How to Present UX Research Findings to Executive Stakeholders

Philip Burgess
Aug 15
2 min read

Updated: Aug 16

By Philip Burgess – UX Research Leader

You’ve run the study, analyzed the data, and pulled together your insights. Now comes the part that can make or break your impact—presenting your UX research findings to executive stakeholders.

Unlike product teams or fellow researchers, executives have unique needs and priorities. They’re short on time, laser-focused on business outcomes, and expect you to cut to the chase.

Here’s how to make sure your research presentation lands with the people who have the power to act on it.

1. Lead with the “Why”

Executives don’t need every detail about your research setup—they need to understand why this research matters in the context of business goals.

Link your study to specific business challenges or opportunities.
Start with a clear problem statement: “We wanted to understand why our mobile checkout completion rate is 25% lower than desktop.”
Show how solving the problem will drive measurable outcomes.

Tip: If you don’t establish relevance in the first two minutes, you risk losing their attention.

2. Keep it Short, Focused, and Actionable

An executive’s schedule is packed, so every minute counts.

Limit your presentation to the top 3–5 key findings.
Present them in priority order, starting with the highest business impact.
Offer clear, actionable recommendations tied to each finding.

Better: “Fixing the form field auto-fill issue could recover an estimated $1.2M annually in lost sales.”Weaker: “Participants had trouble with the form.”

3. Use the Language of Business, Not Just UX

Translate UX metrics into financial or strategic terms.

“Improved usability” → “Reduced support calls by 15%, saving $200K annually.”
“Higher task completion” → “Faster onboarding time for customers, accelerating revenue.”

Executives think in ROI, risk, growth, and competitive advantage—speak their language.

4. Show, Don’t Just Tell

Numbers are important, but stories and visuals stick.

Include short video clips of users struggling or succeeding.
Use before-and-after visuals to make design improvements obvious.
Keep charts and graphs simple, with clear labels and one takeaway per slide.

5. Anticipate Questions and Objections

Executives will test your recommendations. Be ready to address:

Sample size – Why it’s valid for the decision at hand.
Cost of implementation – Whether the recommendation is worth the investment.
Risk of inaction – What happens if nothing changes.

6. End with a Clear Call to Action

Don’t just present findings—tell them exactly what you want them to do next.

Approve funding for a fix.
Prioritize a change in the product roadmap.
Commit to a follow-up research phase.

Leave them with no doubt about the next steps.

Final Thoughts

Presenting UX research to executives isn’t about dazzling them with methods—it’s about showing the business value of your insights in a way that’s clear, concise, and compelling.

When you focus on outcomes, speak their language, and back up your recommendations with evidence, you turn research from “interesting” into indispensable for decision-making.