Presentation on the Softer Skills that Data professionals also need to make an impact. Summary of key lessons from the very popular Consultancy Skills for Analysts training course from LaughlinConsultancy.com

1. Paul Laughlin, Managing Director, Laughlin Consultancy
The Softer Skills
Data Professionals
also need these to
make an impact

2. Background
❖ Created and lead customer insight
teams for all the major insurance
brands, products & channels used by
Lloyds Banking Group over 13 years
❖ Added over £11m incremental profit
to bottom line annually
❖ Pioneered work with FCA on
Behavioural Economics in comms
❖ Developed capability in team of 44 &
mentored next generation of leaders

3. Business
“Helping businesses make money from customer insight”
Laughlin Consultancy helps companies maximise sustainable
value from their customer insight, for example by growing their
bottom line, improving customer retention and demonstrating to
their regulator that they treat customers fairly.

4. Globally, Data Science matters
© Laughlin Consultancy Ltd, not to be used without permission.

5. 6 months of data progress

6. 9 Step Analysis Model
Question
Data Analysis Insight
Planning
&
Design
Presentation
&
Distribution
Solution
Buy
-­‐
in Sign
-­‐
off
“Contracting”
translating
business
questions
into
actionable,
analytical
terms
“Delivering”
expressing
analysis
&
insight
in
actionable
business
terms
Addressing
business
need
Transparency
of
activity
Engagement
with
key
stakeholders

7. Getting a good
quality brief
Question

8. The problem with requests

9. Socratic questioning
❖ Aim is to help client have clarity on
need not just what they want:
❖ Concept clarification questions
❖ Probing assumptions
❖ Probing rationale, reasons &
evidence
❖ Questioning viewpoints &
perspectives
❖ Probe implications & consequences

10. “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail” Benjamin Franklin
10
Planning & Design stage
Question
Planning
&
Design

11. 11
What do we
already know?
What am I
missing?
How could I
fill this gap?
How am I going to
communicate
findings?
What are the
Hypotheses?
You could start at any
point in the cycle but
you should look to
address all elements
in completing your
analysis
Design Map

12. Who
Use
/
Involvement
/
Experience
Shopping/Buying
Engagement
/
Influences▪What characterises the
customer/ segment
−demographics
−stage of life
−attitudes
−behaviours
−dissatisfactions
−routines
−etc
▪What are their chief concerns
in life (attitudinal data)?
▪What are their key needs and
aspirations?
▪What are their circumstances
and what is going on in their
lives that impacts how they
see the category?
▪What motivates them?
▪What are their preferred channels for
researching and purchasing products
and how does this compare with other
types of products?
▪How do they make a purchase decision
and what factors are important?
▪What are their attitudes to advice? What
prompts/triggers them to seek advice?
▪How do they perceive your brand vs
other brands? (product category and
wider)
▪How do they become aware of the
category?
▪What is there attitude to planning for
the future? When do they think
ahead, what triggers this?
▪When do they reconsider their
choices? What prompts change?
▪ What and who influences them
and their choices? Who do they
turn to for guidance/information/
recommendations?
▪What competitive product holdings
do they have and why?
▪When are they receptive to
messages?
▪What does the segment need and want
when buying your products?
▪What products are they most likely to
buy and why?
▪What is the current customer
experience?
▪What are the key dissatisfactions
(irritations, frustrations etc) with the
current process?
Pricing/Finances
▪How engaged/informed/involved are
they with regard to competitive pricing?
▪What products do they hold? How does
this contrast with other segments?
▪What triggered their purchase? What
stops them buying?
▪Do they go on to buy something else?
(us or competitor)
▪What are their goals and to what extent
do they plan their spend (budgets)?
12
Insightful questions

13. “Men often oppose a thing merely because they have had no agency in planning it, or because
it may have been planned by those whom they dislike.” Alexander Hamilton (American politician)
13
Buy-In stage
Question
Planning
&
Design
Buy-­‐in

14. Stakeholder Mapping

15. “A moment's insight is sometimes worth a life's experience”
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (American writer)
15
Insight stage
Question
Data Analysis Insight
Planning
&
Design
Buy-­‐in

16. Media and Technology Trends
Regulatory Environment
Socioeconomic Stats
Competitor Intelligence
Market Developments
Qualitative Research
Quantitative Studies
Tracking Studies
Meeting Customers F2F
Customer Complaints
Listening in at Call Centre
Those who meet customers
Sales, Customer &
Transactional data
Communication
Evaluations
Behavioural
DataEnvironm
ent
Research
Custom
er
Connection
Customer Personas/Vox pops
Customer Experience Study
Market
Intel.
Team
External
MI
Database
Data
Team
Analysis
Team
Research
Team
Customer
facing
Colleagues
16
4 sources of Insight

17. “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people”
William Butler Yeats (Irish poet)
17
Sign-off stage
Question
Data Analysis Insight
Planning
&
Design
Buy-­‐in Sign-­‐off

18. Communicating
your analysis
Question
Data Analysis Insight
Planning
&
Design
Presentation
&
Distribution
Buy-­‐in Sign-­‐off

19. Effective Communication
❖ Complete
❖ Concise
❖ Considerate
❖ Concrete
❖ Clear
❖ Courteous
❖ Correct

20. Hierarchies of communication
❖ Hierarchies of headlining
❖ Short, eye-catching, wording

21. Storytelling
❖ People are engaged by stories
❖ Psychological studies show better
attention & recall (esp. feelings)
❖ Common templates:
❖ “Just imagine, if…”
❖ “Wow! I’m going to tell… about this”
❖ The Burning Platform

22. Data Visualisation Principles
❖ Graphical integrity
❖ Data-Ink
❖ Chart Junk
❖ Data Density
❖ Small Multiples

23. Data Visualisation

24. Data Visualisation

25. Influencing the
Outcome
Question
Data Analysis Insight
Planning
&
Design
Presentation
&
Distribution
Solution
Buy-­‐in Sign-­‐off

26. It’s all about taking action
❖ Ensuring request is for action
❖ Designing analysis for action
❖ Including recommended actions
❖ Progress updates on action
❖ Measure effect of actions
© Laughlin Consultancy Ltd, not to be used without permission.

27. Influencing at the Top Table
❖ What’s on their agenda?
❖ Bring Customer updates
❖ Bring Commercial updates
❖ Joint updates with
Marketing, Sales or Ops
(collaborate)
© Laughlin Consultancy Ltd, not to be used without permission.

28. 9 Step Analysis Model
Question
Data Analysis Insight
Planning
&
Design
Presentation
&
Distribution
Solution
Buy
-­‐
in Sign
-­‐
off
“Contracting”
translating
business
questions
into
actionable,
analytical
terms
“Delivering”
expressing
analysis
&
insight
in
actionable
business
terms
Addressing
business
need
Transparency
of
activity
Engagement
with
key
stakeholders

29. Action orientated learning
One thing I will do
differently as a result of
this presentation is…

30. linkedin.com/in/paullaughlin
paul@laughlinconsultancy.com
+44 (0)7446 958061
Any questions?
customerinsightleader.com
laughlinconsultancy.com
@LaughlinPaul
© Laughlin Consultancy Ltd, not to be used without permission.