MindSpeaking Podcast Episode 22 -Scott Taylor, The Data Whisperer, MetaMeta Consulting
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🎧 Spotify
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Presentation Opening Strategy
2:41 - Scott's Entry into Data
4:51 - Origin of "Data Whisperer"
5:53 - Presentation Skills in Data
9:06 - Selling Data Management Value
12:44 - Data Storytelling Book Overview
15:08 - Sales Techniques for Data
17:38 - Tips for Engaging Executives
20:24 - Energy and Timing in Presentations
25:00 - Using Analogies for Data
29:27 - Learning Business for Data
34:21 - Building Presentation Skills
40:54 - Integrating Videos for Engagement
43:49 - Strong Presentation Endings
48:11 - Closing Data-Business Gap
52:10 - Key Takeaway: Truth in Data
55:18 - Connect with Scott Taylor
Summary:
In this episode of the MindSpeaking podcast, Gilbert Eijkelenboom speaks with Scott Taylor, the “Data Whisperer,” on presentation skills, storytelling in data, and engaging executive audiences. Scott, an experienced data management professional and author, shares techniques for storytelling that captivate, the importance of aligning data insights with business goals, and strategies for commanding a room. He highlights how storytelling, empathy, and structured preparation can help data professionals make a lasting impact in their organizations.
Introduction
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom:
If you’ve ever felt like the data is speaking, why aren’t you listening? Then you’re at the right place. Today’s guest is Scott Taylor. Scott has 25 years of experience in Data Management, but that doesn’t mean we talk about data management a lot. We mostly talk about how to tell stories, why data management, or data in general, is important. We also talk about presentation skills. Is it a skill you can learn? And if yes, what type of tips can get you ahead, or how you can you improve your intonation, your energy on stage, your confidence? How can you use pauses and have good timing with your humor? All these things Scott learned back when he was still doing theater when he was younger. Scott is the author of the book Telling Your Data Story, so if you’re watching on YouTube, this is the book, and he will share a lot of tips about data storytelling in this episode too. So I’m excited to dive in. He will talk about how to talk to executives, lots of tips about presentation skills, and also how to open and close your presentation and what to avoid. He talks about the art of selling and why it is relevant in the world of data, and why it’s not just this repulsive thing that you need to avoid. So I’m excited to dive into this episode. Enjoy the show.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Scott, welcome to the show.
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Gilbert, great to see you. Thanks for having me.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Absolutely. I’m excited to get into this conversation. There’s a lot to dive into, but let’s start with something people see if they look you up on LinkedIn: Scott Taylor, “The Data Whisperer.” Where does that title come from?
Origins of “The Data Whisperer”
🗣️ Scott Taylor
I picked up the “Data Whisperer” moniker a few years ago, and it just stuck. People seemed to understand it right away, and it makes them smile. It’s like a horse whisperer or a dog whisperer, but for data. I come from data management, so I feel like my job is to help calm data down, train it, and manage it in a way that lets it do what we need. I tried it out on a badge at a conference, and people loved it, so I kept it. Now, whenever I register for a conference, I put “Data Whisperer” in the company field so it prints out on my badge. Despite my background in master and reference data, I corrupt people’s data a bit to get my brand message out there—but hey, it works!
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
(Laughs) So no one’s cleaning it up?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Apparently not! It’s a fun way to test things. You go to a conference, put something on a badge, and see how people respond. It’s a little trick, but it’s fun.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
What I find funny is that you’re not really whispering. You like to bring energy, make noise, go on stage, and bring a loud presence rather than whisper. What are your thoughts on that?
Making Noise with Data Storytelling
🗣️ Scott Taylor
That’s the big reveal! I don’t do a lot of whispering. We’re out here telling, yelling, and selling the power and value of proper data management. We save the whispering for the data itself, but the people have to get excited. We need to get them passionate, fired up, and ready to engage. Part of what you and I do is to help people get executive support, alignment, and engagement. And that’s why the “Data Whisperer” title stuck.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
I’ve seen you on stage and online, and I’m always impressed with how you get people enthusiastic, engaged, and on board with your ideas. I’ve noticed a lot of specific presentation techniques, and I’d love to dive into some of those shortly, like your preparation and techniques for delivering energy on stage. But first, tell us—how did you end up in data?
