7 Effective Tips for Presenting Data at Work!

Summary

In this informative video, Jeff, a former management consultant turned product marketing manager, shares his expertise on data visualization and storytelling in presentations. He offers seven top tips, emphasizing the importance of context, focusing on a single point, using color effectively, maintaining consistency, leveraging comparison charts, choosing the right chart types, and utilizing stickers to guide the audience. These strategies aim to help presenters clearly convey data and persuade their audience.

Takeaways

• 📈 Data is meaningless without context; presenters must help the audience interpret it meaningfully.
• 🔢 Avoid presenting single numbers without comparison to historical data or industry benchmarks to provide context.
• 🍎 Never compare unrelated data sets, such as quarterly data to year-to-date numbers, as it can mislead the audience.
• 🎯 Ensure there is only one focal point in any table, chart, or graph to direct the audience's attention effectively.
• 📊 When including multiple datasets, present them in stages to avoid overwhelming the audience.
• 🎨 Use color to provide contrast and make data more intuitive by associating different shades with different time periods or data types.
• 📋 Maintain consistency in style and format throughout the presentation to help the audience recognize patterns and maintain focus.
• 📊 Utilize comparison charts to effectively pitch business proposals or request additional investment by showing two scenarios side by side.
• 📉 Choose the appropriate chart type for the data you want to present; avoid pie charts and ensure line graphs start from zero unless zoomed in for clarity.
• 💧 Waterfall charts are excellent for showing how one number relates to another and can provide a clearer picture than traditional bar charts.
• 🏷️ Use stickers like 'WIP', 'For Discussion', 'Preliminary', and 'Illustrative' to clarify the status and purpose of the data presented in your slides.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of presenting data in a presentation according to Jeff?

The main purpose is to help the audience cut through the noise and interpret the data in a meaningful way.

How many data visualization tips does Jeff share in the video?

Jeff shares seven data visualization tips in the video.

Why should a single number not be presented without context?

A single number without context does not provide the audience with a way to understand if the data is good or bad, so it's important to compare it with historical performance or industry benchmarks.

What is the recommended approach when you need to include multiple datasets in one slide?

It is recommended to present those datasets in stages, one after another, to avoid overwhelming the audience.

Why is it important to have only one focal point in a table, chart, or graph?

Having only one focal point leverages the human brain's pattern recognition ability, making it easier for the audience to focus on the most important aspect of the data.

What is the significance of using colors in data visualization?

Colors provide contrast and help the audience identify and understand the data more effectively, as we are better at recognizing color than shapes.

What is Jeff's suggestion for using colors to differentiate between different time periods in a graph?

Jeff suggests using light gray for earlier data, dark gray for the time period just before the current one, the company's brand color for the current period, and a lighter shade of that for forecasted numbers.

Why should the style and format be consistent throughout a presentation?

Consistency in style and format helps the audience to easily recognize patterns and maintain a logical flow of information.

What is a comparison chart and why is it powerful for pitching business proposals?

A comparison chart is a visual tool that shows two or more scenarios side by side, making it easier for the audience to understand the potential outcomes and the benefits of a particular course of action.

What is the general advice against using pie charts?

There is a common saying that pie charts should be avoided because they are not as effective as other chart types in conveying data changes over time or showing relationships between numbers.

What is the purpose of using stickers in presentations and what do they indicate?

Stickers in presentations serve as indicators of the status of the data or the slide. They can denote that the slide is a work in progress, for discussion, preliminary, or illustrative, helping to set the right expectations for the audience.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Enhancing Data Presentation

Jeff, an ex-management consultant and current product marketing manager, introduces his video with the aim of sharing top seven tips for visualizing data in presentations. He emphasizes the importance of context when presenting numbers, suggesting comparison with historical data or industry benchmarks. Jeff also advises against comparing unrelated data sets and stresses the need for a single focal point in any visual to direct audience attention effectively. He uses an example to illustrate the confusion caused by multiple datasets and recommends presenting them in stages if necessary.

05:00

🎨 Utilizing Color and Consistency in Data Visualization

Jeff's favorite tip involves using colors to enhance data contrast, as our brains are better at identifying colors than shapes. He suggests using different shades of gray for historical data and the company's brand color for current data, making it intuitive for the audience. He also touches on the importance of consistency in style and format throughout a presentation, using an example of how changing colors and headers can confuse the audience. Jeff then introduces the power of comparison charts for pitching business proposals, recommending the inclusion of callout stickers for specific details. He also discusses the appropriate use of chart types, cautioning against pie charts and explaining the strengths of line graphs and waterfall charts in showing relationships and changes over time.

Keywords

💡Data Visualization

Data visualization refers to the presentation of data in a graphical format to make it easier to understand and analyze. In the context of the video, it is the core technique discussed for enhancing presentations. The script mentions various tips on how to effectively incorporate charts and graphs to tell a persuasive story, such as avoiding presenting a single number without context and using colors to provide contrast.

