Five Reasons Why Your Data Presentation Isn’t Effective—and How You Can Improve It

You’ve completed the work. You’ve gathered the data. Now what?

When it comes to communicating technical information to others, effectively presenting your results to different audiences is as important as the data itself. If the presentation isn’t properly prepared, your message will not be as clear as you want it to be.

That’s why developing skills in technical communication is so important. Being able to effectively communicate technical processes and complex datasets in both written and visual form helps you stand out in your field and provides opportunities for advancement.

So, how can you make sure your presentation is effective? Here are five ways to do so:

1. Use the Best Tools

In the early stages of planning on how to present your data, successful internal communication is crucial. Using the right tools early on can make sure that your team stays on point and your content stays clear and concise.

Effectively utilizing internal communication and content management systems such as Slack and Asana, along with project collaboration using Agile and Scrum methodologies, will make sure that everyone on your team is on the same page.

2. Design Your Presentation to Fit the Audience

Let’s face it, presenting a highly technical set of data simply isn’t a one-size-fits-all endeavor. Keeping your audience in mind is crucial to making sure that your work is properly received.

Is your audience a group of Fortune 500 CEOs? Colleagues? Fitting your presentation to your audience will ensure that your data sends the message that you want it to send.

3. Edit your Technical Writing to be Precise and Concise

It may sound simple, but using proper grammar and sentence mechanics can turn a complicated-sounding idea into one that’s much simpler to understand. Remember, the data does not speak for itself; it’s your job to point your audience toward the most important parts of your presentation.

4. Structure your Data with the Right Visuals

Nothing will put your audience to sleep faster than scrolling through mountains of raw numbers. Raw, unstructured data cannot paint a picture.

A visual aid alone, however, isn’t convincing if it’s not the right visual aid. In fact, the wrong visual aid can send a message that’s the exact opposite of the one you’re trying to send. Don’t let your audience miss the most important parts of your dataset because their eyes were glossed over looking at nothing but numbers.

If you want to make sure your audience is receiving your message, your data needs to be effectively designed—we’re talking medium, page design, color.  Are you using the proper informational and promotional graphics?

The last thing you want to do is lose your audience with confusing visual aids. Package your data the right way.

5. Explain All Your Visual Aids

Sure, your data might make total sense to you, but when it comes to wowing an audience, the visuals don’t tell the whole story. You do.

If you followed steps one through four, you’re in good shape. You’re prepared because you used the right management systems and collaboration methodologies. You know your audience and tailored your presentation accordingly. Your data is properly structured and packaged using the appropriate visuals.

Also, make sure to write effective text that supports your data visualizations to ensure that readers see what they are supposed to see.

Interested in learning more? Illinois Institute of Technology is launching a new executive certificate in Data, Information, and Technical Communication. Designed for working professionals or graduate students who looking to amplify their skill set and marketability, all courses are fully online and asynchronous to allow you to fit your education into your schedule.

Learn more or sign up for the technical communication certificate online.