Smartly Turning Data into Decisions Through Powerful Storytelling

Hana Brellah, CEO of Find Your Voice, brings together International Marketing, Commercial & Excellence leadership, a rare mix that equips her to oversee bridging data, story, and decision-making. Today she focuses on helping leaders communicate with clarity and confidence. In this short interview, we explore how turning complex data into compelling narratives is becoming essential for leadership roles.

Karsten: Hana, thank you for sharing your insights with us in this interview. Communication often makes the difference between data that gets noticed and data that gets ignored. Many leaders have strong numbers but flat delivery. What’s your first step in turning a dense performance presentation into a clear, persuasive story that drives senior decisions?

Hana: Karsten, thank you for the invitation to share my perspective.

The first step isn’t simplifying complex data presentations. it’s shifting the focus entirely. The starting point should be the audience. Before building slides or selecting metrics, I ask myself three essential questions: Who am I speaking to? What do I want them to feel? And what is the one key takeaway I want them to walk away with?

Once those answers are clear, everything else follows. I work backwards to select only the data points that support that core message and emotional impact. It’s not about showcasing everything we know. It’s about choosing what matters most to drive decisions. Bombarding senior leaders with endless charts and figures dilutes the message. Precision and relevance are what make data persuasive.

Karsten: Analytics teams often speak in models. Which techniques help turn outputs such as demand forecasts, sales force effectiveness analyses, and promotional return on investment into messages that change decisions?

Hana: Analytics outputs like demand forecasts or promotional ROI only become powerful when we translate them into customer and market impact. The real challenge is often a disconnect. Analytics teams operate far from market realities, while commercial teams are not always empowered or involved in forecasting exercises. This creates a mismatch in language and priorities.

To bridge that gap, we need to build regular touchpoints between both sides. When analytics and commercial teams co-own the narrative, the data gains relevance and meaning. It is no longer just a model. It becomes a message that drives action.

And simplifying that message goes back to my first answer. Start with the audience, define the feeling you want to evoke, and clarify the one takeaway that matters. That is how data moves from insight to impact.

Karsten: You emphasise rehearsal. What does “enough practice” look like before a product launch or a quarterly business review, and how do you avoid over-polishing?

Hana: Enough practice means rehearsing beyond just knowing the content. We need to test delivery, gather feedback, and simulate the real audience to understand what resonates. That includes dry runs with peers, walkthroughs with cross-functional teams, and ideally, a rehearsal with someone who mirrors the actual decision-makers. These sessions reveal blind spots, sharpen the narrative, and help us adapt the message to different perspectives.

Presentations are never a monologue. Continuous audience engagement is crucial, and it needs to be rehearsed too. If we do not plan how and when to involve the audience, whether through questions, pauses, or interactive moments, it often gets skipped under pressure. Engagement should be intentional, not improvised.

To avoid over-polishing, we focus on purpose over perfection. The goal is not to memorize every word but to internalize the message so we can respond naturally. We polish the structure, not the soul. That is how we stay sharp, authentic, and ready to connect.

Karsten: You also developed a ‘Find Your Speaker Style’ framework. How does recognising one’s style change the way leaders prepare and deliver their messages?

Hana: I launched the Find Your Speaker Style test and framework to provide leaders with a quick and practical tool to identify both their predominant speaking style and their maturity level in public speaking. Recognising one’s style is a game changer. It brings self-awareness to the forefront and helps leaders move away from mimicking a generic executive presence that often feels robotic or overly scripted.

The framework is built around four key styles: Informative, Persuasive, Inspiring, and Entertaining. Each style brings a distinct energy and impact. When leaders understand their natural mode, they can prepare in a way that amplifies their strengths and feels authentic. For example, an Informative speaker might focus on clarity and structure, while an Inspiring speaker leans into emotional storytelling.

This clarity transforms preparation. Instead of overengineering delivery, leaders design communication that fits. The result is more confident delivery, sharper messaging, and stronger audience connection. It is not about changing who you are. It is about unlocking how you communicate best.

Illustration: Communicating Insights in a Way that Moves Decisions

Karsten: In cross-country settings, what practices help you lead data-driven discussions across languages and cultures without losing nuance?

Hana: In cross-country settings, leading data-driven discussions requires more than translating content. It demands cultural and contextual sensitivity. We begin by aligning on shared definitions and business goals. What success means in one market may differ in another, so we clarify assumptions before diving into numbers.

Data-driven communication also carries cultural nuance. A dry, technical presentation may work in some countries but fall flat in others where storytelling or emotion is more effective. We adapt our narrative style to match local expectations while preserving the core message.

Beyond local preferences, it is essential to build a common vision. We create shared language and definitions so countries can bring their local brilliance together and meet on common ground. This fosters cohesion without losing relevance.

We avoid jargon, use local examples, and pre-brief teams to surface misinterpretations. Most importantly, we make space for dialogue. Presenting data is not enough. Co-creating understanding is what drives decisions.

Karsten: Beyond confidence on stage, how can organisations measure whether communication coaching truly improves decision-making and business outcomes?

Hana: Beyond stage presence, the true value of communication coaching lies in its impact on decisions and outcomes. To measure that, organisations need to track behavioural shifts. Are leaders framing clearer messages? Are meetings more focused? Are decisions made faster and with greater alignment?

We also look at downstream effects like stronger stakeholder buy-in, better collaboration, and improved commercial results. Embedding coaching into real business moments such as product launches, strategic reviews, and investor updates makes its impact visible and measurable.

Finally, Leaders are the face and voice of their companies. Investing in their communication translates into stronger reputation, competitive edge, clearer strategy execution, and internally, higher employee motivation, retention, and trust across the organisation.

Karsten: Hana, thank you very much for sharing your experience and perspective. Your insights illustrate clearly how communication is not just presentation technique—it is a strategic capability that shapes decisions and outcomes.

This conversation reminds us that strong data alone does not move organisations forward. What makes the difference is the story built around it: starting with the audience, choosing what truly matters, and delivering with authenticity. When analytics and commercial teams co-own the narrative, data gains meaning, confidence increases, and decisions accelerate.

Turning data into decisions is no longer just a technical task. It is a leadership skill.

👉 How do you currently ensure that your data presentations don’t just inform—but actually influence decisions?

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