The Data Storyteller's Handbook, with Kat Greenbrook

Funnel Reboot podcast

Episode 208

People resist change.

They only stop resisting when they’re convinced the change is needed.

They’re only convinced change is needed when they grasp the truth.

The best way to present them the truth is with data.

You might think that what works on people is a dry statistical presentation of the data in all its Indisputable, inscrutable glory.

Nope. Those avoiding change give themselves offramps by arguing about your data. History shows that to persuade people to take an action, it takes taking them through data in a way that grabs them emotionally. Some examples include:

Florence Nightingale, 1854

Al Gore, 2006

Princess Diana, 1997

Numbers prove, but a story compels.

This has so much to do with marketing. Here’s why. To do what we do, our bosses / clients must be convinced in how our work is yielding results. That is the core of every story that a marketing presentation tells. Our guest is a Data Storyteller. After graduating from Massey University in 2002, she moved into data analytics. She earned a digital design degree in 2015, combining her design and analytics skills, which led her to specialize in data storytelling. In 2016, she founded Rogue Penguin, a company focused on bridging analytics and business operations.

She now leads workshops for professionals in data science, marketing, and design. And she’s the author of “the data storytelling handbook”

Let’s go to New Zealand to speak with Kat Greenbrook

Chapter Timestamps

0:00:00 Intro 00:05:48 Welcome Kat 00:07:45 when data storytelling is needed 00:09:00 two ways of communicating data 00:13:55 Data stories improve communication between groups 00:26:38 PSA 00:27:18 Canvas for making time stories 00:30:05 making visuals relevant to the business 00:33:19 How to present when you only have part of story 00:39:06 Conserving data-ink 00:43:00 More you show - the less you contrast 00:48:20 Getting the book or contacting Kat

Links to everything mentioned in the show are on the Funnel Reboot site's page for this episode.