Why numbers are only as compelling as the narratives we attach to them.

Facts and figures can be your friend, but before you load your presentation full of data, Miro Kazakoff has a word of caution: “Data’s objective, but people are not.”

You might think that your data speaks for itself, but Kazakoff says numbers need a narrative. A senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and author of Persuading with Data: A Guide to Designing, Delivering, and Defending Your Data, he says the key to making data persuasive isn't about showing more information — it's about understanding your audience well enough to know how to relay it in a way that will connect with them. "The people who get good at this are not so much the people who can talk and draw graphs well, but the people who can listen the best. It starts with is empathy.”

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Kazakoff joins Matt Abrahams to explore how to transform complex data into clear, compelling communication. From avoiding the "curse of knowledge" to effectively orienting your audience through visualizations, he shares practical strategies for making your data not just informative, but persuasive.

Episode Reference Links:

• Miro Kazakoff
• Miro’s Book: Persuading with Data
• Ep.49 Make Numbers Count: How to Communicate Data Effectively

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:14) - How to Use Data Persuasively
• (04:01) - The Curse of Knowledge in Data Communication
• (06:26) - The Best Way to Present Data Visually
• (08:41) - The Role of Context in Making Data Meaningful
• (10:53) - Orienting Your Audience When Presenting Data
• (13:29) - Storytelling in Data Communication
• (15:30) - The Final Three Questions
• (20:29) - Conclusion

********
Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.

How to really know what your audience is thinking.

To be a great communicator, you have to get out of your own head. But that’s not all, says Matt Lieberman. According to him, you also have to get into the head of someone else.

“Mind-reading is this remarkable ability that humans have,” explains Lieberman, a professor of psychology, director of UCLA’s Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, and author of Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect. But even as we engage in perspective-taking, Lieberman says our attempts to mind-read often miss the mark. Instead, he advocates for “perspective-getting” — where we don’t just intuit what others think, we ask them directly. “That is where more productive conversation comes from,” he says.

In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Lieberman and host Matt Abrahams explore insights from social neuroscience that can help us communicate more effectively. From understanding how our brains process social interactions to recognizing our own assumptions, he reveals why successful communication requires both humility and genuine curiosity about how others see the world.

Episode Reference Links:

• Matt Lieberman
• Matt’s Book: Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect
• Ep.24 Feelings First: How Emotion Shapes Our Communication, Decisions, and Experiences
• Ep.39 Brains Love Stories: How Leveraging Neuroscience Can Capture People's Emotions

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:14) - The Social Brain
• (05:15) - Neuroscience in Business
• (07:14) - The Science of Persuasion
• (11:46) - Social Pain & Connection
• (15:04) - Tackling Loneliness
• (17:56) - The Final Three Questions
• (24:01) - Conclusion

********
Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.

Rethink career success by testing, adapting, and staying open to unexpected opportunities.

Career planning isn’t as straightforward as we often assume—but according to Dorie Clark, that’s actually a good thing. Instead of following a rigid path, she believes we should be “treating our careers like a series of experiments”—testing, iterating, and staying open to unexpected opportunities."People assume they need to have everything mapped out for the next twenty years," Clark explains. "But in reality, careers are built through testing, learning, and adapting—just like a scientific hypothesis."
As a bestselling author and career strategist, Clark has spent years studying how professionals can future-proof their careers in an unpredictable world. She shares why informational interviews, LinkedIn strategy, and quarterly career check-ins are essential tools for anyone looking to make a career shift. “You don’t want to be so mired in your plan that you can’t take advantage of unexpected opportunities,” she says.
In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Clark joins host Matt Abrahams to challenge traditional career advice and explore strategic personal branding, the power of weak ties in networking, and why “reinvention isn’t a one-time event—it’s a habit.”

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. Explore your job potential at Linkedin.com/jobs.

Episode Reference Links:

• Dorie Clark
• Ep.118 Maximizing your Personal Brand: Communicating Who You Are to Help Get What You Want

Connect:

• Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart Premium
• Email Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.io
• Episode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart Website
• Newsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.io
• Think Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
• Matt Abrahams >>> LinkedIn

Chapters:

• (00:00) - Introduction
• (02:26) - The Importance of Long-Term Career Vision
• (03:58) - Testing Your Career Hypothesis
• (05:31) - Being Proactive in Your Career
• (08:02) - Reinvention: Small vs. Big Career Changes
• (10:35) - How to Explore a New Industry
• (12:21) - Transferring Skills to New Careers
• (14:20) - Optimizing Your Personal Brand
• (17:43) - Best Career Advice Received
• (19:34) - Career Regrets & Lessons
• (21:17) - Conclusion

********
Become a Faster Smarter Supporter by joining TFTS Premium.

This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn. Explore your job potential at Linkedin.com/jobs.