Customizing Reports for Different Audiences

Executives don’t need data dumps. They need clarity. Here’s how to deliver it. Transform insights into action. It’s not about more data—it’s about better stories. The #1 way to supercharge decision-making: insight playbooks tailored to specific audiences. Most people create generic reports and hope stakeholders will find value in them. Instead, I craft Executive Summary Playbooks that speak directly to executives' needs by including: ↳ Key financial KPIs ↳ Variance analysis with material deviations ↳ A concise narrative explaining the "why" ↳ 3-5 strategic recommendations When you tailor insights to your audience, they don’t just read—they act. Let’s dive into each component: 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬: Executives need clarity, not clutter. • Highlight critical metrics like revenue growth, EBITDA margin, and cash flow. • Focus on trends over time rather than overwhelming data dumps. • Ensure these numbers are easy to digest at a glance. (Pro tip: Use dashboards or summaries to avoid information overload.) 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬: Numbers alone don’t tell the full story. • Compare actual performance against budget/forecast. • Zero in on significant deviations—what caused them? • Provide context so executives can quickly grasp the situation. (Avoid burying them in minutiae; prioritize what matters most.) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Data is powerful, but stories drive action. • Explain the "why" behind the numbers—what’s driving performance? • Keep it brief yet impactful. • Anticipate questions before they’re asked. (Remember: Executives appreciate efficiency. Get straight to the point.) 3-5 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Insights without action are meaningless. • Offer actionable next steps tied to the data. • Prioritize recommendations based on impact and feasibility. • Frame them as opportunities for growth or risk mitigation. (Make sure each recommendation aligns with broader business goals.) 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬: A picture is worth a thousand words. • Use "waterfall" charts to show changes in revenue/profit. • Include concise trend lines for key metrics. • Add "traffic light" indicators (green/yellow/red) for quick KPI assessments. (Good visuals save time and enhance understanding.) It’s time to stop flooding executives with data and start delivering actionable insights. No one has time to sift through endless spreadsheets. Craft a playbook that speaks their language, answers their questions, and drives results. Help your leadership team make smarter decisions faster. Would you be ready to turn your reports into playbooks? Which step will you start with? —————————————- 🤝 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞, 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 ⤵

Measurement isn’t the problem... communication is. Marketing teams often struggle to make measurement meaningful across stakeholders. The result? Reports that overwhelm instead of informing. The key issue: Different audiences need different insights. Your CEO wants to see how marketing fuels growth and profitability. Your CFO needs clarity on ROI, CAC, and budget efficiency. Your media buyer needs granular performance data to optimize campaigns. Solution: Build a tiered measurement framework. Executive Dashboard (CEO/CFO) - Focus on outcomes: Revenue growth, ROI, CAC, LTV. - Highlight trends and business impact, not tactics. Strategic Reports (CMO/VPs) - Showcase channel performance, incrementality, and attribution models. - Link insights to broader marketing strategy. Tactical Data (Media Buyers/Analysts) - Provide detailed performance metrics: CTR, CPC, ROAS. - Enable real-time optimizations and testing. Why it works: A structured framework ensures everyone gets the information they need. It also positions marketing as a strategic driver of growth, not just a cost center. Measurement should simplify decisions, not complicate them. The right framework makes the data work for you and your stakeholders.

