I've been reflecting on something that keeps coming up in client conversations lately.

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We do the research, we gather the insights, we have the workshop... and then what?

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Too often, the answer is "we learned a lot" followed by analysis paralysis.

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This week I wanted to share our framework for turning customer insights into prioritised, actionable plans - because research without action is just expensive procrastination.

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THE GAP BETWEEN INSIGHTS AND ACTION

Here's what usually happens:

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• You finish your customer interviews with pages of notes
• You identify 47 different problems to solve
• Everyone agrees it was valuable
• Three months later, nothing's changed

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Sound familiar?

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The problem isn't the research - it's what happens next.

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OUR PRIORITISATION FRAMEWORK

When we finish a research project, we use a simple matrix to cut through the noise:

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Impact vs Effort

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High impact, low effort = Do this first (your quick wins). High impact, high effort = Plan this properly (your strategic bets). Low impact, low effort = Maybe do this (if you have spare capacity). Low impact, high effort = Don't do this (seriously, just don't)

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But here's the bit most people miss: you need to be ruthless.

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Pick 3 things maximum for the next quarter.

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Not 10, not "let's see how it goes" - 3 things you're actually going to execute.

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A REAL EXAMPLE

Recently worked with a fintech client who came out of research with:

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• 12 messaging changes to make
• 8 new features customers wanted
• 6 partnership opportunities
• 4 content themes to explore

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Overwhelming, right?

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We prioritised to:

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1. Fix the homepage messaging (high impact, 2 weeks)
2. Launch one strategic partnership (high impact, 8 weeks)
3. Test one new content format (medium impact, ongoing)

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Everything else went into a "later" bucket.

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Three months on, they've executed all three, seen a 40% improvement in conversion, and have clear data on what to tackle next.

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HOW TO MAKE IT WORK

Here's our simple process:

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1. Categorise your insights Group everything into themes (messaging, product, sales process, etc)

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2. Score each opportunity

• Impact: Will this meaningfully move a key metric? (1-5)
• Effort: How much time/resource/budget needed? (1-5)

3. Calculate your priority score Impact divided by effort = your priority score. Higher score = higher priority

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4. Pick your top 3 The ones with highest scores that you can realistically deliver this quarter

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5. Create clear ownership Each priority needs one person accountable and a deadline

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6. Schedule your review Book it now - 6 weeks out - to check progress and adjust if needed

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THE HARD BIT

The challenge isn't the framework - it's the discipline to say no to ideas (especially when they’re from senior people)

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You'll have team members lobbying for their favourite insight to make the cut.

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You'll second-guess yourself.

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You'll be tempted to squeeze in "just one more thing".

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Don't.

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Three well-executed priorities will always beat ten half-finished projects.

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NEXT WEEK

I'm going to share some of the specific templates we use for this process, including:

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• Our prioritisation scoring sheet
• How to write crisp, actionable briefs
• Our 6-week review framework

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If there's a specific part of this you'd like me to dive deeper into, just drop me an email and let me know.

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What are your top 3 priorities this quarter?

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P.S. Feeling stuck between "we need more data" and "let's test everything"? Join Anna and Ness next Wednesday (12:00 p.m.) for a 45-minute conversation on how to actually move forward. You'll get a 4-step framework to use this week. Register here!

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