About this session
A presentation can contain accurate data and still leave the audience unsure what matters.
Too many charts, weak visual hierarchy, unexplained metrics, buried conclusions, and slides designed around the analysis process rather than the audience can make important findings unnecessarily difficult to understand.
Participants learn to move from data to insight before building the presentation.
They identify the question the audience needs answered, distinguish an interesting data point from a meaningful finding, test whether the evidence supports the conclusion, and structure the story around what the audience needs to understand or decide.
They then translate that thinking into clear visual communication: selecting appropriate charts, reducing unnecessary complexity, highlighting the important pattern, communicating uncertainty honestly, and connecting evidence to implications, recommendations, and action.
The result is data communication that is credible, concise, and easier to use.
What your people take away
- Identify the insight and decision behind the data before building slides
- Structure data stories around audience questions, evidence, implications, and action
- Choose charts and visual treatments that make patterns easier to understand
- Remove visual clutter while preserving important context and nuance
- Communicate uncertainty, limitations, and comparisons without misleading the audience
- Present recommendations confidently and respond effectively to questions about the evidence
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- What each length covers, 30 minutes to full day
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What each length covers
30 minutes
30 Minutes — Key Points: Find the Story in the DataA focused 30-minute session on three key points from Find the Story in the Data: start with the question, find the signal and separate finding from interpretation.
- Start with the question
- Find the signal
- Separate finding from interpretation
Covers 3 of 4 points in Find the Story in the Data.
60 minutes
Turn Data Into a Story People Can UnderstandA focused introduction to data storytelling. Participants learn to identify the key insight, structure it around what the audience needs to know, select an appropriate visual, and turn one data finding into a clearer decision-ready message.
- Question before chart
- Finding the insight
- Audience needs
- What? So What? Now What?
- Chart selection
- Data Storytelling Quick Makeover
- Live Q&A
Covers 1 of 4 parts: Find the Story in the Data.
90 minutes
Build Clearer Data Stories & PresentationsThe extended session moves from insight identification into narrative structure, message-led slide design, chart selection, visual hierarchy, evidence, uncertainty, and recommendations. Participants improve a realistic data story during the session.
- Insight identification
- Audience analysis
- Narrative structure
- Message-led headlines
- Chart selection
- Visual hierarchy
- Evidence and uncertainty
- Decision-ready recommendations
- Live Q&A
Covers 2 of 4 parts: Find the Story in the Data and Build a Clear Data Narrative.
3 hours
Covers 3 of 4 parts: Find the Story in the Data, Build a Clear Data Narrative and Design Visuals That Make the Evidence Clear.
Full day
Data Storytelling & Presentation LabA practical full-day workshop covering all four modules. Participants transform complex or poorly presented data into a concise story, redesign charts and slides, strengthen the evidence behind their conclusions, and deliver a short data presentation followed by questions and feedback.
- Module 1 — Find the Story in the Data
- Module 2 — Build a Clear Data Narrative
- Module 3 — Design Visuals That Make the Evidence Clear
- Module 4 — Present Data for Decisions & Action
- Insight Extraction Lab
- Audience & Decision Mapping
- Narrative Architecture Exercise
- Chart Selection Challenge
- Visual Decluttering Lab
- Misleading Visuals Review
- Executive Slide Makeover
- Presentation & Q&A Practice
- 90-Day Data Storytelling Plan
- Live Q&A
Covers all 4 parts.
Also available as a 4-week or 8-week program, for change that lasts. Ask us about it.
What’s covered
Find the Story in the Data
Every length- Start with the questionData storytelling begins with the question the audience needs answered, not with the charts already available.
- Find the signalA useful insight goes beyond reporting that a number increased or decreased.
- Separate finding from interpretationThe data may show what happened without proving why it happened.
- Prioritize what the audience needsNot every finding belongs in the presentation.
Build a Clear Data Narrative
90 minutes and longer- Know your audienceExecutives, technical specialists, clients, operational teams, and colleagues may need different levels of context, detail, evidence, and explanation from the same analysis.
- Create a narrative arcStrong data stories create movement rather than presenting disconnected findings.
- Lead with the messageA slide title such as 'Quarterly Results' describes the topic but does not communicate the insight.
- Connect evidence to actionData storytelling becomes useful when the audience understands why the finding matters.
Design Visuals That Make the Evidence Clear
3 hours and longer- Match the chart to the questionDifferent visual forms answer different questions.
- Direct attention deliberatelyThe audience should not have to search the slide to discover what matters.
- Keep context & comparisons honestVisual choices can exaggerate or conceal differences through truncated scales, inconsistent intervals, inappropriate comparisons, or missing denominators.
- Show uncertainty when it mattersForecasts, estimates, survey results, models, and incomplete data often contain uncertainty that should remain visible.
Present Data for Decisions & Action
Full day only- Present the story, not the slidesA strong presenter does not narrate every number on screen.
- Make recommendations decision-readyDecision makers need clarity about what is being proposed, why, what evidence supports it, what trade-offs exist, and what action is required.
- Handle questions about the dataQuestions may challenge the source, methodology, assumptions, sample, comparison, interpretation, or recommendation.
- Design for different presentation contextsA live executive briefing, client presentation, dashboard review, virtual meeting, and self-serve report create different demands on the story and visual design.
Tools and materials
- Audience & Decision Map
- Insight & Evidence Canvas
- Data Story Arc
- What? So What? Now What? Canvas
- Message Headline Builder
- Chart Selection Guide
- Visual Hierarchy Checklist
- Data Integrity Checklist
- Decision-Ready Recommendation Builder
- Data Q&A Preparation Guide
How booking works
- Book online. Create a free Workbliss profile, then pay with session credits, by card or by invoice.
- Pick a date. Choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or book now and set the date later.
- Choose your expert. Within 3 working days, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date.
- We deliver it. Your expert is briefed on your people and goals, then runs the session live online or at your site.
Questions about Data Storytelling & Presentation
How long is Data Storytelling & Presentation?
Data Storytelling & Presentation runs as 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, 3 hours or full day. You choose the length when you book. A 30-minute session covers three key points from Find the Story in the Data: start with the question, find the signal and separate finding from interpretation. A 60-minute session covers Find the Story in the Data in full, with a live Q&A. A 90-minute session adds Build a Clear Data Narrative. A 3-hour session adds Design Visuals That Make the Evidence Clear. A full-day session adds Present Data for Decisions & Action. It is also available as a 4-week or 8-week program.
Can Data Storytelling & Presentation be delivered online or in person?
Yes, both. It runs live online, so every office can join at the same time, or in person at your site, in any country.
How do we book Data Storytelling & Presentation?
Create a free Workbliss profile with your work email, then open Data Storytelling & Presentation to see the price for each length and book it. You can pay with session credits, by card or by invoice, and choose a date at least 14 days ahead, or set it later.
Who leads the session?
A vetted Workbliss expert, briefed on your people, culture and goals before the session. After you book, we send you profiles of the experts available for your date within 3 working days, so you can choose who leads it.
Can it be tailored to our company?
Yes. Every session is shaped around your goals, your people and the benefits you already offer, and delivered by experts in your people’s languages.