🤔 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿! One of the most frustrating aspects of reporting for me is maintaining multiple versions of the same report. I’m sure many developers can relate to this! But why does this issue exist in the first place, and how can we minimize it? 💭 Let’s start by understanding why "copying" reports happens. Typically, it arises because different report audiences have slightly varying needs. While the core of what they require is often the same, their expectations for specific features may differ. This situation is something that will always occur to some extent. However, reporting developers can use smart techniques to reduce the likelihood of it happening and create more efficient solutions. 👇 Check out the methods below: 1️⃣ 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮? 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗥𝗟𝗦. Instead of creating separate reports for different regions or departments, leverage 𝘙𝘰𝘸-𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 (𝘙𝘓𝘚) and helper tables to dynamically filter data based on the user. Many self-service teams still make the mistake of duplicating reports when a security model could solve the issue. 2️⃣ 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 / 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀? 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲. Power BI’s 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘴 + 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 allow users to tweak tables, charts, and filters to fit their needs—without developers having to maintain separate versions. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝗶𝗻-𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀. Merging everything into a single report might seem like a great idea for business people, but over time, different audiences develop unique needs—leading to unnecessary duplication. Instead, break reports into modular, focused versions for easier maintenance. You can still keep them organized by sharing them in a single app. 4️⃣ 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲-𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀. If only one group of users needs specific visuals e.g group of slicers - don’t create a new report just for them. Instead, make it visible only to them using 𝘙𝘓𝘚 or add a small annotation clarifying its purpose. Of course this applies to smaller-medium additions only. 5️⃣ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹. This way, even if you need to make copies that can't be omitted, you'll only need to make data model changes once, as all copies or reports using the same data will maintain a live connection to the same data source. 🧠 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 = 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 + 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆! #analytics #data #powerbi #datavisualization #report #dashboard #reporting #microsoftpowerbi #pbicorevisuals

Good decisions start with good data. But we’ve all seen that: endless reports and spreadsheets, dashboards stuffed with numbers (just in case 🤔)... If reports are ❌ too numerous, ❌ too detailed, ❌ too slow, ❌ too disconnected from business needs, they become noise instead of providing insights. Moreover, information overload is not only not guiding leaders forward, but it slows them down. FP&A’s job isn’t just to share numbers. It’s to make sure that the right people get the right information at the right time, and this will help them make better decisions. In this regard the key question is: Are we empowering decision-makers with the right data or just overloading them with reports? So, to enable smart, fast decision-making, ask yourself: ❓ Are we segmenting data and reports by relevance and audience? ❓ Do we have tools and systems to deliver real-time, self-service access to key metrics? ❓ Have we eliminated redundant or outdated reports that are no longer used, or could be consolidated? ❓ Are we tracking report usage and measuring the impact of our data? Do we know what reports and data actually influence decisions? ❓ Do we regularly gather feedback to refine what we deliver? If the answer is “NO”, here are some steps to take: 🟢 Prioritize insights over volume: focus on what truly drives business decisions, not just what looks impressive in a dashboard or a report 🟢 Tailor data/reports to the audience: provide strategic summaries for executives and deeper analysis for operational teams 🟢 Simplify and declutter: get rid of redundant reports and metrics that are not relevant 🟢 Enable self-service access: Invest in tools that allow leaders to access real-time data instead of waiting for static reports 🟢 Track report usage: monitor which reports are used the most, gather feedback and refine based on it. Empowering decision-makers with data isn’t about producing accurate reports. It’s about providing clear, relevant, and actionable insights. If nobody reads your monthly 100-page report, should it even exist? Cut it. This is as simple as that. How does your FP&A team ensure leaders get the right insights without overwhelming them? Share in the comments. #FPandA #FinanceLeadership #StrategicFinance #CFO #financialplanningandanalysis

10 Reporting Tips I have sent 100s of reports. And overtime I have found what works and what doesn't work. Here are my top 10 tips: 1. Audience Identify Key Stakeholders: Determine the specific individuals or departments who will benefit most from the report. Customize Content: Tailor the report’s content to address the unique needs or interests of different audience segments. Feedback Loop: Regularly solicit feedback from the audience to continuously improve the relevance and effectiveness of the report. 2. Timing Align with Business Cycles: Schedule reports in sync with business cycles, like quarterly financial periods. Anticipate Needs: Proactively adjust the reporting frequency during critical business phases. Automate Reminders: Use scheduling tools to automate the distribution process and ensure timely delivery. 3. Business Data Integrate KPIs: Include key performance indicators relevant to the business operations. Dynamic Data Sources: Use real-time data feeds to enhance the report’s immediacy and relevance. Contextual Analysis: Provide analytical insights, comparing operational data trends over time or against industry benchmarks. 4. Declutter Prioritize Data: Focus on the most critical data points that drive decision-making. Visual Simplicity: Use clean, simple visuals to enhance readability and comprehension. Minimalist Design: Adopt a minimalist design approach to reduce cognitive overload. 5. Reusable Template Design: Develop templates that ensure consistency and ease of adaptation for presentations. Modular Sections: Create the report in modular sections for easy extraction and reuse. Adaptable Formats: Ensure the report can be easily converted into different formats without losing its essence. 6. Format Interactivity in Digital Formats: Utilize interactive elements in digital formats like Excel or web-based reports. Print-Friendly Options: Offer a print-friendly version for those who prefer physical copies. 7. Push vs Pull Automated Alerts: Set up automated alerts for new report availability in pull systems. Customizable Push Options: Allow recipients to customize the frequency and type of reports they receive. Secure Access: Ensure secure, easy access for pull systems, particularly for sensitive financial data. 8. Comments Executive Summaries: Include an executive summary highlighting key insights and decisions. Actionable Recommendations: Offer clear, actionable recommendations based on the report’s findings. 9. Standard Brand Alignment: Ensure the report’s visual elements align with the company’s branding guidelines. 10. Self-Explanatory Infographics: Use infographics to make complex data more understandable. Layered Information: Present information in layers, with summaries leading to detailed analysis. Guided Navigation: Include a table of contents or navigation aids to guide the reader through the report. 👉 What is your best reporting tips?

