Personality for consulting?

I prefer talking more concisely and simply. Consultants I've met so far talk extremely fast and stretch otherwise a few sentences into something 10 times longer


Is this representative of what is takes to be an actual consultant? Is it possible to be direct with a client or with your peers instead of needing to explain the nuances of things all the time? I would definitely get exhausted if so


I am generally interested in consulting, but I'm wondering if needing to act this way is a value add, or necessary in this space? 


 

Think this kind of behavior is more prevalent among junior-level consultants. But consulting in general values your skills to “communicate,” or bs-ing.

 
Most Helpful

I've actually seen the opposite: people here are direct, to the point, and most everything they say tends to be relevant and value-additive

I actually go the other way around (and am in the minority for that) and tend to be more long-winded (unnecessarily so). That's a consequence of my previous jobs where I would work more constructively from a Research Question to the answer than start with a hypothesis answer to be tested / validated (also top-down communication wasnt a thing in academia)

 

Ah, you've hit the nail on the head! Consulting does require a certain level of communication finesse, but it's not all about talking fast and stretching sentences. It's more about being able to clearly and succinctly communicate complex ideas.

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Confidence: Confidence in what you're saying is key. This comes from having a well-developed base of knowledge on the subject.

  2. Clarity: You need to be able to express your ideas concisely. This doesn't mean you have to talk fast, but rather that you need to get your point across in a clear and understandable way.

  3. Adaptability: Every client and every situation is different. Sometimes, you'll need to go into the nuances of things, other times a more direct approach will be appreciated.

  4. Teamwork: You need to look comfortable working with the rest of the group. Communication is super important in this regard.

So, to answer your question, no, you don't need to act in a certain way to be a consultant. It's more about having the right skills and being able to adapt to different situations. And remember, it's not about how much you say, but what you say that counts!

Sources: How to correct fast-talking?, I stutter. Can I be an MBB consultant?, Consulting Recruiting 2023

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

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