
Resources
Data Presentation Process Documents
Phase I: Conceptualize
Phase II: Design Slides
Phase III: Visualize Data (PICA Protocol)
Phase IV: Deliver
Recommended Reading, Resources, and Experts
Data Storytelling
Presentation
Data Visualization
Delivery
Dashboards
Closing Credits
About the Author
Index
Copyright
Dedication
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Prologue
FIGURE P.1 Funnel chart adaptation of Edgar Dale's cone of learning
Chapter 3
FIGURE 3.1 Blank Stakeholder-Savvy Quadrant
FIGURE 3.2 Complete Stakeholder-Savvy Quadrant
Chapter 4
FIGURE 4.1 Typical uninspiring and unintriguing title slide
FIGURE 4.2 Impactful and optimized title slide
Chapter 5
FIGURE 5.1 Examples of typical business data presentation slides
FIGURE 5.2 Narrative arc step: exposition
FIGURE 5.3 Narrative arc step: rising action
FIGURE 5.4 Narrative arc step: the climax
FIGURE 5.5 Narrative arc step: falling action
FIGURE 5.6 Full narrative arc
Chapter 7
FIGURE 7.1 Recommendation action verbs
Chapter 8
FIGURE 8.1 Blank Presenting By Boxes outline
FIGURE 8.2 Completed Boxes Framework
FIGURE 8.3 Example of Boxes outline from a workshop participant
FIGURE 8.4 Nested narrative arcs in the Boxes Framework
Chapter 10
FIGURE 10.1 Slide Sorter storyboard view in PowerPoint
FIGURE 10.2 Slide Sorter view with slides grouped into sections (circled)
Chapter 11
FIGURE 11.1 Blank Prezi presentation design canvas
FIGURE 11.2 Super boring technical slide
FIGURE 11.3 Super ugly business slide
FIGURE 11.4 Bizarre data slide correlating a rabbit and hot dog
Chapter 12
FIGURE 12.1 The three stages of human memory
FIGURE 12.2 Series of numbers with no preattentive emphasis
FIGURE 12.3 Series of numbers with one number 3 in preattentive emphasis of ...
FIGURE 12.4 Diagram illustrating form attributes, inspired by Stephen Few's
FIGURE 12.5 Examples of shades, tints, and tones of the pure hue of blue
FIGURE 12.6 Diagram illustrating Gestalt principles
Chapter 13
FIGURE 13.1 Apple iPhone X advertisement
FIGURE 13.2 Parody iPod advertisement mimicking Microsoft design
FIGURE 13.3 Information processing and memory stage diagram
FIGURE 13.4 Busy slide loaded with slide fluff like logos, watermarks, and a...
FIGURE 13.5 Data slide with objects centered and multiple alignment points
FIGURE 13.6 Data slide with objects aligned to minimize alignment points
Chapter 14
FIGURE 14.1 Slides with a wall of bullet points describing glacial formation...
FIGURE 14.2 Simplified slide about glacial formations with striking photo of...
FIGURE 14.3 Example of properly formatted Story Point Solution slide
Chapter 15
FIGURE 15.1 Three main classes of typeface
FIGURE 15.2 Recommended standard presentation fonts
FIGURE 15.3 Slide with tiny text that says “go big or go home”
FIGURE 15.4 Previous slide with “go big or go home” in much bigger font
FIGURE 15.5 Previous slide with “go big or go home” dramatically emphasized ...
FIGURE 15.6 Slide with random and unappealing text and background colors
FIGURE 15.7 Slide with image of red pencil standing out from black pencils a...
FIGURE 15.8 Location of the color eyedropper tool in the PowerPoint Colors m...
FIGURE 15.9 Executive summary slide where all text is formatted the same
FIGURE 15.10 Same executive summary slide with improved text formatting for ...
FIGURE 15.11 Same executive summary slide with properly grouped lines using ...
FIGURE 15.12 Slide showing different techniques to emphasize text
FIGURE 15.13 Slide with difficult-to-read title because of poor background c...
Chapter 16
FIGURE 16.1 Boring landing page results slide with bullet points
FIGURE 16.2 More visually stimulating results slide with image of typical cu...
FIGURE 16.3 Boring slide with bullet points describing power and a floating ...
FIGURE 16.4 Simpler slide with full-bleed image of lion and simple text
FIGURE 16.5 Slide with image of mountain and text centered
FIGURE 16.6 Slide with image of mountain and text balanced with power corner...
FIGURE 16.7 Slide with image of desk and items surrounding text in copy spac...
