Present Statistics In Context

"I didn't have 3000 pairs of shoes. I had only 1600 pairs."that amount now represents
Imelda MarcosEverything's relative. A million dollarstheir "forfeited lifetime income". That is what happened
sounds like a lot of money to someone whoto this claimant, and the
makes an average salary, but it's a drop in the bucketamount he would have lost was $750,000. So in fact,
to a Warren Buffett or a Billcounsel was asking no more
Gates. Running a hundred metres in a few secondsthan the amount the man would have earned, had he
seems like a miracle to ordinarynot met with this unfortunate
mortals, but a track and field athlete will work hard toaccident.Don't you think the jury is more likely to agree
shave even more off thatwhen given this background
time.Yet presenters often quote statistics withoutexplanation?Here are three ways to put figures in
benchmarks, so the audience doesn'tcontext for your audience.1. Compare them to
know how to evaluate them. Is $10,000 a lot ofsomething to which they can personally relate, as in
money? Well it is for a bicycle. It'sthe
not much for a house, unless that house is in a smallcourtroom example.2. Compare them to a similar
village in a third worldsituation. If a new manufacturing process takes fifteen
country, where it might be exorbitant. If you quoteminutes, mention that the old one took two hours, so
numbers this way, you will losewe save 1-3/4 hours.For
the audience while they try to decide whethereven more effect, tell them how much time this will
$125,000 is good, bad or indifferentsave in an average shift or on a
in this context. Your statistics lose their power.In acertain number of product units. Go further and
presentation skills workshop for a group of lawyers,translate that time into money and
one participant wasthe statistic will now be a strong argument for
practicing his delivery of an address to the jury in anchange.3. Create vivid word pictures to illustrate size:
upcoming trial. He was askingThat's the equivalent of five football
for damages in the amount of $750,000, and hopedfields. That's enough to fill ten Olympic-size swimming
the jury would consider itpools. If laid end-to-end
reasonable. It's quite a large sum, and most ordinarythey would stretch from New York to L.A. and back
folks think of that kind of cashagain.Statistics can be great persuaders, but only when
as a lottery win. He needed to put it in context forthe audience has the means to
them.He might, for example, ask the jury to supposeevaluate them.Helen Wilkie is a professional keynote
they were thirty-five years old andspeaker, workshop facilitator and author,
earning a salary of $40,000 a year. By the time theyhelping companies save their money and people save
reached the age of sixty-five,their sanity through better
allowing for reasonable increases, they could expectcommunication. Her latest book is "The Hidden Profit
to have earned a certainCenter-a tale of profits lost
amount. (He would do the arithmetic and insert theand found through communication." For more articles
actual sum.) That amount wouldand other information, visit
be what is called their "expected lifetime income".While you're there, sign up for Communi-keys and
However, if they were involved inreceive monthly communication techniques directly
an accident and suddenly unable to work any more,from Helen.