From Convince to Compel: How to Communicate Data Effectively
- Roseanna Galindo, CCBA, CAVS
- Apr 30
- 7 min read
Every successful data story starts with a clear purpose. Whether you’re presenting to a team, advocating for resources, or addressing a critical issue, knowing what you want your audience to think, feel, or do is essential.
At its core, data storytelling is a persuasive communication act, even when it feels purely informative. In business, there’s no such thing as neutral communication. Every report, every update, every visualization is reinforcing or reshaping a belief, an attitude, or a behavior. Whether it’s internal (staff and teams) or external (funders, clients, partners), your communication is influencing action.
In Data Storytelling Essentials training, I've developed a process called the Precise Plan, which helps data storytellers identify three essential elements: the Big Idea, the Audience, and the Intent. The Big Idea, a concept introduced by Nancy Duarte, is a tool that clarifies the thesis of data story and what’s at stake. I couple that with an awareness of the target audience. With those two providing the base for data communication planning, I add the third element, Intent - the message goal. Among these, Intent is a driving force that shapes the story’s purpose.
In this article, we’ll focus on defining intent, what I refer to as the difference between To Convince and To Compel. These two types of intent are central to effective data storytelling. Understanding how they operate on a continuum can make all the difference in achieving your communication goals.
To illustrate this concept, we’ll explore an example from the nonprofit world that demonstrates how intent shapes the data storytelling strategy for two distinct audiences.
Intent: To Convince or To Compel
If you are wondering how to communicate data effectively then first develop a strategic data communication plan. This includes defining your intent. Intent answers the essential question: What do I want my audience to do with this information?
In speech communication, persuasive goals are often split between seeking passive agreement (“I agree with you”) and immediate action (“I'm going to do something because of what you said”).
In data communication through the sharing of a data story, no matter what the data story presentation format two distinct aims can be achieved:
To Convince
You want your audience to agree with your point, your conclusion, or your interpretation of the data. Maybe you want them to see that a trend matters, that a change is needed, or that an opportunity exists. They don’t have to act immediately, but you want them to believe.
Example: Convincing a gift shop buying team to decrease purchases in a certain product category.
Outcome: Agreement without requiring immediate action.
To Compel
You want your audience to do something because of your data story. You’re not just seeking agreement, you're driving behavior: adopt a new strategy, approve a budget change, support a new initiative, or change a process.
Example: Persuading administration to approve an additional FTE due to the growing popularity of a program.
Outcome: Direct and tangible action, such as signing off on a budget or allocating resources.
This dual framework mirrors the two types of persuasive goals often discussed in public speaking: one seeks agreement; the other drives action. Similarly, in data storytelling, whether we aim to inform, recommend, or advocate, we are moving people somewhere—on purpose.
In fact, every data story lives somewhere on the intent continuum:
Some data stories aim to build agreement; others aim to spark movement. Knowing where your story falls on this continuum helps you design it intentionally. And deliver it effectively.
Intent in Action: Two Examples of How to Communicate Data Effectively
To illustrate how intent shapes the overall design, let's consider a scenario to see it in action.
Imagine this: you’re the director of a vibrant nonprofit museum nestled in a suburban community. Your museum is a hub of activity, with volunteers at its heart. They bring energy and enthusiasm to every corner—from guiding children in a cultural activity room to assisting in the bustling gift shop, leading docent tours, and supporting behind-the-scenes operations in facilities and ticket sales.
But there’s one program that truly stands out: the field trips.
Schools from miles around bring their students to experience hands-on learning that’s as engaging as it is educational. Teachers rave about how the field trips make classroom lessons tangible, and feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
The program has grown so popular that schools from over an hour away now make the journey annually, and your calendar is booked solid. The modest fee charged for each trip contributes a steady stream of income for the museum, and the program’s reputation continues to spread.
As the director, you recognize that success is stretching your team thin.
Volunteers and staff who manage the field trips are juggling multiple responsibilities, and you’re starting to wonder: what would it take to unlock the program’s full potential?
With data insights gleaned from the data set seen below, you set out to develop data stories to communicate two challenges:
First, you need to make the case to your executive team for hiring a full-time employee (FTE) dedicated to managing the field trip program.
Second, you must address a rising barrier: a neighboring school district has begun charging families for busing students to the museum, leading to canceled trips.
