baker's dozen: 13 tips for better reports and presentations
DESCRIPTION
Thirteen useful tips for creating market research reports and presentations that get acted upon and remembered.TRANSCRIPT
- Bakers Dozen 13 tips for cooking up tasty reports Liz Van Patten QRCA Annual Conference October 2012
- Recipe Framing Storytelling Crafting insights Making it accessible
- 1. Understand clients objectives and choices Plan to answer the objectives Consider the available options
- 2. Get agreement on reporting methods How will report be used? What format(s) is best solution?
- Report or Presentation? Teleprompter 50 75 words/page Poor compromise Too often the default Document 75+ words on page Preparation Discussion Presentation Minimal words Key take-aways Images for impact
- 3. Create a template from project objectives Build a structure for the report Start with issues in the guide
- Useful reports are information pyramids Insights Headlines Findings
- Information structured for reader segments Scan Read Study
- 4. Start writing before fieldwork begins Write objectives and method in advance Gives stronger focus during interviewing
- 5. Get a head start with debriefs Listen to clients Start process of report writing Keeps everyone on the same page
- Analysis Story 6. Tell a compelling story StoryData Data Data
- One- third pie Two- thirds pie Three- thirds pie No- thirds pie Stories make sense of the data
- 7. Select findings that support your story Focus on the objectives Resist including everything Avoid tangents
- 8. Add value with analysis Incorporate your own unique insights
- 9. Make information easy to access Write headlines not labels Scan in ten minutes
- 10. Craft insights that lead to action Write action-oriented insights Use verbs
- What is an insight anyway? Below the surface Not common knowledge Leads to new opportunities
- 11. Visualize your insights Look for metaphors and visuals Makes it more memorable
- Three communication need states Not mutually exclusive Varied requirements for each Multi- tasking Single- tasking On-the- road
- 12. Use visual emphasis to highlight insights Bold fonts* Colored fonts Call-outs Colored boxes *avoid all caps or underscored
- Highlight key take-aways Make them easy to find 13. Highlight findings that support insights
- Source: Tapping Encore Talent MetLife/Civic Ventures Survey
- Emphasize headlines to guide readers Source: Tapping Encore Talent MetLife/Civic Ventures Survey
- Headlines become useful Table of Contents Source: Tapping Encore Talent MetLife/Civic Ventures Survey
- Recipe for better reports Understand client needs Get a head start Write from the objectives Think like a mystery writer Craft insights Make information accessible
- Thank you! Liz Van Patten 631-283-7842 [email protected]