💡Context

Context is the background information or setting that helps to interpret data accurately. The video emphasizes the importance of providing context when presenting data, such as comparing current figures to historical performance or industry benchmarks. An example from the script is the sale of 10,000 iPhone units for 5,000 U.S. dollars, where the presenter explains that without context, it's impossible to determine if this is a good or bad outcome.

💡Focal Point

A focal point in data presentation is the element that the presenter wants the audience to focus on and remember. The script advises that there should only be one focal point in any table, chart, or graph to leverage the brain's pattern recognition abilities. An example provided is a chart with three elements that initially confuses the audience, illustrating the importance of a clear focal point.

💡Colors

Colors are used in data visualization to provide contrast and highlight important information. The video script explains that using colors can dramatically increase the effectiveness of a message because the human brain is better at identifying color than shapes. The presenter suggests using light gray for older data, dark gray for more recent data, and a company's brand color for the current period.

💡Consistency

Consistency in data presentation refers to maintaining the same style and format throughout a presentation. The script warns against changing colors, headers, or the order of data presentation as it can confuse the audience who are looking for patterns. An example given is the use of a green highlight to consistently indicate the highest numbers in a series of tables.

💡Comparison Chart

A comparison chart is a type of data visualization that shows two or more scenarios side by side to highlight differences or potential outcomes. The video script describes how comparison charts can be powerful for pitching business proposals or asking for investment, as they can make a case seem almost irresistible if the underlying calculations are accurate.

💡Chart Types

Chart types refer to the various formats in which data can be graphically represented, such as line graphs, bar charts, and pie charts. The script advises against using pie charts and recommends line graphs for showing changes over time and waterfall charts for showing how one number relates to another. The presenter also warns against manipulating the axes of a chart to fit a particular agenda.

💡Stickers

In the context of the video, stickers refer to labels or annotations used in presentations to indicate the status or purpose of a slide. The script mentions different types of stickers such as 'WIP' (Work In Progress), 'For Discussion', 'Preliminary', and 'Illustrative', each serving a specific purpose in communicating the presenter's intent or the stage of the data presented.

💡Action Title

An action title is a strong, concise statement that captures the main action or message of a slide. While not explicitly defined in the script, the video mentions that having a strong action title can make or break a presentation, suggesting its importance in effectively communicating the presenter's key points.

💡Data Storytelling

Data storytelling is the art of using data to tell a compelling narrative. The video script discusses this concept as a key part of presentations, where the presenter shares tips on how to use data visualization to create a persuasive story. An example from the script is using colors to highlight the current period in a graph, which helps in telling a story about the progression of data over time.

💡Investment

In the script, investment refers to the act of committing funds to a project or business with the expectation of generating profit. The video discusses the use of comparison charts in presentations to convince investors or stakeholders to support a proposal by showing the potential benefits of their investment.

Highlights

The importance of context in data presentation: A single number is meaningless without comparison to historical data or industry benchmarks.

Avoiding 'apples to oranges' comparisons by ensuring data from the same timeframe is compared.

The brain's pattern recognition and its use in focusing audience attention on a single point in data visualization.

Presenting multiple datasets in stages to prevent overwhelming the audience.

Using color contrast to enhance data visualization effectiveness and intuitive understanding.

The strategy of using light and dark shades to denote different time periods in data presentation.

The inconsistency in style and format across a presentation can confuse the audience.

The power of comparison charts in pitching business proposals and asking for investment.

Including callout stickers in comparison charts to provide specific details.

Choosing the right chart types for data visualization, with a note on the common aversion to pie charts.

The importance of not manipulating axes in line graphs to fit a narrative.

Waterfall charts as a tool for showing how one number relates to another in a clear and impactful way.

Using stickers in presentations to protect the presenter and manage audience expectations.

Different types of stickers and their purposes in presentations, such as 'WIP', 'For Discussion', 'Preliminary', and 'Illustrative'.

The humorous approach to using the 'Illustrative' sticker to convey a message despite inaccuracies in the data.

The suggestion of a video dedicated to building slides from scratch for a comprehensive understanding of presentations.

The impact of a strong action title in slides on the success of a presentation.

Transcripts

- This is a good graph, but it can be better.

(snapping fingers)

Did you see the three changes

that make this new graph more friendly to the audience?

Let's get started.

Hi friends, welcome back to the channel.

If you're new here, my name is Jeff,

and as a ex-management consultant

and current product marketing manager,

I've probably given around the thousands of presentations

at this point in my professional career.

Some were good, some were bad, some were really bad,

but the important thing to note

is that data by itself is useless.

Your job as a presenter

is to help your audience cut through all the noise

and help them interpret the data in a meaningful way.

So, in this video, I'm gonna share my top seven tips

when it comes to visualizing data,

incorporating charts and graphs into a presentations

and telling a persuasive story.

Dive into data visualization tip number one,

never present a single number

since it gives the audience no context.

Let's say the iPhone goes on a huge sale

for 5,000 U.S. dollars, and they sell 10,000 units.

Is this good?

Is this bad?

There is no way of knowing,

unless you compare historical performance,

because this tells a very different story than this.

If you don't have access to historical data,

the next best thing

is to use industry benchmarks for comparison.

Remember, any number short of making stuff up

is better than nothing when presenting data.