FIGURE 16.8 Silly stock photos
FIGURE 16.9 Slide with basic text and illustration of a head with brain
FIGURE 16.10 Brain slide with matching background color
FIGURE 16.11 Brain slide with head facing text
FIGURE 16.12 Stretched brain slide and pixelated, low-res image of New York ...
FIGURE 16.13 Brain slide with windowpane effect
FIGURE 16.14 Slide with floating hand and woman
FIGURE 16.15 Slide with hand and woman properly aligned with edges
FIGURE 16.16 Slide with semitransparent text box over a busy, colorful image...
FIGURE 16.17 Example statement slide with semitransparent text panel over an...
FIGURE 16.18 Slide with poor legibility from background image of cookies
FIGURE 16.19 Example section header slide with semitransparent polygon and b...
FIGURE 16.20 Various style renderings of a checklist icon
FIGURE 16.21 Boring bullet point explanatory slide about customer channels
FIGURE 16.22 Enhanced explanatory slide with channel icons surrounding the ”...
FIGURE 16.23 Boring bullet point agenda slide
FIGURE 16.24 Enhanced agenda slide with icons depicting presentation section...
FIGURE 16.25 Enhanced section header slide with highlighted icon showing the...
FIGURE 16.26 Website screenshots seated in desktop monitor and mobile device...
FIGURE 16.27 Screenshot of report table from an analytics platform
Chapter 17
FIGURE 17.1 Extremely densely packed diagram slide
FIGURE 17.2 The same diagram slide with only the first column of objects sho...
FIGURE 17.3 Storyboard of step-by-step reveals of diagram slide
FIGURE 17.4 Densely packed data slide
FIGURE 17.5 Densely packed data slide with concealing shapes marked in gray ...
FIGURE 17.6 Revealing the upper-left area of the data slide
FIGURE 17.7 Revealing the upper-right area of data slide while fading in the...
FIGURE 17.8 Revealing the bottom area of data slide while concealing the upp...
FIGURE 17.9 Shape pacing using the Animation pane
Chapter 19
FIGURE 19.1 Horizontal bar chart with list of marketing channels by conversi...
FIGURE 19.2 Categorical comparison improperly rendered as a vertical bar cha...
FIGURE 19.3 Unsorted versus sorted bar charts
Chapter 20
FIGURE 20.1 A not-so-shining example of a well-visualized data slide
FIGURE 20.2 The anatomy of a perfect data visual
FIGURE 20.3 The reading Z-pattern
FIGURE 20.4 Original
Insight
slide from marketing example
FIGURE 20.5 Marketing example slide with McKinsey title observation
FIGURE 20.6 Examples of annotating data points for emphasis on a line chart...
FIGURE 20.7 Overlapping data labels on a line graph
FIGURE 20.8 Line graph with specifically chosen data labels
FIGURE 20.9 Example of line spaghetti
FIGURE 20.10 Example of easier-to-read small multiples graph
Chapter 21
FIGURE 21.1 Original marketing example slide
FIGURE 21.2 Addition of second chart with different measure (conversion rate...
FIGURE 21.3 Addition of ellipsis in slide title to foreshadow more story
FIGURE 21.4 Completing the sentence and story loop with a second chart and e...
Chapter 22
FIGURE 22.1 Cartoonish dashboard graphic in city landscape
FIGURE 22.2 Example of a busy, noisy, and cluttered dashboard
FIGURE 22.3 Edward Tufte's data-to-ink ratio
FIGURE 22.4 Pre-detox marketing channel charts
FIGURE 22.5 Post-detox marketing channel charts
FIGURE 22.6 Clearly labeled line chart without legend
FIGURE 22.7 Irresponsibly formatted pie charts
FIGURE 22.8 Example bar chart colors set to shades of gray
FIGURE 22.9 Slide with too much gray and black
FIGURE 22.10 Dashboard with kaleidoscopic color formatting
FIGURE 22.11 Bar chart color set to shades of gray
FIGURE 22.12 Data bar emphasized with blue highlight color
FIGURE 22.13 Matching the title text color to the corresponding data points...
FIGURE 22.14 Color comparison with red-blind COBLIS filter
FIGURE 22.15 Performance target line in line graph
FIGURE 22.16 Target projection in line graph
FIGURE 22.17 Highlighting one line in a multiple line time series
FIGURE 22.18 Time period comparison in lighter tint in line graph
FIGURE 22.19 Bar chart showing wine varietals shaded by type
FIGURE 22.20 Bar chart with red as a brand color to distinguish from competi...
