| Help People Understand Your Data by Making It Relatable. People can't use data to make decisions if they don't understand what the numbers mean. To help colleagues wrap their heads around a data point — how big or tiny it is, how important it should seem — compare it with something concrete and relatable. When you're talking about lengths of time, frame your data in terms of flights between cities, TV episodes, or how long it takes to microwave a bag of popcorn — whatever your audience will know. When you're talking about size, use places and things that are familiar to listeners. For instance, if you were trying to show a San Francisco audience what 1 million users really looks like, you might mention the San Francisco Giants baseball field, which has 41,915 seats: "Our users would fill the stadium almost 24 times." Articulating figures this way can keep the narrative from getting lost in the numbers. | | | | Today’s Tip | | Help People Understand Your Data by Making It Relatable | | People can't use data to make decisions if they don't understand what the numbers mean. To help colleagues wrap their heads around a data point — how big or tiny it is, how important it should seem — compare it with something concrete and relatable. When you're talking about lengths of time, frame your data in terms of flights between cities, TV episodes, or how long it takes to microwave a bag of popcorn — whatever your audience will know. When you're talking about size, use places and things that are familiar to listeners. For instance, if you were trying to show a San Francisco audience what 1 million users really looks like, you might mention the San Francisco Giants baseball field, which has 41,915 seats: "Our users would fill the stadium almost 24 times." Articulating figures this way can keep the narrative from getting lost in the numbers. | | This tip is adapted from “3 Ways to Help People Understand What Your Data Means,” by Nancy Duarte | | |  | | Smart business starts here. | | We make it our job to help you do yours. Subscribe to HBR and unlock access to unrivaled business insight and resources. | | | | |  | | Newsletter | | The Daily Alert | | Links to all the digital articles published in the last 24 hours. | | | | | | | | | | | |
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