As jobs become increasingly similar, there are two skills that everyone would need if they are to thrive. These are the ability to interrogate and make sense of data, and the ability to use insights extracted from data to pursuade others to act. Essentially - Analytics + Storytelling = influence. Humans are hardwired to respod to stories and story structure. Stories are how we make sense of and navigate the world. We respond best to stories based on evidence. But storytellers need to use data as the foundation of stories, not as actual stories themselves. To be truly impactful, rational facts need to be presented with a veneer of emotion. Sam Knowles is a guru in synergising data with stories. With a unbeatable and unique background of data, statistics and public relations; he presents some simple and effective rules of data-driven storytelling that helps everyone tell more compelling, evidence based stories, whoever they may need to convince. He discusses his book, Narrative by Numbers in this podcast. The podcast is in partnership with the BCMA. The BCMA is the global industry body for branded content practitioners, run by practitioners, promoting best practice, sharing knowledge and growing the branded content industry. To know more about the BCMA, go to www.thebcma.info CoPartnered with Atharva Marcom, India's smartest PR firm. Karnvir Mundrey, the Chief Ideation Officer of Atharva Marcom, is also President of BCMA India. Reach out to them at www.atharvamarcom.com or atharvamarcom@gmail.com.