Chapter 23
FIGURE 23.1 Confusing treemap and nautilus charts
FIGURE 23.2 Deeply regrettable pie chart
FIGURE 23.3 Example of typical business presentation pie charts
FIGURE 23.4 Confusing pie chart with misleadingly colored segments
FIGURE 23.5 Properly baked pie chart with intentionally emphasized segment
FIGURE 23.6 Dastardly exploding 3D donut chart
FIGURE 23.7 Correctly formatted, emphasized, and annotated donut chart
FIGURE 23.8 Vertical column versus line charts for time series
FIGURE 23.9 Combine chart space with color highlighting
FIGURE 23.10 100% stacked bar showing an increase in mobile traffic versus d...
FIGURE 23.11 100% stacked bar showing survey satisfaction ratings on a Liker...
FIGURE 23.12 Bullet graph, Extemporalist, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
FIGURE 23.13 Simplified bullet graph showing salesperson performance versus ...
FIGURE 23.14 Full chart-choosing framework for most effective presentation c...
FIGURE 23.15 Sketch of data visualization and story of the Bechdel test
Chapter 24
FIGURE 24.1 Example of dual-axis bar and line graph with different scales
FIGURE 24.2 Callout denoting intersection that potentially implies inaccurat...
FIGURE 24.3 Spurious correlations
FIGURE 24.4 Example of dual axis bar and line chart where lines visually int...
FIGURE 24.5 Example of a four-column table lens
FIGURE 24.6 Vertical table lens with stacked time series line and column cha...
FIGURE 24.7 Example of ineffective table for presentation
FIGURE 24.8 Example of ineffective stacked bar chart
FIGURE 24.9 Example of poorly formatted 100% stacked bar chart
FIGURE 24.10 100% stacked bar showing increase in mobile traffic versus desk...
FIGURE 24.11 Prior 100% stacked column with total session table lens
FIGURE 24.12 Clustered bar with four segments across four time periods
FIGURE 24.13 Improved clustered bar with emphasized data story point and rea...
FIGURE 24.14 Alternative line graph to clustered bar
FIGURE 24.15 Bar chart with vague insight title
FIGURE 24.16 Clearer insight title
FIGURE 24.17 Mismatched insight title with chart
FIGURE 24.18 Complex and confusing insight title that doesn't explain chart...
Chapter 25
FIGURE 25.1 Target variance bar chart showing deviation of salesperson perfo...
FIGURE 25.2 Target variance column chart showing deviation of performance fr...
FIGURE 25.3 Slope graph showing website page abandonment rate before and aft...
FIGURE 25.4 Dot plot depicting a company's app store ranking
FIGURE 25.5 Dumbbell dot plot depicting a competitive app store ranking comp...
Chapter 26
FIGURE 26.1 Vertical column time series showing annual widget sales
FIGURE 26.2 Vertical column with y-axis corrected back to zero
FIGURE 26.3 Vertical column with y-axis corrected back to zero
FIGURE 26.4 Body temperature line graph with truncated y-axis
FIGURE 26.5 Body temperature line graph with truncated data set
Chapter 27
FIGURE 27.1 Marketing channel example slide: exposition
FIGURE 27.2 Marketing channel example slide: rising action
FIGURE 27.3 Marketing channel example slide: the stakes
FIGURE 27.4 Marketing channel example slide: falling action (recommendation ...
FIGURE 27.5 Website redesign slope example: exposition 1
FIGURE 27.6 Website redesign slope example: rising action 1
FIGURE 27.7 Website redesign slope example: rising action 2
FIGURE 27.8 Website redesign slope example: rising action 3
FIGURE 27.9 Website redesign slope example: rising action 4
FIGURE 27.10 Website redesign slope example: climax (stakes)
FIGURE 27.11 Website redesign slope example: climax (stakes)
FIGURE 27.12 Website redesign slope example: falling action (recommendation ...
FIGURE 27.13 Single-page handout view of the slope graph
Chapter 34
FIGURE 34.1 Notes Master view in PowerPoint for Mac
FIGURE 34.2 Notes Pages view of a consolidated handout slide in PowerPoint f...
Guide
Cover
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
Begin Reading
This Is the End…and Just the Beginning
Did You Enjoy This Book?
Resources
Recommended Reading, Resources, and Experts
Closing Credits
About the Author
Index
Wiley End User License Agreement
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More Praise for Present Beyond Measure
“Lea writes that we should ‘present data by design, not by default,’ a principle I've taught for years. This book will show you how in a practical and fun way.”
—Alberto Cairo, Knight Chair at the University of Miami and author of The Art of Insight: How Great Visualization Designers Think
“So you've got your dataset and you have a room full of people to impress with it. What now? This is the starting point of Lea's amazing book. Her inimitable style, uncompromising approach to teaching, and unmatched experience conspire to create THE handbook for today's data practitioners.”
