How can we talk about data so that everyone understands us and makes the right business decisions based on the numbers?
If we don’t translate numbers into real examples directly related to human experience, we lose the whole point of the information. Sometimes we do the tedious work of counting and generating data because we want someone to make a good business decision based on our analyses, but it turns out that all this work can go to waste if our recipients don’t understand the numbers they’re dealing with.
Chip Heath, a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business georgia telephone number data and Karla Starr, a science journalist, wrote the book Numbers Count a guide to data storytelling with practical tips on how to tell stories about data so that we can be understood. The book was published in 2022 by MT Biznes. It is a unique position on the market. There are many guides on how to make charts more readable and convincing, or how to create infographics that help understand complex processes. However, there is no guide on the market that shows how to count numbers, i.e. understand them in an instinctive way.
The higher the numbers, the less sensitive we are to them. This phenomenon is called psychophysical numbness in psychology. We perceive the be useful shift on the numerical scale from 10 to 20 as significant – we feel that it is a significant difference. But the difference between 340 and 350 does not seem so big to us. Although it is the same numerical increase, the example shows that we become insensitive to large numbers. The aim of the authors of the book is therefore to present techniques that will increase the chance of paying attention to the real value of numbers.
To prove this theory, let’s analyze the description below. Which one is more understandable?
A: McDonald’s spends 350 times more money on advertising than the government does on its “5 A Day” campaign.
B: For every 5 hours and 50 minutes a child spends watching McDonald’s commercials, one minute is spent watching an ad for the government’s “5 A Day” campaign.
We can definitely imagine example B more easily. And we live in a world where our success often depends on the ability to communicate numerical values in a clear and understandable way. The book Numbers Count includes even more tips on how to better talk about data. We have summarized them, focusing on 8 principles.
8 Rules for Describing Numbers
#1 Avoid Numbers
The secret to translating numbers is simple: avoid them altogether. Translate them into specific, vivid, and meaningful messages that are so clear that numbers are no longer needed.
In a week complete guide with the main digital marketing strategies to boost your business it will be difficult to recall the specific number defining the percentage of women CEOs, but you will remember that there are more people with this name than representatives of the opposite sex.
Only the second piece of information fully illustrates the scale of the problem and the scale of the obstacles that some people have to struggle with.
#2 Focus on number 1
The quickest way to make your audience understand the number you’re presenting is to start with something simple. It’s a good idea to start with the number 1.
It’s not easy to imagine how much a trillion is. But if we focus on the unit, it will help us understand the scale of the problem.
#3. Favor User-Friendly be useful Numbers
There are two reasons to choose user-friendly numbers. First, they are user-friendly. Second, they are effective. Which is better to remember? 2,842,900 or 3 million? 5.73 times more or 6 times more? Numbers are part of the group of information that we store in short-term memory. Whether it is numbers, names, digits or something else, if we have to remember more than seven pieces of information, we start to get lost.
Rule #1: Simpler is better. Round up.
4.736 is about 5
5/11 is about half
217 is about 200
If you value accuracy, use rounded guatemala lists be useful user-friendly numbers. This will give you a better chance of recalling specific data later.
Rule #2: Whole numbers = better.
⅔ or 0.67 or 67% is 2 out of 3 people
When describing entire objects, use whole numbers, not decimals, fractions, or percentages. The message will then be specific and understandable.
Rule #3: Use the knowledge of experts.
For baseball fans, a more understandable phrase is: an efficiency of .300 than he hits about 3 out of 10 times.
Speak the language of your audience. If your audience has experience working with a particular type of number, use it. The primary goal of translating numbers is to be understood.
#4 Use Comparisons
If you want people to understand the numerical values you’re providing, present them in terms of something they already know. Cultures around the world have used this method to develop measurements for millennia. One study of 84 cultures—from ancient Rome to the Maori—found that most cultures built their units of measurement by referring to the human body (1 in 4 cultures had a cubit, for example).
#5. Transform abstract numbers into concrete objects
It is worth making the messages clear by painting the area of your number. It is necessary to translate the issue from the abstract domain of numbers to a concrete sense. This concreteness helps to understand faster and remember for a long time. The size of a fetus in centimeters may not say much. However, if we allow people to imagine it – by comparing the fetus to things that are familiar – we allow them to realize how big the fetus is. 1 cm is a grain, 2 cm is a nut, 3 cm is a grape, etc. People remember numbers more easily when they affect their senses.
A: CFLs use one-quarter of the electricity (compared to standard incandescent bulbs) and last for 7 years between replacements (compared to a typical incandescent bulb that needs to be replaced every year).
B: Replace the bulbs with CFLs when your child is learning to walk. The next time you need to change a bulb, your child will be in the second grade. The next time you change it, he or she will be taking driving lessons.