The Power of Data - Turning Doubt into Buy-In
The Case for Data
Introducing change-especially across multiple teams, departments, and product spaces - can feel like pushing a boulder uphill. Stakeholders aren't always resistant to improvement, but they often have their own roadmaps, deadlines, or preferred ways of doing things. Sometimes, they just don't see the value yet.
So how do you cut through the skepticism and tell a story that drives meaningful change-for your organization and your users?
The answer: data.
The Case for Data
Unlike opinions or assumptions, data doesn't ask for trust, it earns it. It grounds your proposal in reality, reveals the scale of the problem, and shows that your solution is more than just a hunch. Jim Barksdale famously said:
“If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine.”
It’s a clever way of highlighting a real truth in product and UX work: without data, decisions often default to the loudest voice in the room. But when you bring research and evidence to the table, you shift the conversation from personal preference to shared understanding. Data doesn’t just support your case - it levels the playing field and builds consensus.
When stakeholders see numbers that reflect real user pain points, they stop debating whether the problem exists and start asking how to solve it.
A Real-World Example: Integration Support at Paycor
In a recent UX research initiative, I set out to better understand our internal Integration users - who they are, how they use our products, and where the biggest friction points were. One issue stood out: internal CX teams were struggling to support client integrations.
They couldn't easily identify which integrations a client had, who owned them, or whether they were even active. This led to confusion, inefficiency, and a poor customer experience.
The solution - a centralized hub that solved for these integrations issues seemed obvious. But getting buy-in from teams who were used to doing things their own way wasn't.
So, I turned to the data:
8 in-depth interviews revealed a consistent pain point: lack of visibility, ownership and clear support channels for Paycor Integrations .
A survey of 2,200+ CX associates got 241 responses, and the results were striking:
Only 2.5% strongly agreed they could identify a client's integrations.
Just 3.3% felt confident troubleshooting integration issues.
Only 2.1% were clear on which team owned each integration.
30+ unprompted mentions of unclear support channels and lack of visibility.
Those numbers changed the conversation. Suddenly, the problem wasn't theoretical-it was measurable. And the proposed solution wasn't just a good idea-it was a necessary one.
Takeaways
If you're facing resistance, don't try to out-argue it. Out-evidence it.
Start with research.
Quantify the pain.
Validate your solution.
If you want to drive change, don't just tell a story, instead show the evidence. Research doesn't just inform design - it builds trust, aligns teams, and turns doubt into buy-in.