Scott’s Journey into Data Storytelling
🗣️ Scott Taylor
It’s kind of a weird story, but let’s go way back. My parents told me that instead of building with Lego blocks, I sorted them. That was an early sign I was more into data management than the average kid—organizing these different shapes and sizes, keeping them sorted.
When I left college, my first job was selling maps door-to-door—actual paper maps, dating myself a bit here. That was my first foray into location data, which is essential now with geolocation, address verification, etc. But in terms of working with data, I joined a company that’s now part of Nielsen because the person who ran it knew me as a storyteller. I helped them tell a much better story, position, and approach for their data. The company had been around for 30 years, was relatively successful, but we changed its positioning and what the data’s value could be.
We even talked in presentations about it as a different story—a different positioning. I was in marketing, sales, and strategy, and we rebranded the data as essential information enterprises needed. Because it was master data and reference data, we were licensing foundational core data to help clients structure their information. And that’s when I got bit by the “master data bug.” Any time I went to another part of the data space, I realized it wasn’t as comfortable or interesting to me as master data.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Data management doesn’t always have the best image. How has storytelling helped you reshape people’s perspectives?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
It’s been the core of what I do. Throughout my career—Nielsen, Dun & Bradstreet, Kantar—I’ve worked with global data providers. That experience exposed me to every type of company and level of data maturity, and I learned about the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities they face when data is structured properly from the start.
I spent time with passionate data professionals who were frustrated because no one was listening. Data management isn’t flashy or new, it’s often clerical and back-office work like data stewardship, metadata, reference data—all of that’s way deep in the workings of what people do. It’s hard to see, explain, and even after explaining, people might ask, “Why is this important?” People gravitate toward the sexy stuff—AI, analytics—but I found a space for myself helping these folks tell a better story about their data. That’s why I say I’ve been in data storytelling since it was two words.
Creating Data Stories Based on Sales Techniques
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Storytelling is a journey. Are there stages you go through when crafting a compelling data story?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
A lot of it is based on sales techniques. Sales doesn’t always get the best rep, but I come from a family of salespeople. My dad, grandfather, and even great-grandfather—one of the first rabbis in Texas, which I consider a big sell. So I come from a long line of storytellers and salespeople. Sales is about empathy, understanding people’s needs, and showing how you solve their problems. In data, it’s crucial to reverse-engineer what the company wants to achieve and show how data is essential to reaching that goal. Often, that perspective change makes the value of data clear.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
That resonates. Instead of saying, “We need data management,” you find the point of agreement first, like “We want loyal customers,” and work backward to show how data is essential to that goal.
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Exactly. By connecting data to what the business values, executives see the value right away. If a CEO is talking about transforming customer experience, they need accurate customer data to make it happen. It’s about aligning data’s value with business-critical needs.
Empathy and Listening: Essential in Selling Data Management
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Sales can feel off-putting to some data professionals. Where does empathy fit in?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Selling isn’t about tricks or games; it’s about listening and understanding pain points. Early on, I’d listen for words like “pain” when people described their data issues. When they say it’s painful, you know you’re needed.
Using Metaphors and Analogies in Data Presentations
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
You use metaphors often. How do you make them effective?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Good metaphors shortcut understanding. Start with metaphors related to your industry. If you’re in healthcare, say “Data is the lifeblood of our business.” For a shipping company, data is like moving goods. It resonates more than generic phrases like “data is the new oil,” which often need extra explanation.
Presenting to Executives: Staying Business-Focused
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
You’ve had a lot of experience talking to executives. What’s key when presenting to them?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Executives want to know why it matters, not how. Lead with why your data project is crucial to them. They’re pressed for time, so be direct and business-focused. And always be ready for success—if they say yes, know exactly what to do next.
Final Takeaway
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Scott, thank you for an energetic and insightful conversation. For listeners, what’s one big takeaway from this episode?
🗣️ Scott Taylor
Truth before meaning. Get the data right before deriving insights. And, learn your business—immerse yourself in what your company does so you can spot where data adds value.
🎙️ Gilbert Eijkelenboom
Thank you, Scott. This was a fantastic conversation. For anyone wanting to learn more about Scott and his work, find him on LinkedIn as “The Data Whisperer.” And for listeners interested in actionable data communication insights, make sure to follow along at MindSpeaking.