❌ 90% of people in life science: "This is a waste of time." ✅ 10% of people in life science: "My message is more effective". What makes them different when they share content? The 10% take the time to get to know their audience. Remember this rule when creating content: ❌ It should never be about your company or product. ✅ Content is always about your audience. How do you define your audience? Answer these questions very clearly: → What is your product use for? → Where is your product being used? → How often is your product being used? → Who is using your products most frequently? When you clearly define your audience, start to know it very clearly. How do you discover and design a clear picture? Follow these steps: ① Start with existing data. • Demographic and psychographic data. • Click report on your website or social media. • Collect quantity data. ② Conduct nethnography (yes, you read that right). • Observe your readers online. • Determine where they hang out online. • Find what they are saying, following and engaging. ③ And then ethnography. • Observe your reader's behaviour in the real world. • Define their daily activities. • Join a group or attend an event. ④ Speak with your audience regularly. • Spend time with high-involvement readers. • Directly or with a questionnaire. • Collect the problems, their words, and feelings. ⑤ Synthesize your data. • Refine the raw data to make it less overwhelming. • Find affinities or similarities in what you've found. ⑥ Design reader characteristics by answering these questions: • What must your audience accomplish every day? • What are their goals or aspirations? • What do they find difficult to accomplish at the moment? • What makes them complete the purchase of an existing solution similar to the one you propose? • How much are they willing to pay? • Which publication are they likely to read? • Where would it be smart for you to share your message? Refine your understanding of your audience over time. 👉 Your message will be more effective and impactful if it includes more elements that resonate with your audience. 📥 Save for later. 💬 Let's discuss in the comments. ♻️ Repost for others. ---- 👋 Hi, I am Sébastien — Founder of Mywebtechcare®. I help life science leaders build a remarkable LinkedIn presence that generates more opportunities.

Format matters as much as the data itself. In Ana Bertol's (our COO) data storytelling classes, she uses a perfect example: "The heir to the throne has his father murdered. He vows revenge against his uncle..." This is the story of The Lion King. And Hamlet. And The Northman. Same narrative, different audiences, different formats. Would you show The Northman to a child? Probably not (unless you want them in your bed for the next few weeks). With data, it's the same thing. Before creating any report, I always ask: → Who needs this information? → How much time do they have? → Where will they access it? (stage, mobile, desktop?) → What's the main message? → Do we want them to act? How? Real examples: 🎤 Stage presentations: National AI research in Brazil. Beach venue, 30 minutes, executive audience. Solution? Bold, colorful visuals, minimal text, one impactful phrase per chapter. 📱 Quick access: Same research, but we created a mobile-first website with social media-style navigation. Scroll down to change chapters, scroll right to dive deeper. 🖥️ Live events: Interactive totem at event entrance showing key insights for those without access to the full report. What about you? Have a report you wish worked better? Or a creative format you've tried? Share in the comments — I'd love to know. Read more on our substack and don't forget to subscribe. Link to read the full story: https://lnkd.in/dK4P-tcR

