How Data Storytelling Can Build Better Customer Connections

"Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."

The State Farm tagline — like so many advertisements — does more than connect with new customers. It also wants to convince existing customers that they made the right decision in choosing State Farm for their insurance.

The same is true about delivering data to your customers. Reporting is more than a feature of your product, it is an opportunity to remind customers of the value your solution provides.

Some product companies understand this concept well. For example, Spotify’s Wrapped is an annual report sent to listeners to summarized their music habits. It is a delightful journey through personalized data and a reminder of how much you have enjoyed the service throughout the year.

Spotify is more the exception than the rule. Here’s a more typical example of reporting, courtesy of Hubspot:

Hubspot reports are literally the very last thing (last drop down, last item) you can find in the Hubspot UI.

But what if Hubspot’s reporting had more ambitious goals than a simple data access interface? What if it defined the pressing questions that many users should care about, and drew a direct line to answers?

A better form of reporting wouldn’t necessarily require different data as much as a user-oriented mindset. It would combine utility with a story that reinforces the value of the product. We are getting closer to “data storytelling” when we use data to convey insights and a message. My definition of data storytelling is:

The presentation of data to communicate a message using the techniques of traditional narrative forms.

How customer reporting can make a difference for your product

Customer reporting is an under-utilized tool for product leaders. Let’s examine the ways that it can build customer relationships:

1. Establish a language

You are the expert on your product and the data it captures. What metrics are you going to emphasize? What behaviors do you want to encourage? Reporting is your opportunity answer these key questions and define what matters.

Twitter is encouraging activity by making their first reported measure ‘number of Tweets.’

2. More touch-points, more better

Staying top-of-mind is critical for product success. Reporting is a chance to deliver a high-value piece of information to your customers — and remind them you exist.

FullStory delivers a weekly digest to my inbox that reminds me to check our engagement numbers.

3. Differentiate your solution

You will set your product apart from the competition when you make your data a valuable part of your solution.

Lunas Consulting (Sales as a Service) recognizes that reporting on the sales activity and wins is a critical part of their client value. They have designed a Juicebox report that provides an interactive exploration of weekly and historical results.

4. Understand the value drivers of your business

One of the under-appreciated elements of reporting is that it requires you to evaluate what activity is important (and what is not). You have to understand where your customers get value. This understanding can then impact your product development decisions. You will understand the drivers of your business better than ever.

Frameworks like the “North Star Metric” force a product organization to understand the key measures of customer value. You want to consider how your product success aligns with the value your customer sees, and how that is displayed in reporting.

https://amplitude.com/blog/product-north-star-metric

Reporting requires managing a careful balance of conveying a message about your value with the transparency and hard-reality of data.