MBB | Training to be commercial

Hi,

My 2 cents:

Unless you are interviewing for a Partner-level role, commercial ability is not tested in interviews, and it is not one of the core skills expected from a candidate entering the firm.

What may have been meant by that feedback is something slightly different, for example being more business-oriented in your case solving: focusing on what drives revenue, costs, profitability, customer behavior, competitive dynamics.. and the practical implications of your analysis.

If you are applying for a Partner-level position, then commercial skills should already be evident from your background and track record.

So in short, for a standard MBB interview, I would focus much more on case structuring, business judgment, quantitative accuracy, synthesis, and communication rather than trying to develop “sales” or commercial skills specifically.

Hope this helps
Franco

Hi there,

Yes, this is absolutely something you can improve quite quickly before an MBB interview. When interviewers say “be more commercial,” they usually mean they want you to move beyond solving the analytical problem and demonstrate stronger business judgment.

A few drills I use with coachees:

• After every calculation, force yourself to answer “So what does this mean for the client?” before moving on.
• When brainstorming, prioritize ideas by impact and feasibility rather than simply generating a long list.
• When interpreting an exhibit, go beyond describing the trend. Ask what could be driving it and what management should do differently as a result.
• Practice making decisions with incomplete information. Strong candidates don't always need another data point before forming an initial view.

A useful exercise is to take a business article or company earnings announcement and spend 5 minutes asking: What's happening? Why? What does it mean economically? What would I do if I were management?

I would also specifically ask your case partners to score you on business judgment and implications, not only structure and math. If this came up repeatedly in previous interviews, I would make it a dedicated focus of your remaining mocks rather than hoping it improves indirectly.

Hey there :)

I’d focus less on memorizing “commercial” frameworks and more on constantly asking yourself: “So what does this mean for the client?” When you solve a case, push yourself to connect every calculation or exhibit to revenue, costs, customers, competitors or the client’s strategic decision.

A good exercise is to take random business news or case exhibits and force yourself to explain the key takeaway and what you would recommend in 30 seconds. Practicing this in live cases is probably the fastest way to improve.

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out!

best, Alessa :)

Hi there,

A few things you can do:

Specifically research/learn key terminology (google, casebooks, etc.)

Do daily reading

The FT

The Economist

BCG insights

Robinhood Snacks

Etc.

Based on what you've posted, check out the Consulting Offer Blueprint podcast, which I think will be useful for building commercial awareness and developing a sustainable daily learning habit.

Hi there,

for MBB - especially BCG - the KPI "business judgment" is super important. 

Try to score strongly on this metric by: 

1) fletch-out the "so what" for the client when interpreting data / driving hypothesis etc. 
2) apply common knowledge, e.g.: refer to something that you have read in the newspaper, apply cross-learnings from one of your former projects / internships, find parallels to other industries etc. 

Overall, MBB wants to make sure you are fast thinker who is able to solve real world problems and not only does theoretical thinking. 

Best of success with the prep!
Vincent

In what context did that come up? Can you explain the feedback in a bit more detail?

Hi there,

I'm not quite sure what you mean by 'commercial'. If you can clarify that, you might get better answers. 

Do you mean to give answers that are more tailored to the industry or to show your business knowhow?

Best,
Cristian

I’d first ask for one example of where your answer lacked commercial judgment. That phrase can mean several things, and the example tells you what to practise.

A useful drill is to take one case calculation and explain how it changes the client’s decision. Suppose a product sells for $10 and has $6 in variable costs. Cutting the price to $9 reduces the contribution per unit from $4 to $3. You now need roughly 33% more volume just to keep total contribution unchanged, assuming the other costs stay fixed.

The commercial question is whether that extra demand is realistic and whether you can serve it. Practise making that link after each calculation: what changed, why it matters, and what you would test next. Then check it in a live case.