Quick Online Cheat Sheet

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Six quick wins to accelerate your growth

1. Speak like a consultant

Concise communication goes hand in hand with knowing the phrases, terms and principles/concepts.

AAA Growth aaagrowth speak like a consultant

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Phrases

Boil the ocean
To over-do analysis
Key take-aways
Salient conclusion points
White space
Opportunity for new revenue

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Terms

Actionable
Is doable; can be acted upon
CAGR
Compound Annual Growth Rate
Deliverables
Outcomes (expected or completed)

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Principles or concepts

80:20
80% value achieved in 20% time/effort
Best Practice
A way for superior results
Low-hanging fruit
Easy value-adds

 2. Solve problems efficiently

Widely used within consulting, issue-trees are used to crack a case or jumpstart an engagement.

AAA Growth aaagrowth present with impact

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Identify your problem/aim

Focus on the problem instead of the solution, as understanding the problem is part of understanding the solution.

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Discover/deduce direction

Some problems can't be immediately solved and therefore identifying which direction to explore is crucial as it can save time and money.

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Navigate with speed

Only explore the branches and sub-branches that are relevant to the aim, case context as well as the given and newly discovered information.

3. Know your biases

 How unbiased are we, really? Can we recognise when we and others are biased? Can we mitigate it?

AAA Growth aaagrowth know your biases

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Are we getting accurate results?

Be neutral and avoid guiding to a particular answer. This is especially relevant when investigating or designing research. E.g., instead of asking "Was this a good experience?", ask "Rate/tell me about this experience?"

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Should we make judgement with others?

Private and public decisions/discussions have different dynamics and consequences. Do you unconsciously follow the herd? Are you aware of group-think and power-influenced biases?

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Can culture predict market behaviour?

For example, during Covid-19 lockdowns, drinking went up in the UK and down in China. Considering culture, ethnography or anthropology when making assumptions about norms can help improve market predictions.

4. Present with impact

How you present your presentation is just as or more important than what you present.

AAA Growth aaagrowth present with impact

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Always start with the result

Executive summaries help your audience (especially busy executives) immediately relate to what you're getting at.

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Structure with purpose

Presentations are like stories. Besides the start, middle and end, ensure there's a logical flow between one point and the next.

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Justify

Backup the point you're making with credible data, insights and or information.

 5. Engage in advanced small talk

 Can you flex your EQ and engage in advanced small talk?

✨ Pro Tip

🍦 Start with breaking the ice
1. Comment on context, setting, etc. + actively listen for a response.
2. Give a real i.e. genuine compliment to the other person(s).
3. Share experiences and invite others to share.

☕️ Show you care
4. Remember names/details/preferences.
5. Ask open questions, not closed (e.g. yes/no) questions.
6. Use ‘How’/‘What’ for ‘Why’ questions.

🌱 Build a deeper connection
7. Paraphrase to show you’re listening (also helps you understand).
8. Discuss interests; learn about your counterpart's thinking.

💬 Example

🍦 Start with breaking the ice
1. This café is really cozy, one of the nicest in the area...
2. I really like your shoes. They look really cool/swag/chic/classy...
3. That was super fun! I really enjoyed the...Have you also...?

☕️ Show you care
4. You don’t like [ ], so I got your favourite [ ]...How’s [x’s name]?
5. How’s your weekend? What are your thoughts on...?
6. What made you choose / How come you chose...?

🌱 Build a deeper connection
7. So in other words it’s…[paraphrase].
8. Who do you think will win tonight’s game?...etc....

AAA Growth aaagrowth engage in advanced small talk

 6. Search with precision

Go beyond just typing keywords and sifting through endless results.

AAA Growth aaagrowth search with precision

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Can you search like a real researcher?

Imagine a search so precise it's narrowed down to one result. Use this link to see for yourself and then try your own precision searches.


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