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Why executives Ignore research (And how to change that)
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You put in the work.
You collect the data.
You analyse the findings.
You craft the perfect report.
Then you present it to leadership...
And nothing happens.
No action. No decision. No follow-up.
Why?
Because executives don’t think like researchers.
You present insights.
They need decisions.
So how do you get them to listen?
Here’s how:
1. Drop the data, focus on the Decision.
Executives don’t lose sleep over statistical significance.
They care about:
- Growth
- Revenue
- Risk
So when you say: "Customer satisfaction dropped 10%."
They hear: "Okay… so what?"
But when you say: "If this trend continues, we’ll lose $4.2M in revenue by Q3."
They hear: "Wait… what? How do we fix that?"
Data gets ignored. Decisions get acted on.
2. Make the next step obvious.
A confused mind doesn’t act.
If your research leaves executives guessing what to do next, they’ll default to doing nothing.
❌ "Customers struggle with checkout."
✅ "Simplifying checkout could increase conversions by 20%. I recommend reducing form fields from 6 to 3."
Your job isn’t just to inform. Your job is to make action easy.
3. Tell stories, not just stats.
Executives don’t remember charts.
They remember stories.
Instead of: "62% of users struggle with checkout."
Say: "Meet Sarah. She tried three times to buy, but the form kept rejecting her card. She gave up. And she’s not alone, 62% of users do the same."
Now, instead of a number, they remember Sarah. And that makes them care.
Use:
- A simple graph > A data-heavy table
- A real customer quote > A generic statistic
Make insights real, not just readable.
4. Get leadership Invested early.
Executives ignore research they weren’t part of.
So bring them in early.
Instead of dropping a fully baked report on their desk, get their input before you even start.
"Hey [Leader's Name], we’re exploring X. What’s most important for you to learn from this?"
Now, when you present findings, they’re already invested. And people act on what they feel part of.
5. Keep It short. Keep It simple.
Executives skim.
So make your presentation impossible to ignore.
❌ No jargon
❌ No walls of text
❌ No 30-slide decks
✅ Lead with the key takeaway
✅ Use short sentences
✅ Get to the point fast
If it takes more than 30 seconds to understand your point, you’ve lost them.
6. Show the ROI.
Want executives to act?
Show them what’s in it for them.
Instead of: "Feature X is preferred over Feature Y."
Say: "Prioritising Feature X could increase revenue by $7.5M this year."
Executives don’t think in research outcomes.
They think in business outcomes.
Tie your insights to money, efficiency, and risk.
Now, instead of asking,"Should we do this?"
They’ll be asking,"How fast can we do this?"
Make your research Impossible to Ignore.
- Stop talking about data. Start talking about decisions.
- Make the next step obvious.
- Use stories & visuals to make it stick.
- Get leadership involved early.
- Keep it short. Keep it simple.
- Show the ROI.
📩 Next week: "From Insight to Action: How to Present Research for Maximum Impact."
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