data-storytelling

Data Storytelling

Transform raw data into compelling narratives that drive decisions and inspire action.

Do not use this skill when

Instructions

Use this skill when

Core Concepts

1. Story Structure

Setup → Conflict → Resolution
Setup: Context and baseline
Conflict: The problem or opportunity
Resolution: Insights and recommendations

2. Narrative Arc

1. Hook: Grab attention with surprising insight
Context: Establish the baseline

Rising Action: Build through data points

Climax: The key insight

Resolution: Recommendations

Call to Action: Next steps

3. Three Pillars

Story Frameworks

Framework 1: The Problem-Solution Story

# Customer Churn Analysis
The Hook
"We're losing $2.4M annually to preventable churn."
The Context
Current churn rate: 8.5% (industry average: 5%)

Average customer lifetime value: $4,800

500 customers churned last quarter
The Problem
Analysis of churned customers reveals a pattern:
73% churned within first 90 days

Common factor: < 3 support interactions

Low feature adoption in first month
The Insight
[Show engagement curve visualization]
Customers who don't engage in the first 14 days
are 4x more likely to churn.
The Solution
Implement 14-day onboarding sequence

Proactive outreach at day 7

Feature adoption tracking
Expected Impact
Reduce early churn by 40%

Save $960K annually

Payback period: 3 months
Call to Action
Approve $50K budget for onboarding automation.

Framework 2: The Trend Story

# Q4 Performance Analysis
Where We Started
Q3 ended with $1.2M MRR, 15% below target.
Team morale was low after missed goals.
What Changed
[Timeline visualization]
Oct: Launched self-serve pricing

Nov: Reduced friction in signup

Dec: Added customer success calls
The Transformation
[Before/after comparison chart]
<div class="overflow-x-auto my-6"><table class="min-w-full divide-y divide-border border border-border"><thead><tr><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">Metric</th><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">Q3</th><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">Q4</th><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">Change</th></tr></thead><tbody class="divide-y divide-border"><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Trial → Paid</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">8%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">15%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">+87%</td></tr><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Time to Value</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">14 days</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">5 days</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">-64%</td></tr><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Expansion Rate</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">2%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">8%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">+300%</td></tr></tbody></table></div>
Key Insight
Self-serve + high-touch creates compound growth.
Customers who self-serve AND get a success call
have 3x higher expansion rate.
Going Forward
Double down on hybrid model.
Target: $1.8M MRR by Q2.

Framework 3: The Comparison Story

# Market Opportunity Analysis
The Question
Should we expand into EMEA or APAC first?
The Comparison
[Side-by-side market analysis]
EMEA
Market size: $4.2B

Growth rate: 8%

Competition: High

Regulatory: Complex (GDPR)

Language: Multiple
APAC
Market size: $3.8B

Growth rate: 15%

Competition: Moderate

Regulatory: Varied

Language: Multiple
The Analysis
[Weighted scoring matrix visualization]
<div class="overflow-x-auto my-6"><table class="min-w-full divide-y divide-border border border-border"><thead><tr><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">Factor</th><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">Weight</th><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">EMEA Score</th><th class="px-4 py-2 text-left text-sm font-semibold text-foreground bg-muted/50">APAC Score</th></tr></thead><tbody class="divide-y divide-border"><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Market Size</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">25%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">5</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">4</td></tr><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Growth</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">30%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">3</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">5</td></tr><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Competition</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">20%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">2</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">4</td></tr><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">Ease</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">25%</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">2</td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground">3</td></tr><tr><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground"><strong>Total</strong></td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground"><strong>2.9</strong></td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground"><strong>4.1</strong></td><td class="px-4 py-2 text-sm text-foreground"></td></tr></tbody></table></div>
The Recommendation
APAC first. Higher growth, less competition.
Start with Singapore hub (English, business-friendly).
Enter EMEA in Year 2 with localization ready.
Risk Mitigation
Timezone coverage: Hire 24/7 support

Cultural fit: Local partnerships

Payment: Multi-currency from day 1

Visualization Techniques

Technique 1: Progressive Reveal

Start simple, add layers:
Slide 1: "Revenue is growing" [single line chart]
Slide 2: "But growth is slowing" [add growth rate overlay]
Slide 3: "Driven by one segment" [add segment breakdown]
Slide 4: "Which is saturating" [add market share]
Slide 5: "We need new segments" [add opportunity zones]

Technique 2: Contrast and Compare

Before/After:
┌─────────────────┬─────────────────┐
│ BEFORE │ AFTER │
│ │ │
│ Process: 5 days│ Process: 1 day │
│ Errors: 15% │ Errors: 2% │
│ Cost: $50/unit │ Cost: $20/unit │
└─────────────────┴─────────────────┘
This/That (emphasize difference):
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ CUSTOMER A vs B │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ ████████ │ │ ██ │ │
│ │ $45,000 │ │ $8,000 │ │
│ │ LTV │ │ LTV │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ Onboarded No onboarding │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Technique 3: Annotation and Highlight

