Introduction to Evidence-Driven

Selecting and Presenting Compelling Evidence to Support Your Points

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“Show me the numbers!” “Oh yeah, says who?” “Can we really trust this analysis?” Expect your receivers to express doubt at times about your claims and conclusions and demand better proof. It’s not that they don’t trust you. It’s that they need to make sure that the evidence supports a recommended position before taking action. The stakes are simply too high to proceed without evidence.

Imagine what would happen if business people didn’t demand solid evidence. Without comparative sales data, they might pay too much for a property. Without recent investor reports and industry forecasts, they might make poor investment decisions—perhaps selling a stock too soon or hanging onto another too long. Without checking on references, they might hire the wrong senior leader or pass up a junior level employee who could be a star. Without customer feedback, they might miss out on the opportunity to fix a small problem before it turns into a big problem that hurts the brand. Without all the facts in a dispute involving an employee, they might end up making a decision that could result in a lawsuit. The list goes on.

Because the stakes are high in business, competent business communicators know that they need to be evidence-driven. Evidence-driven refers to the ability to select, interpret, and present credible and relevant data in a compelling way. In this chapter, you will learn strategies for driving your argument forward with evidence.