—Simo Ahava, Analytics Developer and Co-founder of Simmer and 8-bit-sheep
“Present Beyond Measure is written from the trenches by someone who has been there and done that, made the mistakes, and learned the hard way, and is now sharing insider wisdom to all who would read this book. Plus, it's a delight to read because Lea Pica knows how to tell a story.”
—Jim Sterne, Author of Artificial Intelligence for Marketing
“I've seen Lea Pica capture and engage her audiences with data like no one else. She knows what to do and why it works. This is the book to read if you want to be seen, heard, and valued by your stakeholders too.”
—Allison Hartsoe, CEO of Ambition Data
“I've spent years applying the concepts and techniques from Lea's presentations and blog posts both to my own work as an analyst and as a resource and reference as I've coached and guided other analysts. This book packs those ideas and more into a fun and digestible guide for anyone who realizes that an analysis is only as good as the effectiveness with which it is delivered.”
—Tim Wilson, Analytics Industry Leader and Co-Host of the Analytics Power Hour Podcast
Present Beyond Measure
Design, Visualize, and Deliver Data Stories That Inspire Action
Lea Pica
Prologue
“Storytelling is the most powerful way to put ideas into the world today.”
—Robert McAfee Brown
On January 9, 2007, the CEO of a well-known electronics manufacturer stepped onto the stage of his annual customer conference. Per tradition, he broke the news of products his company was releasing that year. This was always a frantically exciting moment for their customer fan base.
But this year was different.
He announced three new products that he predicted would change the way the world communicates forever. It was a bold statement, which this man was no stranger to making.
He hinted that these three new products were an MP3 player, a touchscreen phone, and a breakthrough communications device. These were all products his company had released before, so nothing was new or notable there.
Then, he delivered the punchline.
He began repeating the three new products in an accelerating sequence that seemed odd at first. But after several repetitions, one could hear the flash of awareness dawning upon the audience. In his famous words:
“These are not three separate devices. They are one device.”
The audience broke out into thunderous applause as this god of technology unveiled his magical new toy in blazing color on the giant screen. His masterful storytelling was complete, and history was made in announcing a product that would go on to enrapture millions, disrupt and make entire industries obsolete, and, as promised, forever change the way we communicate.
By now, you may have guessed that the presenter was Steve Jobs, the event was Macworld, and the product announcement was for the very first iPhone.
In addition to the hundreds of millions of views this keynote has amassed on YouTube, experts in the field of public speaking cite this as one of the most incredible acts of business storytelling of all time.1
With that stage set, I present a more personal experience that may sound all too familiar to you.
In my former life working in the advertising agency of a Fortune 500 finance firm, I watched a colleague stand in front of a conference room packed with our most senior stakeholders, including the department president.
It was a quarterly media campaign presentation (or “readout” as they're known in the data field), and the audience was eagerly waiting to hear the results of their significant investment in digital advertising.
What I'd hoped to see was my colleague confidently stepping into the room, warmly greeting the audience, and engaging everyone with an insightful dive into the data story.
Instead, they nervously stumbled through a series of jumbled, visually overwhelming slides; spoke in complex technical terms; and couldn't remember why certain slides were in there! The audience quickly became confused and impatient and began frequently checking their watches and BlackBerry devices (yikes, I'm old).
It was painful to witness, and it was at that moment I realized something was going very wrong with business presentations.
The experience was representative of the data presentations I was both attending and delivering, and as you can see, these two scenarios show a stark contrast. And perhaps, since you're here reading this right now, this scenario feels uncomfortably familiar. Maybe this one does as well:
Data and information play a crucial role in your job.
You either crunch data for a living and feed it to people or have people who crunch data feed it to you. And, you're routinely mandated to show up in a live or virtual conference room to present your crunched data to a bunch of important-looking people called stakeholders.
Not only do you have to stand there and calmly deliver your data, but you also need to make them understand it, care about it, and get them to act on it.
Oh, and wouldn't it be so nice if they recognized you for your hard work, too?
You may enjoy this essential part of your role immensely. But you also may loathe it, wishing you could be a chameleon and blend into the walls of your cubicle every time your boss asks you to present at the next quarterly business review.
You may loathe it because it proves to be, time and time again, the least rewarding part of your job. Instead of being showered with appreciation, insightful questions, and action…
…people look more confused leaving the conference room than entering it. Worse yet, your audience has visibly transformed into something much more terrifying.
Glazed eyeballs, vacant expressions, a dribble of drool, and the telltale “browser tab eye dart.” It isn't pretty. Your stakeholders are now the unwitting victims of an affliction affecting billions of business meetings worldwide.
I call it data presentation zombification.