Museum Scenario Data Set
Year | Field Trips Booked | Revenue (Field Trips) | Number of Schools | Number of School Districts | Student Feedback Score (1–10) | Classes Canceling Due to Fees |
2021 | 85 | $12,750 | 12 | 15 | 9.5 | 0 |
2022 | 95 | $14,250 | 18 | 12 | 9.6 | 2 |
2023 | 105 | $15,750 | 25 | 8 | 9.7 | 5 |
Each challenge requires a carefully crafted data story - one to convince your executives and another to compel the school board.
Let's look at how intent effectively shapes decisions to communicate the data:
Data Story Example 1: Convince the Museum Executives
Here is how a data story might develop to justify hiring a full-time employee (FTE) to manage field trips.
Big Idea: Hiring a full-time manager is a necessary and profitable next step.
Audience: Executive Team
Intent: To Convince
This data story seeks to build agreement by illustrating the program’s growth, revenue potential, and the opportunity cost of under-resourcing it.
Key Data Points:
Number of field trips booked annually over the past three years
Revenue from field trips compared to other programs
Growth in out-of-area participation
Current staff hours allocated to field trips
Precise Plan: To convince the executive team that hiring a full-time manager is a necessary and profitable next step.
Data Story 2: Compel the School District Board
Here is how a data story might develop to get the neighboring school district to reconsider its decision to charge families for busing students to the museum.
Big Idea: Removing bus fees will protect access to vital educational experiences.
Audience: School District
Intent: To Compel
This story demands immediate action, emphasizing how bus fees are creating barriers to access and undermining the educational mission.
Key Data Points:
Participation rates from the district over three years
Feedback from teachers and parents about program value
Drop in participation after introducing bus fees
Comparison with other districts not charging fees
Precise Plan: To compel the school district to remove transportation fees and restore equitable access for all students to vital educational experiences.
Crafting Realistic Data Communication Goals
Intent is not static. Message intent moves along a continuum. Some data stories begin by building awareness and agreement (convince), while others seek to drive immediate decisions and changes (compel).
It’s important to match your communication goal to your audience’s readiness:
Convince First, Compel Later: If your audience is unaware of the issue or opportunity, compelling action prematurely will likely fail. Start by building understanding and belief, then move toward urgency.
Setting realistic goals is crucial for impactful data storytelling. If you aim to compel action before your audience is convinced, your story will miss the mark.
Consider their current level of awareness and engagement:
Low Awareness: Focus on convincing—build the context.
Moderate Awareness: Transition to compelling—build urgency.
High Awareness: Focus fully on compelling—drive immediate action.
Why Message Intent Matters for Data Storytelling
When you know whether you're trying to convince or to compel, you can make better choices about:
Framing your message:
Are you building understanding, or building urgency?
Selecting your data:
Are you providing proof, or creating a call to action?
Using visuals:
Are your charts meant to clarify a point, or to rally support?
Choosing your language:
Are you inviting agreement, or issuing a challenge?
Data storytelling is never just about the numbers. It's about how the numbers move people.
Summary
Even when you're “just” presenting an update, you're shaping how your audience feels about that update and what they believe should happen next. The power of intent in data communication cannot be overstated. Whether you're aiming to convince or compel, defining your intent shapes the entire narrative of your data story — guiding the data you select, the way you frame your message, and how you connect with your audience.
A data story is always a call to something
Every data story is a call to something. By clarifying your intent from the start, you create stories that don’t just inform — they inspire change. When you craft your next data story, ask yourself:
Am I trying to convince or compel?
What belief or behavior am I hoping to affect?
What do I want my audience to do, think, or feel after hearing my story?
Because in business, a data story that doesn’t change anything… isn’t really a story at all. It’s just noise. And you’re aiming for impact.
How will you align your next data story to move your audience one step closer to action?
Roseanna Galindo is Principal at Periscope Business Process Analysis, specializing in organizational learning and development. She is dedicated to advancing data literacy, enhancing healthcare experiences, and empowering volunteer leaders. Explore Roseanna’s expertise and insights on her blog, The Periscope Insighter, starting with the opening post, "Venn the Time is Right."
Roseanna offers a range of professional development services, including training workshops, keynote speaking, and executive coaching.
Visit PeriscopeBPA.com for more information or click on the button below to schedule a time to connect.
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