Discover how to present data effectively using charts, tables, and visual evidence that tells compelling stories and supports your business recommendations.
This is Lesson 8 of The English Farm's professional course on business presentations. In this lesson, you'll learn how to present data effectively using charts, tables, and visual evidence.
Showing data visually—not just with words or numbers—makes your presentation more persuasive and easier to understand, especially for executive audiences. Learn different ways to present data effectively.
Look at the following phrases. What kind of charts or images can you use to show the following information? If you don't know the right words, try to describe the image to your teacher.
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"Our new process made each task faster—down from 45 minutes to 30 minutes."
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“Customer satisfaction rose from 68% to 89% over the past year.”
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“Marketing spent 40% on digital ads, 30% on events, and 30% on print materials."
Your teacher will read the definitions of these visual elements in random order. Match each one to the correct definition.
Understanding these visual elements helps you learn professional English communication that executives expect.
| Visual Element | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1. Line Graph | |
| 2. Pie Chart | |
| 3. Bar Chart | |
| 4. Table | |
| 5. Infographic | |
| 6. Heatmap |
When you present trends, begin with a starter and an overall summary of the trend. Then, give more details and say the impact.
These professional English techniques help you describe data clearly and confidently in any business setting.
| Starter | Trend | Detail | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| As you can see in the graph, | task time dropped | from 45 minutes to 30 minutes. | This shows improved efficiency. |
| This chart shows | customer satisfaction increased | from 68% to 89%. | That’s a 21-point improvement. |
| According to this line graph, | the number of users grew steadily | over the past year. | This trend highlights strong engagement. |
| If we look at the pie chart, | the largest portion of spending | is on digital marketing (40%). | It reflects a strategic focus on online channels. |
| In the table, | sales in Q4 were higher | than in Q3 by $2.5M. | This confirms successful end-of-year promotions. |
Mini Task: Look at the following graphs. Make at least two sentences to describe the chart and a third sentence to point out the impact. The impact can be general.
A: Clothing Sold in 2025
B: Customers Visiting Store based on Age Group
C. (Average) Number of Minutes Spent on Website based on Gender
1. Look at the following table and describe the information as if you are presenting it.
This exercise lets you practice the professional English skills we've covered with real business scenarios.
Why Now? (Phase 1)—Low Risk and High Impact
| Initiative | Cost | Timeline | Expected ROI (12 mo) | Risk Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-commerce platform upgrade | $180,000 | 3 months | +18% online sales | Low |
| Marketing automation rollout | $90,000 | 2 months | +15% lead conversion | Low |
| Live chat + chatbot system | $60,000 | 1 month | +22% customer support satisfaction | Low |
2. How would you show this data visually? What chart will you use?
Customer Expectations (Survey Highlights))—Top Three Pain Points
| Question Asked | % of Respondents |
|---|---|
| "Would you like more self-serve options online?" | 78% |
| "Have you abandoned a purchase due to slow checkout?" | 64% |
| "Do you prefer brands with 24/7 support availability?" | 71% |
3. For the following table, what would your main message be? Why?
Projected Benefits Over 12 Months)—Direct Impact Areas
| Benefit | Measured Impact |
|---|---|
| Increased digital revenue | +$2.3M |
| Lowered customer service cost | –18% |
| Increased customer retention | +11% |
| Shortened sales cycle | –2.5 weeks |
You now have some approaches and ways of presenting data and using the formula of trends/patterns + details/specifics = impacts and outcomes. Try using this technique to reframe and refocus any data or numbers you come across this week, and see how you might unlock and articulate the story within the numbers.