Whether You Realize It or Not
I read an intriguing column about what researchers call "quantification fixation." We make decisions based on numbers.
That sounds crazy considering that so many people say they hate or aren't good at math. Researchers have found, however, that we have a bias in favor of quantified vs qualified information. Examples cited showed that people looking at a resume were more likely to choose a candidate whose skills were expressed in numbers and that social media posts on climate change that included numbers were more likely to be shared.
We use numbers to make purchasing decisions, too. Have you looked at ratings, number of stars and number of responses, to decide whether or not to buy an item? How much did descriptions sway you? Did you read the descriptions in detail, or did you go straight to examining the numbers?
As you are moving through your career, there are important implications of understanding the power of numbers. Here's how you can use that understanding to your advantage.
Use Numbers on Your Resume
Whenever possible, quantify your results and contributions. This is the top missing item on most resumes that I've reviewed. People often focus on their job responsibilities rather than on the achievements.
The reader is making a hiring decision, and their choice is rarely based on a list of past job descriptions. The decision-maker wants to know what you contributed and will often toss a resume that doesn't quantify accomplishments. Add dollars, percents, and time to highlight increased revenue or customer satisfaction, money saved, process improvement, time and effort saved.
Be honest about your numbers. You will likely be asked to describe how you reached your conclusions and will need to substantiate them. You should be comfortable with someone who had worked with you seeing those numbers and agreeing with them.
Use Numbers for Your Proposals
There will be times when you will need to bring colleagues around to your point of view. Quantify how your proposal will help them. Think along the lines of the resume items discussed in the previous section - How much money will your plan make or save? What level of improvement or time/money saved can be expected from your approach? How much do you anticipate customer satisfaction will rise from what you're recommending?
In a past role, I needed to convince my boss and the head of finance of a staffing shortage on my team. While it was true that customers would suffer if we didn't hire, that reason alone wasn't going to make my case. I collected data on workload and combined that with forecast data. After a quick discussion made simple due to my research and numbers, I got my new hires.
For proposals, you are forecasting, but you should still be honest. Justify your numbers with the reasons for the conclusions you reached. Be prepared to illustrate your thought process.
Use Numbers to Persuade
Experienced salespeople will tell you that while building a relationship is a primary driver for sales, showing numbers can be key to persuade and close. If you're talking with a prospective customer, they will be less impressed with you saying that majority of customers found that your product exceeded expectations than if you say that 98% of your customers found the product exceeded expectations. The number makes the idea stick.
Numbers work with your team, too. Showing the numbers may help ease anxiety some team members experience when confronting a new challenge. If you can, for example, provide data on the time or effort that is expected, it will remove the fear of the unknown and they can then concentrate on the work. This worked for me when I had to introduce new processes to my team. Once they saw exactly what was required, such as number of steps and amount of time involved, they relaxed into the change and moved forward.
The Power of Numbers
Numbers can be influential on your resume, in your proposals, and to persuade. The numbers you share can help someone decide to interview you, adopt your recommendations, buy from you. They can also be used to help your team through times of change.
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