Package facts so others act
🎨 Adapt your message. Influence every DiSC style.🎨
DiSC Sales Workshop starts in 2 weeks
Tomorrow, I’m giving a talk titled “Package Facts So Others Act” at Financial Executives International. Join us if this could help you…
If you’re a CFO, tech lead, or an analytical leader, you’ve probably felt the frustration of delivering accurate, essential data… only to watch others ignore it. Or delay. Or ask questions that totally miss the point.
You had the numbers. The logic was bulletproof. But the decision didn’t land.
Here is the cold, hard truth: People don’t decide based on data.
They decide based on a gut feeling or an emotional pull, and then they go hunting for the facts that support the choice they already want to make.
As a "Conscientious Style" leader, your brain is wired for precision, accuracy, and complete analysis. You see the world in high-resolution spreadsheets.
But to move the needle, you have to stop being a data-deliverer and start being a translator.
Because others simply don’t see the world through your lens.
You have to get inside their heads to package your facts so others act.
Let’s look at what’s happening on the other side of the conference table, with each of the 4 DiSC Styles.
The D Style: The High-Pressure "Decider"
Imagine your CEO. They’re glancing at their watch, three unread texts are popping up on their laptop, and they’ve already mentally moved on to next quarter.
When you say, "I’d like to walk you through the eighteen assumptions behind our Q3 forecast," their internal monologue is screaming: Why are we still talking? I’m sure there’s a fire somewhere with no one holding a bucket.
To them, your "thoroughness" feels like "indecision." They fear losing control or wasting time. If you want them to move, you have to give them the steering wheel and guardrails.
The Strategy: Give them the bottom line first, then offer two paths.
Try saying: "Our margins are thinning. We can either cut the travel budget by 20% or delay the new hires. Which lever do you want to pull?"
The i Style: The Big-Picture "Visionary"
Now look at your Head of Sales. They live for the "win," the energy, and the story. You show them a pivot table; they see a prison of tiny black-and-white cells.
While you’re explaining the variance analysis, they’re thinking: This is so dry. This feels like a no to me. I mean, how does this help us win? Does this person even get our mission?
They don't want to be "right" as much as they want to be "inspired." Your data feels like a wet blanket on their fire.
The Strategy: Connect the numbers to the "win" or the people involved. Use a metaphor.
Try saying: "If we tighten up these operations now, it clears the runway for your team to dominate the West Coast launch. We're essentially finding the 'found money' to fund your vision."
The S Style: The Steady "Protector"
Your Operations Manager has been with the company forever. They value loyalty, consensus, and a calm environment where everyone gets along.
You present a brilliant, logical plan to overhaul the ERP system to save $200k. You expect a "thank you." Instead, you see them physically shrink back into their chair.
In their mind, they aren't seeing savings. They’re thinking: This is going to stress everyone out. Martha in accounting is going to be overwhelmed. Is my team safe? This feels too fast.
The Strategy: Slow down. Validate the human cost and show the plan for stability.
Try saying: "I’ve looked at the impact on the team, and we’ve built in a 60-day buffer to make sure no one feels underwater. This change actually protects us from the chaos of the old system failing."
The C Style: Your "Mirror Image"
When you present to another analytical leader, you finally feel safe. You can speak in "Correctness." But even here, there’s a trap.
Because both of you fear being wrong, you can fall into "Analysis Paralysis." They’ll find the one cell in your spreadsheet that looks off, and suddenly the meeting is over because you’re in a logic battle over a rounding error.
The Strategy: Don't just dump data—curate it. Show that you’ve already stress-tested the edge cases.
Try saying: "I’ve already run the sensitivity analysis on the interest rate fluctuations. Even in the worst-case scenario, this logic holds. Here is the documentation if you want to dive deep later."
The Bottom Line
Your thinking isn't their thinking. Your needs aren’t their needs. What persuades you won’t persuade them.
As a “C Style” leader, your superpower is your expertise, quality, and accuracy. But…
Accuracy without empathy is just noise,
Accuracy without direction is just delay,
Accuracy without decisions is just analysis,
Accuracy without momentum is just preparation,
Accuracy without engagement is just information,
Accuracy without connection is just data, and
Accuracy without enthusiasm is just facts on a page.
To get people to move, you have to stop presenting to the room and start presenting to the person.
Don't just deliver the facts. Package them.
Because influence isn’t about what you know—it’s about what you convince them to actually do.
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