By the end of that meeting, you're not exactly sure what all that hard work has amounted to other than spawning a zombie infestation. You know how valuable your skills and insights are. You see the value your agency team has contributed to your clients’ successes.
The ultimate question is, do they see it?
So, you spend day after day wondering if your contribution mattered. No visible progress in improving business strategies, no tangible action taken on optimization test results. You begin to wonder if all that hard work has flown into what I call the dreaded data black hole.
And it's only gotten worse. As the world plunged into disorganized chaos due to the coronavirus pandemic, practitioners and companies worldwide scrambled to continue the vital process of sharing critical business data by taking all presentations online. With that effort came a deluge of virtual presentation problems for which the global workforce was utterly unprepared. As a result, staying visible became more critical than ever as we go into a new normal of blended office locations.
Right now, it might all feel like too much. You may be wondering what's in it for you other than a steady paycheck, which may not feel so steady if your organization doesn't recognize your contribution.
Why Are You Here?
I'm guessing you're here because you're ready and able to join the Marketing or data and analytics A-Team, the elite special forces who are brought in at the start of every project and asked for their sage advice. You want to become an invaluable asset whom managers, teams, and even companies fight over. But you have no idea how to get there.
Am I close?
If so, this is the right book for exactly where you are right now.
It was written specifically for data practitioners, marketing professionals, and leaders just like you, as you embark upon your journey to go from crunching numbers in a back room to an invaluable team player and influential thought leader. It means you are willing to throw everything you know about PowerPoint and slides and charts into the fire and start from scratch with a beginner's mind.
If you follow these steps, it will get you there.
In the pages that follow, I teach you everything you need to know, soup to nuts, about how to create, design, and deliver in-person and virtual data presentations. You hold in your hands the bible of data presentation that I wish I'd had when I began my career, and you will use these tools to engage your audiences, get them to understand your insights, and act on your recommendations.
The Way Out Is Through
I have a disclaimer. There is some friendly advice yet tough love ahead. The mission of this book is to create awareness of the habits that are holding you back, show you why, and empower you to build more effective practices.
Note that I use PowerPoint as my chosen tool for presenting information in a linear format. For most techniques, you can use Google Slides and Keynote interchangeably (except when noted). I have not geared the design process toward Prezi, which requires an entirely different approach. So whenever you see “PowerPoint,” mentally replace it with your presentation tool of choice.
Prepare to Reimagine What's Possible for You
Let's say you read this book, follow all the principles, rigorously apply them to your presentations, overcome your fear of presenting, and start delivering like a boss to your boss. What can you expect to happen when you unleash your fabulous new data presentations?
You'll notice higher engagement, enthusiasm, and interest in your insights. Your audience will excitedly discuss your recommendations, maybe engaging in a healthy debate.
Your measures finally matter, and now your stakeholders and clients know why. You start getting emails and calls from decision-makers who want to discuss your work in more detail.
You've gained membership to the A-Team. Your contributions are becoming known throughout the team, the department, and maybe even the company.
You're rapidly ascending the ranks from cog in the machine to change agent.
As such, you're gaining access to the professional benefits you've only dreamt of: higher pay, stable job security, promotions, a bigger team. But hold up, why stop there?
You get so passionate about the changes you've inspired that you start a blog. Word gets out about your communication prowess. Maybe you get invited to speak at an industry conference or two to wild acclaim.
You're asked to appear on industry podcasts, contribute guest blog articles, collaborate with other industry influencers, and even consider publishing a book.
You realize you're capable of making a difference in any role you choose to take on. Now, it truly is your choice.
Sound far-fetched? Sure, I get it. Except, it's precisely what happened to me and others I've observed on this journey. It's not typical, but it is possible. You just have to follow the instructions in this book. It's not an easy path, and it requires commitment and tenacity. But it's ready for you.
Why Listen to Me?
I've been transforming walls of data into compelling and memorable data stories and communicating them for more than two decades. I am a digital analyst turned data storytelling advocate, workshop facilitator, and international speaker having delivered hundreds of corporate and conference presentations and spoken to tens of thousands of audience members worldwide.
I'm also the host of the Present Beyond Measure Show podcast, garnering hundreds of thousands of downloads and a place on 15 industry “Best Of” lists.
The practitioners I've trained have gone from almost quitting their jobs to extending client contracts, reducing client and employee churn, becoming renowned industry experts and board members of professional associations, and carving a path toward lucrative paid speaking careers.
If everything I've just shared hits home for you and if these are the skills you want to learn because you know they'll let you write your career ticket, then look no further. It's time to stop turning your boardrooms into bored rooms and start making your measures matter.
