Telling a story using data

Context turns data into information

While data can only give you a snapshot, context gives you the big picture. If there was $5,000,000 of revenue last month, what does that really mean? What amount of revenue was the previous month—or this month the previous year?

A study conducted by Stanford professor Chip Heath found that 63% of people could remember stories, but only 5% could remember a single statistic. Putting your metrics in a report format helps you tell a story with your data, which makes it more memorable and more persuasive.

Each month’s or quarter’s report should tell a different story. Look for outliers and trends and answer the questions: What happened this month? Why? What caused it? What should we do next? Use your dashboard report to narrate this story arc.

How do we tell a story?

• • • Identify the most important data
    • Confirm you have the right data
    • Know your audience
    • Convert data to information

Remember: each month’s or quarter’s report should tell a different story