Consulting Journal: Style - Impressive answers

Style: Impressive answers

by David Blakey

Your answer to a casual question can say a lot about how you work as a consultant.

[Monday 12 August 2002]

Imagine that you are one of my clients. We are talking. We might be having lunch. We might have just finished a meeting and be chatting together. We might have met in a club or hotel lounge. You ask me: ‘David, do you like Italian wine?’

Here are two possible answers.

I might say: ‘I enjoy barolo and valpolicella, but I'm less keen on frascati.’

What do you know about me? You probably think that I'm a wine-lover, that I have tasted a number of Italian wines, that I have my own opinions about wine, and that I probably prefer red wines to white wines. Your impression will probably be favourable. (Remember, you didn't ask me what I thought about alcoholism or drink-driving or anything contentious. The question was simply if I liked Italian wine.)

If you happen to like Italian wine, you will like me, even if you like frascati and I don't.

If you don't like Italian wine, then you will at least respect my opinions. You might consider that my opinion on Italian wine has been developed through my own experience. You will probably still like me.

On the other hand, I might say: ‘I never drink it. I prefer a good claret.’ Now what do you know about me? In the first example, you may have thought that I had strong opinions. With this answer, you are more likely to think that I'm opinionated. You may think that my general dislike of Italian wines is based upon little experience of them. You may think that I form strong opinions based on little evidence. Would you be likely to want me as a consultant?

Whether or not you like Italian wine yourself, you are unlikely to like me very much.

There are two secrets to the difference between these two answers.

Experience and consideration

First, my answer should convince you that it is based upon experience and consideration, rather than on ignorance and prejudice. It should not be dismissive or arrogant. It should not give you the impression that I am quoting someone else's opinions, or that it is a stereotypical opinion.

Balance and strength

Second, even if my answer is relatively negative, it should include some positive points. The negative points can be weak and general, but the positive points must be strong and specific.

I might have answered: ‘I haven't drunk much Italian wine recently, as I've been concentrating on médoc.’ This answer would provide a weak, general negative response about Italian wine, with a strong, specific positive response about médoc. Because Médoc is a district of the Bordeaux region, it is a stronger and more specific response that just saying ‘claret’.

Here are some other examples of the weak, general negative combined with a strong, specific positive.

‘I haven't driven a truck (or off-road vehicle). I'm happy with my Honda Prelude.’ This lets you know that my preference is for a two door, mid-performance town car.

‘I don't play many Playstation games, but I was impressed by all the Gex and Medievil games.’ This tells you that I am selective about my Playstation games, and that I prefer problem-solving, low-violence fantasy games.

These answers give you a favourable impression of me, whether or not you agree with me. Your answers should also obey these rules.

Do not be dismissive.
Do not be untruthful.
Do not give the generally accepted answer or opinion, unless you qualify it from your own experience.
Do not generalize, unless you follow up with a strong, specific positive.

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