Recommendation at end of summary?

Hi there,

1) Is this an acceptable method?

For the conclusion I would recommend to use a top-down approach instead of bottom-up one. 

You can follow the steps below:

a) Repeat the objective. This will ensure you are answering what is relevant to the case. If you don’t repeat the objective, you may answer the wrong question. As an example:

• “Our goal was to understand (i) why profits are declining and (ii) how we could increase profits by XYZ”

b) Provide an answer-first solution. You don’t have to present everything you found in the case, only the answer to the question you just repeated and its supporting factors. You should use points analyzed during the case to justify your recommendation:

• “After our initial analysis, we found out that profits are declining due to a decrease in revenues in division 1 and that, in order to increase profits, with the information we have so far it seems a good idea to enter Market A. This is based on the following reasons:
  • [SPECIFIC FINDINGS 1]
  • [SPECIFIC FINDINGS 2]
  • [SPECIFIC FINDINGS 3]”

c) Provide risks / next steps suggestions. You can always include next steps/ risks in your conclusion. You can refer to the elements that you did not have time to cover present in your initial structure or to risks related to the analysis you have performed during the case:

• “As next steps, we would like also to consider the following…[RISKS/NEXT STEPS]”

2) As a bonus question, how much detail would you go into restating the prompt during the recommendation? 

I would use a one-line sentence, as mentioned above.

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi there,

Case interviews are all about top-down communication and there is zero instance where it would make sense to go bottom-up.

If you are working 30 minutes on a case, then there is no need to repeat everything again once prompted to go through your final recommendation. Both you and the interviewer are well aware of what has been done over the last couple of moments.

It is the same as working with C-level and presenting on a real engagement. They know what you have been working on and care for an actionable solution/recommendation.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

I think this is an interesting question that may be relevant for many people. I would be happy to share my thoughts on it:

• Given that communication in strategy consulting is always done top-down, as a candidate applying in this industry, you are equally required to adapt as best as you can. This includes the entire application, from the application files to e-mails with the recruiter and all the contents of the interviews.
• Moreover, while it is totally acceptable, and in my perspective, more natural to form a connection to the initial question in the final recommendation, I would highly advise you to do this in a short and concise manner. For instance, you could start by saying something like "Thank you again for approaching us regarding the question … . I would advise you to …"

If you would like a more detailed discussion on how to address your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi,

in a case interview setting you are expected to use the top-down approach starting with the recommendation, followed by supporting arguments, i.e. your analysis results. 

Those supporting arguments should ideally be MECE (mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive). This means that they do not overlap in terms of topic but at the same time capture the entirety of the case. 

You can also refer to Barbara Minto's book “The pyramid principle” a must-read for any consultant.

This is of course the theory and it will not work out 100% in practice. But engaging with theories like the pyramid principle or the MECE concept, will help you do as well as possible in the interviews.

Moreover, this is not something you just need in the summary of a case. This top-down approach you will need throughout your (consulting) career.

Best

Marvin

Hi there,

I'm sorry, but it's not about what you find easiest. It's about what is most effective in consulting and for communicating to clients!

As such, please don't do this in the case! You need to be answer first (very clear and direct) supported by the key reasons (most impactful one first).

I recommend not going into detail for the prompt. Just say “In determining whether we should aquire this company, I recommend that do.'"

I implore you to read this article.

Please reset your mind/approach! You are here to be a consultant. You are not here to be a researcher/analyst. Vast amounts of data do not matter. Talking on and on is not helpful.

Be direct. Be concise. Be clear. Be objective-driven. Be client-focused.

No it is not an acceptable method. That is exactly what you should NOT do. Yes, it is easier - but that's not how consultants talk and no CEO would ever listen to you.

Consultants and CEOs always go top-down. You always start with the recommendation first (of course you can state the problem first, that is fine), and then the arguments that support that recommendation. 

Regarding stating the problem, you just need to state the objective or question that was asked. No need to give out all the context nor constraints. Just the key question or objective - since your counterpart already knows the details… so you are stating just to provide a frame to your recommendation.

Hi there,

I have to agree with the other comments here. 

You are basically structuring your summary like a crime novel where you go over all the lengthy circumstances, oberservations and evidence to then ultimately reveal, in a grand finale, who committed the crime. This is not what you do in consulting - or in any corporate setting involving executives.

Just envision talking to a CEO who has to make a decision based on your recommendation. Do you think she/he has the patience to listen to you go through all of the minutiae? What if the CEO all of a sudden gets an urgent call after 3 minutes and has to leave the meeting? (happens all the time btw)

Therefore, you want to start with the most important first - hence top-down. When time permits (or if people are interested) you can cover the underlying rationale but at least you will have gotten your message across. 

So in interviews, this is actually a matter of a real life simulation and a bottom-up approach is not the route you want to take for that. In addition, the interviewer knows all the context anyway because they watched you solve the case.

Best of luck

Hi there,

consulting comms is all about being top-down - this is no different in the case recommendation at the end, so try to avoid a long prose build up until you reach the actual recommendation. Rather apply the pyramid principle here → state main recommendation upfront and enhance it with a couple of supporting points.
 

It's fine, before positioning your top-down recommendation, to spend max. 1 sentence on recaping what the ask was (as opposed to stating the entire prompt) to anchor the recommendation - if you choose to do so, keep the language very crisp and natural. Along the lines of “Just to recap, we were asked to xxx…”.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Andi

The answer is unanimous - always top down. Gets to the point fast and as Florian mentioned is what is expected on the job in consulting. To add a personal anecdote to this - I once attended a CEO meeting that was planned for 1 hour, but when the CEO showed up he only had 5mins… there is no way a bottom-up approach works in a scenario like this :)

Always top down please