I can't promise you a Macworld keynote, but I can promise you that big, beautiful change is around the corner.
And, ACTION!
How to Get the Most Out of This Book
It's important to set proper expectations when engaging in an immersive learning experience. In this section, I level-set the anticipated outcome for your time investment.
This book teaches you how to do the following:
Eliminate data overwhelm and find the right insights to present
Speak the language of different stakeholders’ personality types
Weave a persuasive, easy-to-understand data narrative
Leverage cinematic storytelling techniques to hold your audience's attention
Position your strategic and tactical recommendations for action
Quickly design crisp, simple, and beautiful slides
Create sequenced “slide builds” that walk your audience through your story
Choose the most effective charts for your data scenarios
Design charts that are simple and easy to comprehend
Prepare and deliver your presentation with confidence
Navigate challenging questions and comments
Efficiently craft presentation handouts and leave-behinds
Finally, reprogram the limiting beliefs that tend to steer practitioners away from achieving their true presenting potential
You'll also hear sage words of wisdom from several brilliant expert guests I've interviewed on my podcast. Now, here's the real talk.
This book does not teach you any of this:
An easy, shortcut to data presentation stardom. This approach isn't for the casual passerby; it's for those who are ready to make big moves
now
.
How to analyze your data. This book assumes you're already a data exploration and analysis ace. However, I do offer prompts to identify what data and ideas to present.
A dissertation of neuroscience and data visualization history, theory, and abstract concepts. There already are excellent books where you can dive deep into the underpinnings of information communication. This book encompasses the entire data presentation ecosystem, with essential techniques that will help you in every step of this process.
How to build dashboards. These data visualization techniques will undoubtedly improve your dashboards, but they are a fundamentally different vehicle for communicating data than the live presentation.
How to code in R, Python, or other programming languages (but you will learn to tell more compelling stories with charts created in any platform).
How to get paid speaking engagements or TED Talks (but you can develop skills to speak at that level).
Learn by Doing
The cone of learning and experience, created by Edgar Dale, visually displays the effectiveness of different learning modalities (see Figure P.1). It distinguishes between active learning methods (discussing, presenting) and passive methods (watching, hearing, and reading).
FIGURE P.1 Funnel chart adaptation of Edgar Dale's cone of learning
Originally created by Edgar Dale
As you can see, reading is the most passive way to learn, as we retain only 10 percent of what we read after two weeks. The most effective way to learn a new skill at a 90 percent retention rate is by doing the real thing.
Sandbox Assessments
That's why this book will help you actively integrate these principles and practices into your own data scenario! I've created self-practice “sandbox” assignments, where you get to play with your new tools risk-free. These exercises are marked in a box like this one.
To participate, you need to go through your bank of data presentations and select one to use as your “sandbox.” Keep your sandbox at the forefront of your mind and apply each step to it as you go along so that you're doing as you're reading.
The ideal sandbox data presentation includes the following:
Analytical insights, facts, and figures
A variety of charts and graphs
An executive summary and agenda
Recommendations or suggestions for action
Every time I refer to the sandbox, it will be this presentation.
To make learning even easier, I've created a robust Resource Center (see https://LeaPica.com/pbm-resource-center) with downloadable companion worksheets and tools. They will assist you along the way.
As a “hearing” bonus, I've also sampled some of the best advice I've heard as “Sound Bytes” from my podcast. You'll recognize some of your favorite industry leaders and can take the learning even deeper.
Set Regular Practice Dates
The best way to break through old habits is to stay consistent with your commitment. Schedule a recurring meeting on your calendar for each week for the next six weeks or so to work through the book with your sandbox scenario. Go ahead…the book will be waiting for you.
It's important to move at the pace that works best for you, as long as you don't let this blueprint fall by the wayside and gather dust!
Got all that? Great. Grab your sandbox pail and shovels, and I'll see you inside!
Note
1
Gallo, Carmine. “5 Reasons Why Steve Jobs's iPhone Keynote Is Still the Best Presentation of All Time.”
Inc.com
. Inc., June 29, 2017.
www.inc.com/carmine-gallo/5-reasons-why-steve-jobs-iphone-keynote-is-still-the-best-presentation-of-all-ti.html
.
Act I: ConceptualizePresentation Planning, Story, Structure, and Brainstorming
1Understand Why Effective Data Presentation Is Critical to Good Business
“If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential, that word would be meetings.”
—Dave Barry
In 2014, an up-and-coming digital agency invited me to speak at their annual client summit. It was only my third event gig, so I was riddled with “newbie” nerves. It didn't help that I was sharing the stage with one of the most well-known analytics experts in the world.
