Communicate with “3 Acts”

We’ve all heard someone present slides, dashboards, or data like this:

“The analytics show a 30% quarter-over-quarter spike in site sessions, yet lead-to-SQL throughput is flat, leaving pipeline velocity stalled. We might want to try an optimization cycle on hero copy and modules to unblock conversion.”

It’s technically accurate but completely forgettable.

No story. No structure. No spark.

Your audience is left scanning metrics, trying to piece together what matters, and wondering what to do next.

If you want your insight to land (and lead to action), you need a better approach.

That’s where the 3 Act Data Story comes in.

The 3 Acts of Business Storytelling

Just like great movies or books, great data stories have structure. Use this framework:

1. Set Up
What’s happening? What context does the audience need?

2. Tension
What’s going wrong or isn’t working? What’s at stake?

3. Resolution
What should we do about it?

This structure works across any business function. Let’s walk through three examples and what not to do in each.

Marketing Example

What NOT to do:

“Based on Adobe Analytics and our MarTech stack data, site sessions are up 30% QoQ due to campaign engagement and improved SEO performance. However, if you look at lead quality metrics and our SQL conversion ratios, throughput to pipeline hasn’t improved. This suggests a possible decoupling between traffic intent and page-level conversion, especially around non-branded queries. We may need to reoptimize CTAs and hero messaging per variant test velocity.”

It’s overloaded, confusing, and makes the audience do all the work to figure out what’s going on.

What to do instead:
Set Up
Website traffic surged 30% this quarter.

Tension
But qualified leads stayed flat, and our pipeline momentum stalled.

Resolution
We should A/B test copy and CTAs to improve conversion.

Sales Example

What NOT to do:

“When we normalize Q2 CRM data across deal stages, we see a marginal 5% lift in opportunity-to-close win rate. However, this is offset by a statistically significant increase in average cycle length (+12 days) and a regression in average deal value (-8%). The delta appears consistent across enterprise and mid-market segments. This points to possible inefficiencies in value articulation during late-stage negotiation.”

It’s the kind of update that puts the whole room to sleep.

What to do instead:
Set Up
Our Q2 win rate is up 5% over Q1.

Tension
But deal velocity slowed by 12 days, and our average deal size dropped 8%.

Resolution
We need to refine sales enablement materials and explore why bigger deals are stalling.

Operations Example

What NOT to do:

“CSAT remains stable at 92.2% based on post-interaction surveys, but average time-to-resolution has increased by 18% over the past two months. When we break it down, backlog volume in Tier 2 tickets is the primary driver, particularly for product-related inquiries. Without optimization of ticket routing logic or escalation protocols, we could see long-term degradation in perceived responsiveness.”

It’s dense, unclear, and leaves no emotional connection to the business risk.

What to do instead:
Set Up
Customer satisfaction is at an all-time high at 92.2%.

Tension
But support ticket resolution times are creeping up, risking future loyalty.

Resolution
Let’s pilot a new triage workflow to reduce wait times and preserve satisfaction gains.

Why the 3 Act Format Works

✔ Clarifies Your Message
No jargon. No info dumps. Just a clear story.

✔ Increases Retention
People remember stories. Structure makes insight stick.

✔ Drives Action
You’re not just reporting data. You’re guiding decisions.

Take Action

Before your next meeting, apply the 3 Act test.

Ask:

• Have I clearly set up the context?

• Have I created tension that makes people care?

• Have I delivered a resolution that’s actionable?

If not, rewrite it.

Because the best insights don’t just get shown, they get told.

Want to Tell Data Stories That Stick?
At Data Story Academy, we teach professionals how to structure insights so people listen to what you have to say.

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See you next Tuesday.