Who, What, Where, When, Why and WOW!: How Visuals Can Impact Deliverables to Internal Clients.

Posted on August 29, 2019

Storytelling is an ancient art form that’s used in many ways today. Often, it’s thought of from a marketing perspective in how brands share their stories with customers in a compelling way. But, it can be valuable in market research as well. Specifically, consider how storytelling can be applied in creating a more impactful way of sharing research findings with your internal clients.

As defined by the National Storytelling Network, storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination. All great stories answer who, what, where, when, why and how. The “wow factor” comes in from the storyteller, in their understanding of the audience and the way in which they present the facts.

Here’s how you, as the storyteller, can wow internal clients with your deliverables:

  • Get organized by putting an outline together before starting the presentation.
    • Gather your transcripts, make your template and give yourself a timeline to complete the presentation prep.
    • Have a conversation with your client before you begin preparing the presentation on the length and the amount of detail they prefer.
  • Think about the way in which your internal client likes to have information presented.
    • Many clients are different. Does your client for this project prefer a topline, a detailed report for reference or a presentation that’s somewhere in between? Don’t know what they prefer? Ask!
  • Add impact to your presentation through visuals.
    • Graphics can help guide the audience on how best to comprehend the findings on the page.
      • Pro tip: SmartArt Graphics in PowerPoint and Slideshop.com are great resources.
    • Videos can help client teams visualize their customers and make the insights more impactful and believable. They are particularly useful in high-profile projects or in situations where bad news is delivered as they take the pressure off of you and put the focus on the client’s comments.
      • Add the client’s first name, city and demographic to the bottom of video clips when editing.
      • Pro tip: Focus Vision, QualVault and iMovie are great resources to use when editing clips or short videos.
      • Pro tip: Sharefile is helpful when storing and sending encrypted clips.
  • Keep these things in mind to improve the flow of your presentation.
    • Layout is a key factor in any presentation. The best presentations are those in which the graphics and words work hand in hand in the layout to craft a compelling story for the audience.
      • The Table of Contents helps you to set up the flow and  can also be a useful reference when you are writing and editing the presentation.
      • An Executive Summary is helpful for high-level leadership or for clients who only have time for you to present a few slides.
      • Keep insights memorable by presenting only one big idea per page.
      • Bold important phrases and quotes as readers will view those first.
      • Keep your language concise and avoid long sentences.
      • Use consistent fonts and text sizes that are in line with the template.
      • Once complete, go back and fine tune your presentation with photos and other graphics or icons. Pro tip:  we love subscription sites such as Thinkstock.com, iStock.com, Thenounproject.com, Getty Images and Unsplash.

So why should you go the extra mile to incorporate storytelling and graphic visuals into your market research findings? Because when you go beyond simply reciting findings to crafting a story from the data that provides insight, and and you share that insight in an impactful and visual way, you wow your clients–and that’s what brings them back for more.

To learn more, contact us at [email protected] or visit www.marketryinc.com.