To calm my nerves, I settled in the audience for the session before mine to observe the attendees. I spied an intelligent-looking data practitioner taking the stage, his slides lighting up the theater backdrop behind him. And then, I can't remember a whole lot after that.
I vaguely recall his droning, monotone voice, unintelligible visuals, and lots of claiming to be an expert in this and that without providing any actionable information.
But there is one thing I will never forget during his conclusion. Amidst the tepid applause, I overheard an audience member turn to his companion and whisper something that made my blood run ice cold:
“That was, like, the worst presentation I've ever seen.”
These words, in this order, are the kiss of death to a presenter's confidence. I felt my stomach drop out, knowing that the stage had already been set for such harsh criticism.The truth was, I agreed with the critic. Clearly, the presenter's content, slides, or delivery weren't designed to connect with the most important person in the room: the audience member. Still, I felt compassionate because, well, I was once that guy, and I simply didn't know the tools.
Unfortunately, this story is representative of the state of business presentations and meetings in general. To get to the root cause, we must first unpack what a meeting is and where we're missing the mark with them.
Bad Meetings Cost Money
The Wikipedia definition of a meeting is “a gathering of two or more people that has been convened for the purpose of achieving a common goal through verbal interaction, such as sharing information or reaching an agreement.”1
Did you catch that? “For the purpose of achieving a common goal.” As in, a specific purpose. Yet, based on the following research and anecdotal experience from most practitioners and leaders I've worked with, the majority of meetings are not even close to fulfilling that definition. The consensus around the usefulness of business meetings is perhaps best articulated by Joseph Stillwell: “A meeting is an event at which the minutes are kept and the hours are lost.”
Every year, online scheduling service Doodle.com conducts a research study into the effectiveness of business meetings in the United States and the United Kingdom. In assessing more than 19 million meetings in its 2019 State of Meetings report, Doodle estimated that between just these two nations, the cost of poorly organized and ineffective meetings amounts to more than half a trillion dollars per year.2 More precisely (and mind-bogglingly), that's $541,000,000,000. No, my cat did not just walk all over my keyboard.
Take a moment to let that sink in. Imagine if you spent $1 million every single day. At that rate, it would take you almost 1,500 years to burn through the cash our meetings are wasting every year in just two countries.
“CEO Whisperer” Cameron Herold has written an entire book about ineffective meetings, appropriately titled Meetings Suck. Herold has a refreshing take on the real root cause of this issue, which isn't the meeting itself:
“We aren't training or equipping our people with the right skills and tools to run effective meetings. It's like sending your kid into a Little League game without ever giving him a glove and playing catch in the backyard or teaching him how to swing a bat.
And yet, that's essentially what we do with our employees when we send them into meetings without training them. It's like a parent blaming the game of baseball for why their child hates Little League. It's not the game of baseball that's to blame, it's the parent.”3
I believe the skills gap Herold refers to affects not just how we run meetings but the entire process of data presentation before, during, and after meetings. Data can be dry and soulless without being told through skillful storytelling strategies. It's why I believe that there are no bad presenters; there are just presenters who've gained the skills and ones who haven't…yet.
Winning Over the Audience
But I have good news. This book will help your presentation meetings avoid joining that statistic in a way that leverages your most unexpected ally in the room.
Who is this ally, you ask?
It's your audience member's brain.
That's right. This massive collection of neurons, synapses, and glial cells all bundle up to be your best friend or your worst enemy during your data presentations. Every single person sitting at that conference table has a brain, and despite different preferences and personalities, they all function in a similar way in how they absorb, recall, and react to information. Knowing what makes the brain tick is your key to conference room conquest.
That means knowing things like, from the moment you begin speaking to them, you are in a race of seconds to maintain the audience's ever-shrinking attention spans. With “mobile everywhere always” and multiple browser tabs competing for attention, that mission is getting harder and harder.
It means knowing things like repetition is a mechanism that commits your information to their long-term memory, which leads to post-meeting action-taking.
These two bits are just scratching the surface; the inner workings of the human mind are vast. Because I didn't know this information, my data presentations were failing two fundamental goals:
To maintain the attention of the audience during the meeting
To be memorable enough to make them want to act after the meeting
Thankfully, you're going to learn a comprehensive blueprint for everything you'll need to achieve those two goals.
Even better, none of this is overwhelmingly complex or hard to do. Effective data storytelling is surprisingly simple. Contrary to common belief, you don't need a PhD in psychology or a master's degree in design to tell powerful visual data stories. You also don't need a certification in R or Python, and you certainly don't need to have a TED Talk under your belt (although it certainly helps!).
You need to leverage neuroscience principles and storytelling techniques that most of the corporate workforce doesn't know about.
