“The numbers were: …”

When to use it

Signal that data is coming, so the interviewer listens for it.

What it replaces

"I don't remember exactly, but it was good."

The hedged version is not wrong English. It is English that asks the interviewer to do the work of deciding whether you meant it. The confident version makes the decision for them.

In an answer

“The numbers were: 140 units sold in the launch month against a target of 100.”

How to make it automatic

1. Say it aloud five times now, at normal speed, with contractions.
2. Pick one story from your own work where it fits, and say that story once using it.
3. Record a 60-second answer tomorrow and listen for whether it came out on its own.