Crisp communication

Question

Hi - I know this might not be fixable overnight, but any tips on how to be crisp and to the point in your communication during the interview.

Answer 1

It's easy to make something complicated, hard to make something simple. How to fix this?

Take a few seconds - gather your thoughts. Perhaps right them down. Take a quick breather to better formulate and then articulate your thoughts

Pause before speaking to gather your thoughts - the time may feel like forever for you, but it's not nearly as long as you think. Leverage filler sentences such as "that's and interesting point" to buy some time if needed.
Frame your answer - Generally, MBBers say "There are 3 parts to this". Then, they highlight in 1 sentence each of the 2-4 points
Iterate through each point - After framing how you're going to answer the question, then answer it by diving into each "part" in the order you summarized each.

Use signposting - Always preface what you will be saying. For example, when brainstorming you can say "I'm thinking about this in three main ways: A, B, and C. Within A we can look at..."

Practice with a coach - Other PrepLoungers are fantastic practice but they are generally too nice! you need a coach who will really hit back and work with you to improve your answers.

Answer 2

Hello there,

A few tips :-):

Ask for time to reflect. Don't be shy! Consultants leave with the questions they ask you in a case and normally have several hours to mull out an approach.
Lean towards always start with the so-what / the outcome
If you will be mentioning several items, try to list them as much as possible (e.g., there are three key takeaways we need to keep in mind, first XYZ, second XYZ, and finally, XYZ).

Hope this helps! In a case, perhaps where you need to crips is:

When you lay out your framework
Communicating when you are moving into different parts of your framework (so your interviewer does not get lost)
Conclusion and next steps

Glad to chat more. Feel free to PM me.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

I think it's worth calling out that it's not easy when you are thinking off the cuff in an interview setting. Having said that, I personally think it largely comes down to structuring. Write down the 3-5 things you want to get across. Distill the WHAT at its essence before getting into the details and rationale (i.e., WHY). Often, it's completely fine to call out the ‘headings’ of what you want to communicate first then go into the details. Specifically in case interviews, this allows you to establish the bigger picture with your interviewer, who most often times already has a good sense of potential considerations and does not need them to be spelt out in lots of detail.

Answer 4

Hi there,

I would recommend to:

1. Always structure your thinking before you speak out (what is that you want to say, what is key take away, goal, etc.)

2. Read newspapers and magazines (e.g. The Economist)

3. Subscribe to newsletter from MBB to get feel of the language

Lucie

Was this answer helpful?

Answer 5

Have a look at this thread for plenty of tips and guidance on your question-preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-be-more-concise-in-both-case-and-fit-interview-11799