Hi there, 

That's rather common and part of the learning process.

There are lots of consultants who still struggle with this. 

To being with, read ‘The Pyramid Principle’ by Barbara Minto. It explains exactly the methodology of communication at firms like McKinsey. 

Then use an app like Poised to give you live feedback on how you speak. 

Then also record your speech, type it and see what you could cut. Then do the speech again. This will help you internalise this new style of communication.

Best of luck!
Cristian

Hi,

I attended communication trainings during my time in consulting. One of the key things they made us do was to record ourselves and review the videos, this really showed the verbal and physical habits that were less than ideal. 

Then it was a process of repeating the same ‘speech’ until we got it right, or at least better. So I would strongly recommend you to rehearse and go through the ‘errors' again, much like how you would repeat a section of a musical piece until you get it correct.

Habits are hard to break, but definitely possible (I've seen the improvement in my own communication over the years).

All the best!

Hi there,

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

Insight First - Lead with the so what. What do I care about? What's the takeaway?

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 (if allowed)- 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..."

Remember less is more - Think about longer sentences/phrases you use. Reflect on how to make them shorter. Much like you edit an essay, edit your speaking. Why use 5 words when a well-placed single word encompases that? Build your vocabulary (especially business vocabularly) to be able to use key words instead of wasting time "explaining" a concept

Practice with a coach - Other PrepLounger 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.

Hello,

This is a common problem, and fortunately definitely something you can work on! 

My best advice for you would be to take time to compose your thoughts before answering each question. Once you grasp the content of what you want to say, take an extra moment to mentally condense it to the most concise points. Ask yourself, “What am I really trying to say here? What's the key idea?” and proceed with that.

When answering, take a breath and slow down. It may feel a bit forced at first, but will become more natural with practice. Be mindful as you give your answer: are you able to catch yourself when you're being too loquacious? Can you figure out which parts are necessary and which parts you can trim as you go?

Working with your answers actively like this will help you “think on your feet” in terms of keeping your communication more precise as you go, and will help it become more natural with practice.

Best of luck!

Try taking a deep breath before you start you speech. Talk slowly and keep your pace. 🥰