Methods of Teaching Business Communication provides unique insights into how to teach your business communication or business writing course more easily and successfully.

From Complex to Clear: A Data Expert’s Guide to Better Presentations

A Data Expert's Guide Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

 

At the intersection of mathematics and business, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic discovered her calling: helping people transform complex data into compelling stories. With credentials spanning applied mathematics and business administration, Knaflic honed her expertise through roles in banking, private equity, and Google's People Analytics team before founding Storytelling with Data, where she now teaches others the art of data presentation.

 

Throughout her career, Knaflic has observed a persistent challenge in business presentations: slides that fail to convey their intended message. Despite presenters having valuable insights to share, their points often get lost in a maze of excessive information and competing visual elements. The problem isn't just poor design – it's the fundamental disconnect between what presenters want to say and what their audiences actually understand.

 

Her solution is refreshingly straightforward: embrace simplicity and maintain unwavering focus. Each slide should serve a single, clear purpose, stripped down to its essential components. When presenting complex comparisons or temporal developments, Knaflic advocates for a methodical approach: using animation and narrative to build understanding piece by piece.

 

This step-by-step methodology transforms data presentation from an information dump into a guided journey. Rather than overwhelming audiences with multiple points simultaneously, presenters can lead them through a carefully constructed narrative path. It's an approach that recognizes a fundamental truth about human comprehension: people absorb information more effectively when it's presented in digestible segments rather than as a complete picture all at once.

 

In essence, Knaflic's philosophy suggests that the art of data presentation isn't about showing everything you know – it's about showing exactly what your audience needs to understand, one clear insight at a time.

 

NOTE: This is an extract of the chapter-opening vignette that appears exclusively in Chapter 17 of Business Communication Today, 16th Edition, by Bovee and Thill (Pearson).

 

Business communication instructors and their students can step into the future of business communication with the new, groundbreaking 16th edition of Business Communication Today by Courtland Bovee and John Thill—where artificial intelligence meets time-tested principles. For the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) is seamlessly integrated into every chapter, making this the first business communication textbook on the market to offer comprehensive AI coverage.

 

Neuroscience Meets Business Communication Education

 

This text integrates research-based principles from neuroscience to enhance learning.  This innovative approach aligns with how the brain learns, retains, and applies information, transforming how business communication is taught and mastered. Imagine students who don’t just memorize concepts but confidently apply them. With engagement soaring and retention deepening, your classroom is where communication skills are mastered for life. Give your students the neuroscience advantage. Join leading colleges and universities already seeing remarkable results with our neuroscience-based approach.

December 30, 2025
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Unlock Your Students’ Potential: Why Storytelling Is the Hidden Gem of Business Communication

"The best stories are those that create worlds, evoke emotions, and leave the audience changed."
–Film director and producer, Steven Spielberg.

Storytelling is a powerful and essential skill for business communication instructors to teach their students, as it can significantly enhance their ability to connect with audiences, convey complex ideas, and drive action in professional settings.

In the business world, the ability to craft and deliver compelling narratives can set individuals apart from their peers. Stories have a unique capacity to engage listeners on both intellectual and emotional levels, making information more memorable and impactful. When students learn to incorporate storytelling techniques into their presentations, reports, and pitches, they can transform dry data and abstract concepts into relatable, human-centered experiences.

Moreover, storytelling helps build rapport and trust with clients, colleagues, and stakeholders. By sharing anecdotes, case studies, or personal experiences, business professionals can establish credibility and create emotional connections that foster long-lasting relationships. This skill is particularly valuable in areas such as marketing, sales, and leadership, where persuasion and inspiration are crucial.

In today's information-saturated business environment, the ability to cut through the noise and capture attention is invaluable. Well-crafted stories can simplify complex ideas, making them more accessible and understandable to diverse audiences. This is especially important when communicating across cultural or disciplinary boundaries, as stories often transcend these barriers more effectively than raw facts or figures.

Furthermore, storytelling encourages creativity and innovative thinking. By teaching students to approach business challenges through a narrative lens, instructors can help them develop more holistic, nuanced solutions that consider human factors alongside technical or financial considerations.

Excellence in Business Communication is an ideal text for teaching storytelling in a business context due to its comprehensive approach and practical focus. The book integrates storytelling techniques throughout various communication topics, demonstrating how narrative can enhance everything from presentations to reports and digital media.

It offers concrete examples and exercises that allow students to practice crafting compelling business narratives. The text emphasizes the importance of audience analysis and tailoring stories to specific business objectives, which is crucial for effective professional communication.

Moreover, it covers digital storytelling and the use of multimedia, preparing students for modern business communication challenges. The book also addresses ethical considerations in storytelling, ensuring students understand the responsibility that comes with this powerful tool.

By adopting this text, instructors can provide students with a solid foundation in both traditional business communication skills and the art of storytelling, equipping them to become more engaging and persuasive communicators in their future careers.

July 30, 2024
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