Data on its own doesn’t always persuade – but stories do. Whether you’re presenting to clients, influencing stakeholders or explaining performance to non-finance teams, the ability to turn data into a clear, engaging narrative is a valuable skill for accounting professionals.

The following three YouTube videos break down practical storytelling techniques you can apply straight away. From shaping a strong narrative structure to making complex information more relatable, they’ll help you communicate your insights in a way that resonates and drives action.

1. Give Me 9min, and I'll Improve Your Storytelling Skills by 176%

Run time: 9 minutes

Storylab founder and communication expert Philipp Humm teaches people how to tell compelling stories. In this video, he outlines five techniques you can use in any story. From including your location when recounting an experience, to describing the actions you took and what you were thinking and feeling in the moment, these simple strategies can have a powerful impact.

2. Quick Study: Telling Stories with Data

Run time: 5 minutes

Setup, conflict, resolution – every story follows this structure, and the same applies when you’re telling a story with data, says Scott Berinato, author of Good Charts. In this video from Harvard Business Review, he explains how you can identify trends in a chart and use his storytelling framework to build a clear narrative.

3. A Good Story is Better than Great Information

Run time: 7 minutes

In this video from Big Think, actor Alan Alda delivers a lesson in telling a story that people will actually listen to. He suggests starting with a human angle, illustrating this by recounting a story about the invention of the world’s thinnest glass. When the inventor first explained it in technical terms, no-one paid much attention. But when he shared that the discovery happened by accident, it immediately captured people’s interest. Alda also highlights that the key ingredient of a powerful story is drama and that by sharing obstacles and problems, storytellers can better engage their audience.