And quick tip here, never compare apples to oranges.

If you have quarterly data,

compare that to other quarterly data.

I recently came across a report

where someone compared quarterly data

to YTD, year-to-date numbers.

This comparison can't be valid

because the timeframes are different.

Data presentation tip number two,

there should only be one focal point

for any table, chart or graph.

And this because our brains are wired to recognize patterns,

and we immediately notice things

that are out of the ordinary.

Leverage this behavior

to easily focus your audience's attention

on the one thing you'd like for them to take away.

To give a counter example,

this chart only has three elements,

but our brains still struggled in the first few seconds

to really understand what's going on here.

So, not recommended.

If you really must include multiple datasets in one slide,

I recommend you present those in stages.

For example, one,

two,

three

so as to not overwhelm the audience.

Quick disclaimer here, this tip does not hold true

for decks designed to be standalone.

There are those presentations

where there are a lot of words and elements on purpose

because it's supposed to be circulated within the company

and be understood with no context.

Data storytelling tip number three,

this is actually my favorite one,

is it use colors to provide contrast.

Back to our brains,

we're much better at identifying color than shapes,

so if we apply a splash of color to our previous graphs,

as you can see here and here, we have dramatically increased

the effectiveness of our message.

Pro-tip, what I'd like to do is to use light gray

for like the much earlier data,

dark gray for the time period

right before like the current one,

my company's brand color for the current period,

and a lighter shade of that for forecasted numbers.

This makes it very intuitive for the audience to understand

the relative importance of what they're seeing.

By the way, lemme know down the comments if you like a video

dedicated to building slides from scratch,

since there's a lot more to presentations

than just charts and graphs.

For example, having a strong action title in your slides

can make or break your presentation.

Table visualization tip number four,

be consistent with your style and format

throughout the presentation.

For example, you can see that I use the green highlight

to highlight the highest numbers here,

and the products are listed in descending order,

from the most sales to the least.

Not only does this next table use a different color

to highlight the highest percentages,

but the headers have all changed as well.

And this can be very disarming to the audience who, again,

are looking for a pattern and consistency.

Tip number five,

when it comes to creating charts, is extremely powerful

when it comes to pitching business proposals

or asking for additional investment,

and that is to use something I call a comparison chart.

Yes, you can create a simple line graph

to visualize that growth if you receive more support,

but why not take a step further

to show the two possible scenarios side by side?

If the underlying calculations are accurate,

this chart makes it seem almost foolish

not to invest in that acceleration plan

to get Game of Thrones, season eight

redone by capable of directors.

Pro-tip, when creating comparison charts,

always make sure to include a callout sticker

that provides specific details about that element.

I'll talk about exactly what stickers to use

and when to use them later on in this video.

Tip number six, use appropriate chart types.

So apparently, you're just never supposed to use pie charts.

I don't know exactly why, but there is a saying,

friends don't let friends use pie charts.

So, stay away from those.

Line graphs are great at showing changes over time.

The one thing to note here is to not manipulate the axes

to fit your agenda.

For example, taking a look at this line graph,

you might come to inclusion

that this weight loss plan is amazing.

Look how quickly your weight is decreasing.

However, if we were to zoom out, we see the larger picture.

There's a gradual weight loss over the course of 12 months.

The rule of thumb here is to start from zero if you can,

then clearly show where you have zoomed in if need be.

And my personal favorite, waterfall charts.

We used to love

using this back in my management consulting days,

because waterfall charts are amazing

at showing how one number relates to another.

For example, there's nothing wrong with this bar chart.

We see the 2020 revenue and we see the 2030 projections,

but how exactly do we get there?

In this waterfall chart,

we can clearly see the factors contributing to this change.

How much each product skew is gonna grow,

and we can even see here,

there's a negative downward pressures

stemming from legal risk.

And this is something the audience would never get

from a simple bar chart.

And tip number seven is to use stickers

to protect yourself during presentations.

If you've ever seen something like this in a PowerPoint

or Google Slides deck, you know what I'm talking about.

WIP stands for Work In Progress.

So if someone clicks into your presentation,

is not done yet, they know it's still ongoing.

If you see a For Discussion sticker,

it usually means it's a very rough first draft,

and you need someone like your manager to review

and let you know if any changes are needed.

The Preliminary sticker means a slide itself is completed

but the data within is still ongoing.

For example, the market survey is still going on,

but you're presenting your initial findings so far.

And finally, the Illustrative sticker.

I find this to be the funniest one,

because it basically means

you can get away with making stuff up.

For example, if I say 50% of the U.S. population

hate Game of Thrones, season eight, I obviously do not mean

only the states on the left-hand side here hate it.

Because let's be real,

a hundred percent of us hate season eight.

No, all jokes aside,

you use Illustrative sticker to make it clear that,

while this specific diagram

or chart is not a hundred percent accurate,

the message you're trying to convey holds true.

If you enjoyed this video

on data storytelling tips for presentations,

you might enjoy this playlist,

where I talk about how to succeed

in the first years of your career.

See you on the next video, and in the meantime,

have a great one.

(soft music)