Learn to perfectly present big data

Management assistants are often tasked with putting together reports and presentations for their bosses. When a project involves a great deal of data, it can be difficult to effectively share the numbers without confusing the board. Here are some helpful hints for handling all that data.

Understand the big idea No matter how tempting it can be to show off the amount of work you?ve done by including lots of numbers, it?s important to stay focused on the meaning behind them.

Hold their hands Rather than asking your audience to look at a spreadsheet and figure the numbers out themselves, walk them through the important points, highlighting remarkable figures.

Provide context Remember that your audience will already have in mind benchmarks set for the company prior to your presentation. Be sure to show whether the numbers portray improvement or regression.

Show, don?t tell Graphs and charts may make understanding data easier for your board. You should also try to put your numbers into context, such as equating a sum to the population of a large city.

Leave out anything unnecessary If a certain set of data isn?t relevant to the overall point of your presentation, leave it out. Don?t be afraid to let your audience know that they can request further information if they need it.

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