Reports: The Principal M&E Product In M&E, reports are very common but that doesn't make them mere paperwork as many do treat them. One stuff for the archives. But they’re strategic tools for communication, learning, accountability, and decision-making. Consequently, every M&E person should learn how to write effective reports. This guide on Report Writing offers practical, time-saving insights for anyone looking to improve the clarity, structure, and impact of their reports. 📌 Key Highlights from the Guide 1. 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 Know who commissioned the report and what they expect. Tailor your tone, structure, and content to your readers. 2. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 Use clear sections: Summary, Introduction, Methods, Findings, Conclusions, Recommendations. Signpost your content to guide the reader logically. 3. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 Use mind maps and spider graphs to organize ideas. Break down tasks to avoid procrastination and overwhelm. 4. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 Avoid jargon and overly formal language. Make your writing accessible and engaging. 5. 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 Separate writing from editing to maintain flow. Always get a fresh pair of eyes for proofreading. 6. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Seek feedback. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. But here is the kicker: reports are the easiest to customize. This is where personal innovation thrives. You can do a lot of thinking and innovation here. The aim is not just to inform. It is to provide clarity and influence decision-making. Let me know: What’s your biggest challenge when writing reports? #MonitoringAndEvaluation #M&EProducts #ReportWriting #DataDrivenDecisions #EvaluationMatters #MERBirds

My last 2 days of posting have lead up to this post: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆 & 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. The answer: client-tailored reporting dashboards. If a client ever emails you and says "How is this product doing since we last talked?" -- 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱. The client should have a reporting dashboard that answers that question before they ask. The biggest mistake agencies make is "generalized" reporting that is the same for all their clients. What's worse? The managers report read out the metrics without interpreting & explaining the performance (e.g., "The CVR decreased by 5%") What?? How does that help the client at all. The client needs agencies to give them intelligence that leads to an action plan. Here's a simple format to help you with that: 🔸 What happened? 🔸 Why did it happen? 🔸 What happens next? Here's a better example of good reporting: 🔹 CVR decreased by 5% 🔹 This was due to increasing bids on higher-funnel keywords, which have far more volume and substantially increased our traffic 🔹 We have to do some optimizations around these keywords to continue growing visibility without spiking ACOS -- so we're going to optimize bids, placement settings, and adding additional negative keywords. That's much better communication. And then the "hack" to client-tailored dashboards is simply giving a custom report that answers all of the client's burning questions before they ask them. From my experience, clients often want to know how each product category is doing. For example, they might have their "flagship" products, their "B-Tier" middle-of-the-range products, and then their "new launch" products. You need a dashboard that breaks all 3 product categories out so clients can quickly & easily see all of the spend, keywords / search terms, CVR and ACOS broken out. This should also be a "live" dashboard that clients can check back on throughout the week so that they never have to ask "how is performance?" That's why AdLabs is soon releasing fully customizable reporting dashboards: 🔹 Tag, group, and organize any data point imaginable (campaigns, search terms, etc.) 🔹 Visualize the data with pie charts, bar charts, etc. 🔹 Compare & contrast performance trends across several groups/categories 🔹 Quickly see top performers / bottom performers from any data set If you can build a dashboard that the client 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 to make business-critical decisions, and further help them interpret that data -- then there's not a chance in the world they would leave you. Sound interesting? Check out AdLabs so you can set up your own custom dashboards and see how client retention goes through the roof 🚀

In data communication, depending on the objective, or nature of the audience, different charts need to be presented differently to maximize impact and understanding. For instance, if your goal is to simply inform the audience with unbiased data and allow them to draw their own conclusions, such as in Reports, then showing trends on a single chart may be sufficient. But sometimes, you may want to direct the audience's attention to individual components of the chart, such as in a Data Story, in which case splitting the chart into smaller sections is more effective. In doing so, you’ll able to put emphasis on key data points and ensure that audiences see the picture from your perspective. Contrary to what many data professionals believe, data communication is not as simple as copy-pasting charts from tools or dashboards into slides. From executives to analysts, always make sure you consider their varying levels of data literacy, the requirements and goals of the communication, and then tailor the chart presentations in a way that the intended message is clearly conveyed to the audience.