Tip 1: Utilize Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most impactful ways to convey information. Our brains are naturally inclined towards narratives. The more you can incorporate stories, the better.

When I refer to "story," you might think of its conventional definition, which is an account of imaginary or real events and characters. However, I mean it in a broader context, as outlined in the book The Storyteller's Secret.

The author defines a story as any three-part narrative. Examples include:

• Status quo. Problem. Solution.
• What? Why? How?
• What? So what? What now?

Here's how the first example looks in practice:

> AI has revolutionized the business landscape (status quo). While its potential is evident, translating it into specific, value-generating business applications remains challenging (problem). In this article, I will outline five AI success stories to guide its implementation in your business (solution).

Tip 2: Provide Examples

Data science is rife with abstract concepts that often seem disconnected from everyday life (e.g., features, overfitting, curse of dimensionality). A powerful method to make these abstract notions relatable is through concrete examples.

For instance, if a stakeholder asks, “What’s a feature?” your instinct might be to respond with a definition: “Features are what we use to make predictions.” However, this is a rather vague explanation.

A clearer approach would be to follow up with a specific example: “For example, the features in our customer churn model are Account Age and Number of Logins in the Last 90 Days.”

Tip 3: Employ Analogies

While examples are effective, sometimes they might not suffice. This is where analogies come into play. Analogies are valuable because they connect the familiar to the unfamiliar.

For instance, when I had to explain Mechanistic Interpretability to a non-technical client, I encountered a daunting term (even for data scientists). Here’s how I framed it:

> Modern AI systems like ChatGPT are incredibly powerful, but we don't fully understand their inner workings. The concept of Mechanistic Interpretability involves examining these systems to understand what different components do.

By likening a large language model (unfamiliar) to a car engine (familiar), the abstract idea becomes much easier to grasp.

Tip 4: Use Numbered Lists

In a multitude of ideas and words, numbers often stand out. This makes them an effective means of presenting information.

For example, I’m utilizing this strategy to structure the seven communication tips in this article. This technique goes beyond the typical list you might encounter online.

Another way to employ numbered lists is when making multiple points in your communication. For instance, I want to convey two points here: 1) numbers attract attention, and 2) they provide a clear framework for organizing information.

This approach works well because numbers like 1, 2, 3, etc., are simple and familiar concepts that require minimal cognitive effort to process.

Tip 5: Embrace Brevity

> “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” — Mark Twain

This principle embodies the essence of effective communication. Your audience has a limited amount of attention to offer. Therefore, as communicators, we must be judicious in how we use that attention.

While it may seem that using fewer words would mean consuming less time, the opposite is often true. Distilling ideas into their most essential forms requires numerous iterations.

This could involve reducing the number of slides in a presentation, minimizing the elements on each slide, or even cutting down the character count in the title.

Here are some guidelines I follow in a business context:

• Keep presentations to 20 minutes or less (approximately 10 slides or fewer).
• Limit each slide to 3–5 elements.
• Make bullet points as concise as possible.

Tip 6: Visualize Instead of Verbalize

An extension of the principle of brevity is favoring images over text. Processing text demands more cognitive resources than interpreting visuals, making images an exceptionally effective means of conveying ideas while preserving the audience's limited attention.

Here’s the fine-tuning analogy from Tip 3, contrasted with a visual representation of the same concept.

This underscores the significance of data visualizations. Although this topic warrants its own article, it shares the foundational principle of brevity.

Tip 7: Take Your Time

This final tip was transformative for me. In the past, I often rushed through my presentations, likely due to nerves and a desire to finish quickly. Eventually, I realized that my nerves would diminish if I slowed my pace and adopted a calmer tone.

Slowing down not only enhances the audience's experience but also creates a more enjoyable presentation atmosphere. A rushed talk can feel overwhelming, while a well-paced one resembles a gentle stream. Thus, a brief, hurried presentation can be more taxing than a longer, well-timed one.

Bonus: Understand Your Audience

While the strategies mentioned can lead to immediate enhancements in communication, their effectiveness will be limited if the message is not tailored to the audience. This highlights the importance of empathy.

Empathy involves understanding things from another person's viewpoint. It is vital for effective communication as it provides the context needed to frame all aspects of your presentation.

The more you can empathize with your audience, the more effectively you can address their interests and comprehension.

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[1] The Storyteller’s Secret: From TED Speakers to Business Legends, Why Some Ideas Catch On and Others Don’t by Carmine Gallo [2] Oxford Languages. (2024). Story. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.google.com/