Data Stories Made Simple

Frequently Asked Questions

Course overview

Duration: ½ day (4 hours)

Numbers need narratives. Turn your charts, dashboards and slides into stories people understand. This session shows you how to move beyond showing data to communicating insight — with simple storytelling techniques that make your message clearer, sharper and far more compelling.

This course is designed for colleagues who already have experience creating charts, dashboards and presentations using tools such as Excel, Power BI and PowerPoint. The focus is on developing the skills to communicate insights clearly and effectively.

Participants will learn practical storytelling techniques that help transform data into meaningful messages, enabling them to present information with greater clarity, confidence and impact.

The emphasis is on:

• Identifying and communicating key insights
• Shaping an engaging story
• Presentation slides vs Handouts
• Guiding an audience through insights using simple storytelling structures
• Presenting with confidence

Objectives 

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• Create clear, audience relevant messages from data and graphs
• Apply simple storytelling structures to shape data insights.
• Refine graphics and visuals for Presentations and Handouts.
• Present data stories with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

Content

Introduction

• Understanding why presenting data with impact takes preparation and storytelling

Finding the Story in the Data

• The difference between showing data and communicating insight
• Identifying the core message – the ‘so what’ test
• Identifying what you want to happen next
• Identifying how this fits your audience’s priorities/business impact
• Simple models for delivering insights
  • Problem, Insight, Action
  • Trend, Implication, Recommendation

Story Structures for Delivering Data Insights

• The Insight Journey
• And – But - Therefore
• Action, Emotion, Outcome
• Setup, Conflict/Issue, Resolution

Visuals that will Support your Story – Presentation vs Handout

• The difference between designing slides and handouts illustrating data
• Choosing the right visuals for the message
• Decluttering and highlighting
• Keeping it simple/don’t overload

Delivering the Data Story

• The Story Your Presentation Tells
• Opening with Impact
• Keeping the audience engaged
• End with Impact

Underscore Group delivers practical, instructor-led training that helps people communicate data more clearly, confidently and effectively. Based in Sussex and supporting organisations across the UK, we focus on real-world learning that helps teams turn data into insight and communicate it in a way that drives understanding and action.

Every session is tailored to your organisation’s tools, reporting context and audience needs, ensuring the techniques learned translate directly into day-to-day presentations, dashboards and stakeholder communication. Our training is trusted by organisations across finance, aviation, healthcare, construction and professional services, helping teams improve clarity, confidence and decision-making.

• Trusted by leading UK organisations
• Expert trainers with real business experience
• Small-group sessions (6–8 people)
• Practical, hands-on learning approach
• Virtual & onsite delivery across the UK
• Six months of post-course support

Still have questions about this course?

Click Enquire Now and our team will share full details on content, dates, and pricing — and help you decide if it’s the right fit for you or your organisation.

Public Training Programme

Explore our current selection of public courses, available as convenient and cost-effective virtual sessions.

Engage with expert instructors and a diverse peer group in an interactive, online learning environment.

Ideal for those valuing flexibility and affordability, our public courses are ideal where you only have small numbers requiring training and offer training from the comfort of your home or office.

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