Welcome to Brilliance@Work, a series of profiles about stellar collaboration professionals and their best practices at work. This month, we’re continuing to feature Marketing Analytics & Data Science experts.

Nancy Kazdan is Founder and CEO of Market Share International. She’s also a presenter at the Marketing Analytics & Data Science Conference on June 8-10, 2016 in San Francisco, California.

As a preview to her presentation “Your Data Doesn’t Always Tell the Story,” Nancy shares insights on why the real goal of communication is human connection.

Peggy L. Bieniek, ABC: What is business storytelling?
Nancy Kazdan: People tell business stories to communicate and connect with employees, customers, colleagues, partners, suppliers and the media. Business stories differ from regular stories, in that you tell them with an objective, goal or desired outcome in mind, rather than for entertainment.

When you tell a story well, it can create an intense, personal connection between your audience and your message. Effective stories can change our opinions, they can inspire us to achieve goals that we didn’t think were possible, and they can show us how we can change things for the better.

PB: How can big data benefit from storytelling?
NK: We are often the bridge between the data and the audience of decision makers we want to encourage to take the desired action. Effective storytelling in business must be focused on tailoring the story to the audience and choosing the right data visualizations to complement the narrative.

PB: How is behavioral marketing and storytelling critical in your work?
NK: I’ve seen a lot of products yield mediocre results. Integers do not evoke emotion, but their interpretation into a powerful story can. We wouldn’t be able to get stellar results without stories that touch emotions that create action.

PB: What role does communication and building relationships play in supporting the data story?
NK: If you want your data to affect change, then you need to have a relationship with your audience and communicate the way they understand.

PB: What will people gain from attending your conference presentation?
NK: Harnessing the power of data doesn’t have to be boring. In this session, I’ve incorporated my knowledge and experience of big data and talent for storytelling. I’ll help you take away your own tools for effective storytelling.

Want to hear more from Nancy? Join us at the Marketing Analytics & Data Science Conference. Learn, network and share best practices with the most influential leaders in data science and analytics. Stay connected at #MADSCONF.