We are all familiar with surveys. We have taken countless numbers of them in our lifetime, from the types of toothpaste we like to whether or not we will buy a product again. These surveys report the percentage of responses. The percentages are just that — the percent of people who gave an answer. But what does that mean? This lack of clarity underlies why many organizations are hiring data analysts and deploying advanced analytic software.

If your survey was about your conference, questions likely inquired as to the number of people planning on future attendance, who found the conference engaging, or how many liked the food, and so on. Sound familiar?