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import pandas as pd
fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(12, 6))
Plot the main data

ax.plot(dates, revenue, linewidth=2, color='#2E86AB')
Add annotation for key events

ax.annotate(
    'Product Launch\n+32% spike',
    xy=(launch_date, launch_revenue),
    xytext=(launch_date, launch_revenue * 1.2),
    fontsize=10,
    arrowprops=dict(arrowstyle='->', color='#E63946'),
    color='#E63946'
)
Highlight a region

ax.axvspan(growth_start, growth_end, alpha=0.2, color='green',
           label='Growth Period')
Add threshold line

ax.axhline(y=target, color='gray', linestyle='--',
           label=f'Target: ${target:,.0f}')
ax.set_title('Revenue Growth Story', fontsize=14, fontweight='bold')
ax.legend()

Presentation Templates

Template 1: Executive Summary Slide

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  KEY INSIGHT                                                │
│  ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════│
│                                                             │
│  "Customers who complete onboarding in week 1              │
│   have 3x higher lifetime value"                           │
│                                                             │
├──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┤
│                      │                                      │
│  THE DATA            │  THE IMPLICATION                     │
│                      │                                      │
│  Week 1 completers:  │  ✓ Prioritize onboarding UX         │
│  • LTV: $4,500       │  ✓ Add day-1 success milestones     │
│  • Retention: 85%    │  ✓ Proactive week-1 outreach        │
│  • NPS: 72           │                                      │
│                      │  Investment: $75K                    │
│  Others:             │  Expected ROI: 8x                    │
│  • LTV: $1,500       │                                      │
│  • Retention: 45%    │                                      │
│  • NPS: 34           │                                      │
│                      │                                      │
└──────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────┘

Template 2: Data Story Flow

Slide 1: THE HEADLINE
"We can grow 40% faster by fixing onboarding"
Slide 2: THE CONTEXT
Current state metrics
Industry benchmarks
Gap analysis
Slide 3: THE DISCOVERY
What the data revealed
Surprising finding
Pattern identification
Slide 4: THE DEEP DIVE
Root cause analysis
Segment breakdowns
Statistical significance
Slide 5: THE RECOMMENDATION
Proposed actions
Resource requirements
Timeline
Slide 6: THE IMPACT
Expected outcomes
ROI calculation
Risk assessment
Slide 7: THE ASK
Specific request
Decision needed
Next steps

Template 3: One-Page Dashboard Story

# Monthly Business Review: January 2024
THE HEADLINE
Revenue up 15% but CAC increasing faster than LTV
KEY METRICS AT A GLANCE
┌────────┬────────┬────────┬────────┐
│ MRR │ NRR │ CAC │ LTV │
│ $125K │ 108% │ $450 │ $2,200 │
│ ▲15% │ ▲3% │ ▲22% │ ▲8% │
└────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘
WHAT'S WORKING
✓ Enterprise segment growing 25% MoM
✓ Referral program driving 30% of new logos
✓ Support satisfaction at all-time high (94%)
WHAT NEEDS ATTENTION
✗ SMB acquisition cost up 40%
✗ Trial conversion down 5 points
✗ Time-to-value increased by 3 days
ROOT CAUSE
[Mini chart showing SMB vs Enterprise CAC trend]
SMB paid ads becoming less efficient.
CPC up 35% while conversion flat.
RECOMMENDATION
Shift $20K/mo from paid to content

Launch SMB self-serve trial

A/B test shorter onboarding
NEXT MONTH'S FOCUS
Launch content marketing pilot

Complete self-serve MVP

Reduce time-to-value to < 7 days

Writing Techniques

Headlines That Work

BAD: "Q4 Sales Analysis"
GOOD: "Q4 Sales Beat Target by 23% - Here's Why"
BAD: "Customer Churn Report"
GOOD: "We're Losing $2.4M to Preventable Churn"
BAD: "Marketing Performance"
GOOD: "Content Marketing Delivers 4x ROI vs. Paid"
Formula:
[Specific Number] + [Business Impact] + [Actionable Context]

Transition Phrases

Building the narrative:
• "This leads us to ask..."
• "When we dig deeper..."
• "The pattern becomes clear when..."
• "Contrast this with..."
Introducing insights:
• "The data reveals..."
• "What surprised us was..."
• "The inflection point came when..."
• "The key finding is..."
Moving to action:
• "This insight suggests..."
• "Based on this analysis..."
• "The implication is clear..."
• "Our recommendation is..."

Handling Uncertainty

Acknowledge limitations:
• "With 95% confidence, we can say..."
• "The sample size of 500 shows..."
• "While correlation is strong, causation requires..."
• "This trend holds for [segment], though [caveat]..."
Present ranges:
• "Impact estimate: $400K-$600K"
• "Confidence interval: 15-20% improvement"
• "Best case: X, Conservative: Y"

Best Practices

Do's

Don'ts

Resources