Approaches to Presenting Science Work to Diverse Audiences

Communicating complex data insights to stakeholders who may not have a technical background is crucial for the success of any data science project. Here are some personal tips that I've learned over the years while working in consulting: 1. Know Your Audience: Understand who your audience is and what they care about. Tailor your presentation to address their specific concerns and interests. Use language and examples that are relevant and easily understandable to them. 2. Simplify the Message: Distill your findings into clear, concise messages. Avoid jargon and technical terms that may confuse your audience. Focus on the key insights and their implications rather than the intricate details of your analysis. 3. Use Visuals Wisely: Leverage charts, graphs, and infographics to convey your data visually. Visuals can help illustrate trends and patterns more effectively than numbers alone. Ensure your visuals are simple, clean, and directly support your key points. 4. Tell a Story: Frame your data within a narrative that guides your audience through the insights. Start with the problem, present your analysis, and conclude with actionable recommendations. Storytelling helps make the data more relatable and memorable. 5. Highlight the Impact: Explain the real-world impact of your findings. How do they affect the business or the problem at hand? Stakeholders are more likely to engage with your presentation if they understand the tangible benefits of your insights. 6. Practice Active Listening: Encourage questions and feedback from your audience. Listen actively and be prepared to explain or reframe your points as needed. This shows respect for their perspective and helps ensure they fully grasp your message. Share your tips or experiences in presenting data science projects in the comments below! Let’s learn from each other. 🌟 #DataScience #PresentationSkills #EffectiveCommunication #TechToNonTech #StakeholderEngagement #DataVisualization

Effective communication is key for career success in industry. Here are 5 tips for scientists to keep their skills sharp! One of the biggest differences between an industry and an academic career is how often you have to engage in speaking with non-technical audiences. That's not to say you won't have deeply technical or academic conversations with your peers or the people on your teams. But the language you have to speak when you make the jump to industry can be totally different in certain situations. You will have to learn how to communicate your ideas, your results, your successes and your failures to business minded audiences. This can be tricky at first, but some keys to communication success are: 1) Know Your Audience - Are you speaking to Key Opinion Leaders in the field or business executives whose last biology class was when they were in college 30 years ago? Those two audiences need to be spoken to differently and your success in communicating effectively to them will be entirely dependent on how clearly you speak each audience's language. You already know how to talk to one of these audiences, you're going to have to work on the other! 2) Simplify Your Message - Simplify complex concepts and avoid scientific jargon. Use plain language to explain your ideas and use relatable metaphors that most anyone can understand. 3) Create a Narrative - One way to get your ideas across in a simple and compelling manner is to turn them into a story. This keeps the audience engaged with the message while preventing them from nodding off. A good tactic for narrative here is "how it is vs how it could be." 4) Practice and Ask for Feedback - As with everything, no one is good at this stuff if they don't practice. So, practice with your team, do a dry run with your boss, moonlight with some science outreach on LinkedIn 😉... But most importantly, ask for feedback and incorporate that constructive criticism into your final presentation. 5) Network Outside of Your Group - Making friends with 'the other side' is probably the fastest way to learn how to best communicate with them. This means reaching out to the business and sales teams and getting outside of your comfort zone. But this will be good for both you and them because building rapport is one of the best ways to get someone to want to hear what it is you have to say.

Medical Affairs: Channels have changed, HCP audiences have changed—has your approach changed too? Not long ago, you could deliver a single scientific presentation to one group of research-centric KOLs. That was enough. But today, it’s a whole different game. There are now countless channels for communication— Social media Live, webinars, Short videos, Long-form presentations, and more. Your audience is also more varied than ever before. Some people only have 30 seconds to spare, Others are ready for a 20-minute deep dive with an HCP. If you stick to one approach, you risk losing half the room. That’s where coaching and focused storytelling come in. Coaching helps you adapt your message so it fits each channel and audience. Storytelling helps you translate complex data into something people actually want to hear. Without these skills, you might have the best research in the world— But if it doesn’t connect or resonate, it goes nowhere. Think of it this way: You have one shot to keep someone’s attention. That might happen in a 30-second clip. Or a longer sit-down talk. Either way, you’ve got to meet them where they are. That’s the power of solid storytelling and a strategic approach. It’s no longer about one static presentation. It’s about being flexible, clear, and compelling across many channels. So if you’re wondering why anyone would invest in coaching or storytelling right now— This is your answer. Audiences are more complex, more scattered, and more demanding. They deserve a clear and focused message that meets them on their terms. And that’s exactly what coaching and storytelling can do for you. If you master this, you won’t just reach people. You’ll keep them engaged, drive real conversations, and get your message heard. Are you ready to adapt? Or will you keep hoping that one approach still works for everyone? The choice is yours. cc: Marcus West

You know your material inside and out. But before a presentation, you're thinking: "What if I don't know the answer to a question?" "My work is so complicated – how can I possibly get through all the necessary steps?" "How will they trust my conclusions if I don't explain all my reasoning?" And you don't feel as confident as you've been in the past. Don't worry. That's super common among scientific professionals moving into leadership roles. Why? Your audience has changed. As you've advanced in your career, you're interacting with professionals who don't share your expertise or daily concerns. And, you're communicating with senior leaders who need high-level insights. The transition can can feel overwhelming when you're unsure how to adapt. The good news is that one change can greatly increase the clarity and impact of your communication: Reverse the typical preparation process. Instead of starting with data and details - aka "throwing some slides together" - begin with purpose and audience. Here are some new action steps for your next communication: 1️⃣ Write down your communication purpose before touching any data 2️⃣ Assess your audience - their background, priorities, and existing opinions. 3️⃣ Identify your key messages 4️⃣ Practice delivering high-level information first 5️⃣ Keep detailed backup information ready but separate By changing your approach, you can transform complex information into clear, compelling communication. This not only makes you a more effective leader but ensures your team's important work gets the recognition and support it deserves. 💡 Want a deeper dive? I'm opening a communication coaching cohort this fall. If you aspire to interact comfortably with colleagues at all levels, and deliver your messages clearly and confidently, please DM me for more info.