As the pendulum swings away from visualization as the great saviour of data science and analytics, I’m seeing a renewed focus on presentation. At the same time, with the data landscape changing and literacy rates increasing, we’re also witnessing a change in what stakeholders are expecting from those presentations.
Sure, some “analytic presentation” definitions remain the same. Notably, it means that an individual is making a verbal presentation in front of a group of people to share new knowledge so that the audience can learn and choose to apply it to their situation. And yes, credibility is enhanced when the content looks clean and professional.
But what’s changed, or has gained new clarity, is scrutiny of the message. Visualization tools, from Tableau dashboards to PowerPoint templates, have made clean and professional content table stakes.
Connection and communication
For many, the pressure to communicate effectively triggers stress and a fear that they won’t be able to tell a convincing story without strong presentation skills. Be that nerves, aversion to the spotlight, or perceived need to be the life of the party to be an effective presenter.
This pervasive view (wrongly) assumes that a strong story is dependent on charisma and polish, which is understandable. Audiences are impressed by confidence and style. It captures their attention. And if you want to be a professional speaker or motivational leader, all valid concerns. However, let me remind you. We’re talking about analytics here, not a speech to the United Nations.
Attention is not the same as trust.
And presentation skills are not the same as storytelling skills.
A strong data story comes down to substance. Does style help? Absolutely. An investment in presentation skills is never wasted. But without a strong evidence-based narrative to support it, even the shiniest presentation will fall apart.
Presentation skills alone won’t cut it
Strong delivery is engaging. There’s no denying that. In the room, it can feel persuasive. Eyes light up. Heads nod.
But then the meeting ends.
The slides get shared. Notes get forwarded. Someone who was not in the room tries to explain the findings or decision to someone else. And if the presentation relied on delivery rather than a solid argument? That’s when things start to unravel.
If the story only works when the presenter is there, the story isn’t ready. It may sound compelling in the moment, but once the confident delivery is gone, there’s nothing left to carry the message forward.
It inevitably leads to confusion and doubt: “I get the data, but I still don’t understand why we are doing this, or why this matters.”
A strong presenter can keep a weak argument on life support during a presentation. But outside the room, it won’t survive.
Skepticism is higher than ever
We’re operating in a world overloaded with information, which can easily lead to misinformation and, unfortunately, increasingly, disinformation.
Leaders are approaching presentations with heightened scrutiny because they’ve seen too many presentations, AI-generated and otherwise, where the data or interpretation doesn’t hold weight. And that type of false confidence, built on outsourced thinking or superficial understanding, is a real threat to operational decision making.
Senior decision-makers today are demanding defensible evidence, not just a well-presented narrative that sounds right.
Leaders want to know what the story is about early, and real persuasion comes from helping them see what really matters and what to do next.
A shift in skill development
This heightened skepticism has also influenced which skills leaders are prioritizing. In the past (and still today), when data stories failed to land, leaders often assumed the problem was in the delivery. “We need better presenters,” or “The data [visualization] needs to be clearer” were, and continue to be, commonly voiced symptoms framed as solutions.
But once you look closer, it’s rarely simply delivery. More often than not, the problem is that people don’t actually know what the story is about, or how to adapt it for different audiences.
“Presentation skills” is an easy label, especially in Learning and Development conversations. But it masks a deeper problem. Polish only goes so far. There’s a need for clearer thinking, stronger interpretation, and a structure that helps explain what the data means and why it matters.
The new standard for data communication
Evidence matters, but what leaders are really listening for is judgment, what this means for the business, what deserves attention, and what should happen next.
And this is where I’m seeing an evolution. There has been a shift in how organizations and decision makers speak to what they value. They are not asking for polish. They want people who can make sense of the data.
As the pendulum settles to a new norm, today’s data sharing priorities have become clear: structure the argument, articulate the story, support it with evidence, and make sure it’s credible for the business.
Bottom line: storytelling skill outweighs pure presentation skill. It honestly always has, but our tolerance for anything less has become lower than ever.
Story structure reduces the burden for presenter (and audience)
At its core, a well-designed data story takes the audience on an intentional journey from what’s known to what could be. That tension is what has us leaning into any form of content or narrative that is relevant to us. And, while magical to witness, it’s not magic. It’s a structure we know and, once known, can be repeated time and time again.
The reason why the structure works is because it’s tuned into what the audience needs, and it doesn’t exclusively rely on the presenter to perform. It gives a data story guardrails on where to focus and where to let go. It helps manage questions, keeps tangents from derailing the conversation, and holds up under questioning.
Creating a solid structure starts by thinking through the story first, then building the presentation to support that message (even though it often happens the other way around). Presenters need clarity on their point of view, the questions they’re likely to face, and the decision they’re trying to support before building slides.
That clarity reduces the need to adapt on the fly, which lets the story carry itself and enables even nervous or unpolished presenters to deliver a strong argument.
The structure does the heavy lifting, so the presenter doesn’t have to.
A solid presentation is not about being impressive
Telling a compelling data story is about being hard to ignore, but that comes from evidence, not flash. Presenters need to invest their effort into crafting a clear, defensible position if they want their story to live beyond the presentation.
If your team’s presentations don’t hold up beyond the room, structure is usually what’s missing. If this resonates, it’s worth sharing with your team, not as feedback, but as alignment. This is what we mean when we say we want better storytelling.
At Storylytics, we help teams focus on making sense of their data and shaping compelling arguments that stand on their own. If you’re ready to sharpen data-led decision-making in your organization, book a consultation or get in touch.