Data storytelling training

Narrative and numbers. Stories and statistics. Descriptions and data.

There are still those who say that analytics and storytelling are just too far apart and that the skills required to make sense of data are incompatible with the skills demanded to craft a compelling narrative. Rarely – they claim – are both skillsets present in the same individual.

Yet in our information-rich age, data is all around and ever present – whatever sector and category we work in. What’s more, the ability to find and make use of truly relevant data forms the basis of evidence-based narrative. Even better, a story that combines both narrative and numbers appeals to the emotional part of the brain that makes decisions as well as the rational part of the brain that goes on to justify those decisions.

Fundamental equation of impact

Indeed, at Insight Agents we believe that there is a fundamental equation of impact when it comes to effective organisational narratives. And that equation is simply this:

Analytics + Storytelling = Influence

Insight Agents are the original experts in data storytelling, and we’ve been delivering live, in-person training in this area since 2015. In that time, we’ve trained approaching 5,000 people in almost 300 training sessions in the art and science of data storytelling, in the room and online. We’ve run courses in many different industry sectors, from pharma to finance, media to market research, trade associations to tourism, energy to education, public relations to software.

We know that great data storytellers can blend and bridge the often ‘fire and ice’ domains of narrative and numbers to great effect. And rather than drown their audience with statistics – hoping to browbeat them into submission with yet another data point – instead they use data in communication with humanity and empathy.

Great data storytellers also respect the data tolerance of their audience and can transport themselves into the minds, the mindsets, and the shoes of those they seek to influence. They appreciate the power and impact of clear and simple narrative structure. They know that no more than a third of what they say will be recalled. And they understand that, after a presentation, fully 63% remember stories, while just 5% can recall statistics.

Three, signature training courses

Insight Agents’ philosophy of data storytelling has three core components.

Asking Smarter Questions

To make smarter use of data in the stories that we tell, we need to ask smarter questions to identify and deploy only truly relevant data.

How To Be Insightful

To move from relevant data to genuine insight – that often-elusive, abstract concept, best defined as “a profound and useful understanding of an issue, market, person, or audience” – we need simple guardrails and frameworks.

Narrative by Numbers

To move from insight to action in communication, we need to deploy these data-driven insights with humanity and empathy.


At Insight Agents, we build and deliver bespoke training courses in these three topic areas, with content always tailored to the specific needs and current skill levels of participants. Training sessions are typically run in half-day blocks, and experience has taught us that groups of up to 20 deliver optimal learning outcomes. That said, we have run training sessions for five to 500 people, and our sessions rate highly both in the room and online (an average of 4.5 / 5 across multiple dimensions).

As well as training single companies, we are the preferred data storytelling training partner for the Market Research Society (MRS) and the Public Relations & Communications Association (PRCA) and their members. We have also run training for members of the Account Planning Group (APG), Institute for Practitioners in Advertising (IPA), and Media Research Group (MRG).

 

To discuss the data storytelling training needs in your organisation, do get in touch