How to Use Research to Drive Client Decisions

Your research findings are useless if they don't drive decisions. After watching countless brilliant insights disappear into the void, I developed 5 practical templates I use to transform research into action: 1. Decision-Driven Journey Map Standard journey maps look nice but often collect dust. My Decision-Driven Journey Map directly connects user pain points to specific product decisions with clear ownership. Key components: - User journey stages with actions - Pain points with severity ratings (1-5) - Required product decisions for each pain - Decision owner assignment - Implementation timeline This structure creates immediate accountability and turns abstract user problems into concrete action items. 2. Stakeholder Belief Audit Workshop Many product decisions happen based on untested assumptions. This workshop template helps you document and systematically test stakeholder beliefs about users. The four-step process: - Document stakeholder beliefs + confidence level - Prioritize which beliefs to test (impact vs. confidence) - Select appropriate testing methods - Create an action plan with owners and timelines When stakeholders participate in this process, they're far more likely to act on the results. 3. Insight-Action Workshop Guide Research without decisions is just expensive trivia. This workshop template provides a structured 90-minute framework to turn insights into product decisions. Workshop flow: - Research recap (15min) - Insight mapping (15min) - Decision matrix (15min) - Action planning (30min) - Wrap-up and commitments (15min) The decision matrix helps prioritize actions based on user value and implementation effort, ensuring resources are allocated effectively. 4. Five-Minute Video Insights Stakeholders rarely read full research reports. These bite-sized video templates drive decisions better than documents by making insights impossible to ignore. Video structure: - 30 sec: Key finding - 3 min: Supporting user clips - 1 min: Implications - 30 sec: Recommended next steps Pro tip: Create a library of these videos organized by product area for easy reference during planning sessions. 5. Progressive Disclosure Testing Protocol Standard usability testing tries to cover too much. This protocol focuses on how users process information over time to reveal deeper UX issues. Testing phases: - First 5-second impression - Initial scanning behavior - First meaningful action - Information discovery pattern - Task completion approach This approach reveals how users actually build mental models of your product, leading to more impactful interface decisions. Stop letting your hard-earned research insights collect dust. I’m dropping the first 3 templates below, & I’d love to hear which decision-making hurdle is currently blocking your research from making an impact! (The data in the templates is just an example, let me know in the comments or message me if you’d like the blank versions).

Working with a publicly traded client? You're sitting on a goldmine of strategic insight that most consultants ignore. Too many consulting partners get stuck in the weeds of account execution and forget to connect their work to what the C-suite is telling Wall Street. If you want to move from being a vendor to a true strategic partner, you need to speak their language. Here's a simple, powerful playbook: 1. Go to Your Client's Investor Relations Page. This is non-negotiable. It's the source of truth for their priorities. 2. Download Everything. Get the latest earnings call transcripts, 10-Qs, and investor day presentations. 3. Use AI to Connect the Dots. Don't just skim the files. Use a custom AI persona to find the signal in the noise. I use a trained Gemini Gem that understands our business. A prompt I've used is: "Analyze these investor documents for [Client Name]. Our team currently delivers [describe your services]. Based on the CEO's and CFO's commentary about growth, risks, and strategic objectives, where are the 3-5 biggest opportunities for us to expand our partnership and drive the outcomes they're promising to stakeholders?" I did this for five minutes in preparation for an onsite with a major casino customer. It gave me a massive head start and allowed me to frame an entire conversation around their publicly stated goals. This is how you show you understand their business, from tactical execution all the way up to shareholder value. It’s the fastest way to become an indispensable partner.

The Day a Client Said "Thanks, But I Don't Get It" "Your report is impressive, but honestly, I can't understand what to do with it." Those words from a key client hit hard. All that data. All those charts. All useless if they can't drive decisions. So we acted. We began testing Clarity instead of Google Analytics with a few select clients. The transformation was immediate. Dashboards became conversations, not confusion. One CMO texted me: "First time I actually understood our funnel problems in 5 minutes." Another shared it directly with their board, no "translation" needed. We're now planning to roll it out to 80% of our clients. ➜ Simple visuals. ➜ Clear insights. ➜ Actionable data. Because the most sophisticated analysis is worthless if decision-makers can't use it. Has a tool change ever transformed your client relationships? #AgencyLife #ClientSuccess #DataVisualization #MarketingInsights