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Lesson 5 — Analyst Storytelling With Excel

Leaders don’t remember every cell. They remember stories. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to turn an Excel sheet into a one-slide story that gives context, highlights change, and points clearly to the next decision.

Goal of this lesson:
Move from “Here is the file” → “Here is the story. Here is what we should do.”

1. Why Leaders Need Stories, Not Sheets

A busy leader may only give your work 30–60 seconds. That means:

• They won’t scroll 8 tabs.
• They won’t decode complex formulas.
• They will scan for: What changed? Is this good or bad? What should we do?

Your job is to compress the work into a story that answers those questions quickly and clearly.

2. The One-Slide Story Framework

Use this layout when building a summary from Excel:

1. Title: The decision in one line (e.g., “Renew Lagos promo — Q2 uplift confirmed”).
2. Key Metric Block: 2–3 numbers that tell the core story (trend, change, comparison).
3. Simple Visual: One clean table or chart, no clutter.
4. Insight Line: Context → Change → Consequence (from Lesson 4).
5. Recommended Next Step: One clear action for leadership.

Think of this as your “Excel → Story bridge”. The sheet holds the detail. The slide carries the decision.

3. Before vs After — What Storytelling Changes

Before (what many analysts send):

“Please find attached the regional sales file. All months included. See sheet ‘Summary’.”

After (what a leadership-focused analyst sends):

Subject: Q2 Regional Sales — Lagos Recovery Confirmed

Slide Summary: “Q2 sales grew +18% overall, with Lagos reversing a 3-month decline after supply constraints were fixed. We recommend keeping the revised promo mix for another quarter.”

The second version points leadership toward a decision. The Excel file becomes backup, not the main event.

4. One-Slide Story Template (Fill This In)

Title (Decision Headline):
______________________________________________

Key Metrics (2–3):
• Metric 1 (trend/change): ___________________________
• Metric 2 (trend/change): ___________________________
• Optional Metric 3 (risk/opportunity): ______________

Insight Line (Context → Change → Consequence):
______________________________________________
______________________________________________

Recommended Next Step:
______________________________________________

This becomes your voiceover when you speak, or your summary box on the slide if you’re not in the room.

5. Worksheet #5 — Build Your First Story Slide

Take any Excel file you worked on this week and do the following:

1. Write a decision-style title (“Approve / Pause / Fix / Scale…”).
2. Choose the 2–3 metrics that best support that decision.
3. Write your Insight Line using Context → Change → Consequence.
4. Write one Recommended Next Step for leadership.

Tip: If you struggle to choose metrics, ask: “If leadership could only see two numbers, which ones would change their decision?”

Continue to Lesson 6 — Automation Essentials → 

 

Lesson 5 is part of the Excel → Insight Course inside the GVB Data Analytics Hub™. As you complete more lessons, you’re building the foundation for the future Data Visibility Starter certificate.