When I was tired of my hard-earned insights flying into the Data Black Hole, I embarked upon a philosophical journey to answer a deep, metaphysical question:
Why do bad things happen to good data?
Am I right? It's perfectly good data! I've rechecked it three times! My statistical significance calculator says okey dokey! What is going on here?!
My quest to create inspiring and brain-friendly data presentations led me to all sorts of answers, the biggest one being about my audience's brain. That's when I came to understand this:
NOTE
There is a difference between reading from a report and delivering a presentation.
This is where I was going critically wrong. Time and time again, I dumped cluttered, jam-packed report slides into my audience's head and expected them to make sense of it. That's why you aren't going to learn to build reports and rattle them off to live humans. You are going to learn to build and present presentations and stories.
The Two Pillars of Successful Data Presentations
If I could give you two magical cornerstones to uphold your new presentation, it would be these: simplicity and intentionality.
Simplicity
Simplicity means presenting nothing more and nothing less than what is needed. One of the most common complaints about presenting data from presenters and consumers is that there's too much information. But what is presentation simplicity? It means simple insights, simple language, simple slide design, simple charts, and simple recommendations.
But what does the word simple even mean? Simple is defined as “easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty.” Here is that last part again: presenting no difficulty is the essence of simple data presentation. Your job, from this moment forward, is to create data presentations with this tenet: make them do less work.
This must be your driving force. As you explore the mechanics of the human brain, you'll understand why the less work you make your audience do, the more they're able to pay attention to you, and the less likely they'll be zombies by the Q&A.
Intentionality
Intentionality is the conscious and aware application of data presentation practices. Presenting data with intention means that every step you take in planning, brainstorming, designing, charting, and delivering your insights was a thoughtfully deliberate choice. So, your second tenet is this:
Present data by design, not by default.
When you make an intentional choice about every aspect of your data presentations, your audience will see, hear, and feel the difference.
Throw Down the Gauntlet
Making a change to any way of doing something requires resolve and commitment. You must prepare to unlearn everything you know about presenting data.
For this first chapter, I have two vitally important action steps. They will crystallize your commitment to learning and integrating this process into your work.
The first thing I want you to do right now is to stop, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: what is my big why? Why is this important to me? Why am I ready to make this change? What's waiting for me on the other side of my fear and doubt?
On the surface, your big why might sound like any of these:
I'm ready to score that promotion or top year-end bonus.
I'm ready to hire a team to help me elevate to more visible projects.
I'm ready to feel confident in my job security and sleep better at night.
I'm ready to sell more of my software solution to potential customers who don't know they need it yet.
These are all good starting points. But I want you to go deeper than that. I'm talking about driving-force-behind-life whys.
Are you ready for the next big step in your career? Are you ready to lead a bigger team so you can have a more measurable impact on your organization? Are you bored out of your mind at work because you never grow? Are you drowning in bills or debt and are ready to achieve financial stability and abundance?
Go ahead and close your eyes and ask yourself again. Really feel it.
Got your big why? Excellent. Now for the second step: it's easy to declare your why to yourself with the best of intentions. And, life can get in the way. Schedules are jam-packed, deadlines creep up, and that newfound commitment gets put on a shelf to gather dust. What you also need is accountability.
That's why I want to be your accountability buddy. I want you to commit…to me.
YOUR MISSION
Email me at [email protected] (yup, that's my direct address) with the subject line, “I'm committing!” That way, I can easily pick it out among my deluge of messages. Then in the email message, let me know what led you here and how you're ready to go big. Something like this:
“Starting today, I commit to presenting data by design and creating an impact with my insights!” Include your reasons, your rationale, and your big why.
Making a pact with someone else is a powerful way to instill new habits and accomplish your goals. I read every response and will respond (albeit glacially slowly at times).
That's my commitment back to you, and I will be rooting for you through the finish line and beyond!
Chapter Recap
The two primary goals of presenting data are to maintain the audience's attention and be memorable enough to inspire them to take action afterward.
The two pillars of presentation success are simplicity and intentionality.
The two keys to successful habit change are committing and holding yourself accountable to that commitment.
Sandbox Assignment
(Sandbox doesn't sound familiar? Return to the “Learn by Doing” section of the prologue for full instructions on how to implement these tools and techniques in your own work example.)
Begin to contemplate your sandbox data presentation.
Notes
1
Wikipedia contributors. (2023, February 6). Meeting. In
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
. Retrieved 18:12, June 23, 2023, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Meeting&oldid=1137757429
2
en.blog.doodle.com/2019/01/10/pointless-meetings-will-cost-companies-530bn-in-2019
3
Meetings Suck
. Cameron Herold
