The consulting spine

Problem → insight → recommendation

Week 128 min

Reading

Study notes

Judges don't reward "more ideas" — they reward correct prioritization. Anchor every response to three anchors: who decides, what metric moves, and what constraint is binding.

Framework you will reuse every week

1. Situation — industry + urgency (two sentences max). 2. Problem — gap between current state and goal with consequence. 3. Recommendation — one primary path + why alternatives lose.

Remember for judges

Name the business consequence of ignoring the problem (lost revenue, churn risk, compliance exposure).

Common mistakes

Opening with tactics ("run TikTok ads") before you've justified why this buyer should spend marginal budget here.

Checklist

Instructions

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Scenario

Your turn · scenario

Micro-drill (90 seconds, aloud) Your buyer is a regional logistics director: throughput is fine but delivery promises slip during seasonal spikes. Deliver: 1) One crisp problem sentence with consequence. 2) Two discovery questions you'd ask next — each tied to a rubric category (cost, risk, speed).

Rehearse out loud. Judges score clarity under time pressure.

Question

Sub-lesson MCQs · correct answers unlock what's next.

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In “The consulting spine”, what should anchor your opening in front of judges?

Lead with channel tactics before defining the problemBuyer decision criteria, constraints, and the KPI that defines successAvoid stating trade-offs so you sound more confidentSkip measurable outcomes to save time

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