Does consulting really become a "sales job" when you're at the senior level?

Hello,

Here are my thoughts:

1) As a partner, definitely you will be expected to bring in sales. Having said that you can choose what kind of a partner you want to be (see below)

2) Delivery: Some partners are very hands-off and are just present to show face in key meetings. However, to automate repeat clients, its helpful if you show involvement in your project at a much deeper level. Now just showing up for milestone meetings, but also showing your prefence on the client's site more than required can signal that you're interested in working with them on future projects as well. You get to hear a lot of other pain points that they currently face - thus, you are automatically scoping out next projects.

3) Leadership: You have to coach Principals working under you to become a Partner - this could be one of your KPIs as well. You can also coach promising junior managers

4) As a partner you will definitely be expected to specialise in a certain industry / capability - but you can do one over the other and keep the other one variable. E.g. if you choose to be an Energy expert, you have exposure to 20 different types of energy projects and this keeps evolving over time as the market changes.

5) You also have the option to take on internal roles - e.g. Head of recruiting for a region. Or you could write thought leadership articles for your industry.

Hope this helps, all the best!

Rushabh

Hi there,

as you move from project manager to management (principal and then partner), you essentially get measured based on how you achieve your sales targets. You won‘t have time to deliver the projects you sell and if you need to deliver yourself, it means your project is poorly staffed which you need to fix. Yes there will be some additional KPIs that partners have (e.g. developing internal IP, publishing white papers, internal roles) but sales figures remain king. So yes, it becomes a sales job
 

Some partners are totally hands-off, others are good at staying involved with the project, sharing relevant expertise and providing guidance where needed. In order to become partner you have to find your area for which you stand with your expertise and network so that the firm believes you can generate revenue for them continuously. That journey of specialization usually begins at the project manager level or sometimes even earlier 

Hi there,

This is indeed an interesting question which is probably relevant for a lot of users, thus I am happy to provide my perspective on it:

• Consulting work can be demanding, with long hours and tight deadlines, but it is generally less intense than private equity in terms of the number of hours worked and the level of stress. Consulting firms also tend to have more structured career progression and promotion processes, which can provide a clearer path for advancement and a sense of stability.
• As a partner, consulting work will focus on business development, which includes building and maintaining relationships with clients and identifying new business opportunities. However, this is not the primary focus of a consultant's role and is typically only a part of the job of a partner.
• It is worth considering the nature of the work, as well as the culture and values of the firms you are considering, when making a decision about which career path to pursue. Consulting firms tend to place a greater emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, while private equity may have a more competitive and hierarchical culture. Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your personal preferences and career goals.

In case you want a more detailed discussion on what to do in your specific situation, please feel free to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there,

It definitely is a large part of the job and a key KPI that is tracked. 

Yes, partners (esp junior ones) are often still in the loop and take part in problem-solving sessions but at the end of the day, they have to make sure to create new and build on existing client relationships, with all this entails. 

This includes sales but also things such as keeping the client happy, which is arguably harder than sales.

The skill set needed for partners is very different than the skill set for Analysts to Engagement Managers and in fact, McKinsey's interviews for graduate hires focus on the first three stages (just as an example).

On the other hand, as a partner you are free to do what you please and manage your involvement in your team's daily work, decide what clients you want to work with etc. (some are very hands-on, others hire a rockstar EM they trust to never be seen in the team room). 

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

Congrats on having these options in the first place!

One could claim that every job is a sales job once you reach a senior level. Think about it. Even the biggest impact that a President has is by building a storyline that the entire population believes in and works towards. Partners do the same, in building together with the client a vision of the future state and then offering their help to achieve it. At the end of the day, what matters is what you tell yourself. If you think it's just sales and it has no meaning, then it will feel this way regardless of the job. 

An alternative is going into expert roles, but even there most of the work you'll do when you are senior is  giving high-level input to teams or showing up at important client meetings. That's also partly sales. 

My mentor in McKinsey used to say that McKinsey is a non-commercial organisation. They don't push for ‘selling’ projects. Of course, it's a slightly romanticised view and it doesn't reflect the mentality of all Partners. But what's fair to say is that projects should come as a consequence of the support you're already giving to your network of clients. 

Best,

Cristian

Yes, as a partner what is most important is your ability to sell. But… you sell by delivering well. Partners are expected to be hand-on and help with project direction, at least in MBB and Tier 2 firms.

Look, I have my consulting firm. If I don't sell I don't get projects. But I don't sell because I am a great seller. I sell because I deliver superb quality work and clients come back to me and spread the word around. To be honest, it is much more about my reputation than about what we usually consider “sales skills”. And my reputation is based on… being true to my word, delivering great quality work, bringing good insights, knowing my stuff.

So yes, they need to sell. They don't sell by being “sales people”. Do they need to do a high ammount of sales pitches, business lunches, networking, going to conferences, etc. Yes, they usually do, unless they are managing a large and loyal client.

The short answer to your question is yes for the most part. At the highest levels all jobs are ‘sales’ jobs. By the time you make it to the top, the assumption is that you are good at delivering on projects, and can staff/mentor teams to do so.

As a partner you are now responsible for bringing in business to the firm. A lot of this is selling but selling isn't the same as cold calling. Selling includes writing well thought through articles, publishing research, creating sought after data sets and being a thought leader in your chosen field. Selling is about getting clients excited to work with you on projects as much as it is pitching projects as and when they come up.

Selling is hard to escape. CEOs sell to investors, senior people in corporations sell their work to the CEO etc. Beyond a point if you want to progress in an organization, selling becomes a key skillset to master.

Best,

Udayan

Hi there,

At this point in your career, this really shouldn't be a critical issue for your decision making. The majority of the people entering in consulting don't even think about making Partner and join for different reasons e.g., experience, exit opportunities, etc.

However, let me answer your question. When you put together consulting and sales, you get consultative selling, which is what Partners do. They don't force projects down clients throats but rather develop long standing client relationships where they continuously develop new meaningful proposals, which themselves often have positive impact.

So in short: Yes, Partners sell but it's nothing like your typical sales job, which is why it can't be done by sales people and only experienced consultants that own the client relationship.

Hope this helps a bit. Best of luck!

Moritz

In every job, senior people have to sell. 
However, Partners are not just sales guys but they actively follow their projects with case team meetings and adding their experience and knowledge.  

I spoke to a partner at MBB recently, as well as two at very senior levels but not quite partners (e.g. principal and associate partner).

You only start needing to “sell” very late in your MBB career (unlike other consultancies). And the concept of “selling” couldn't be further from “fishing for clients”. Rather it is all about building and maintaining trust with clients you have likely worked with already.

Hi there,

Is sales a major aspect? Yes. Is it the only aspect? Not at all!

It sounds that you could really afford to network more and actually speak to the people in these more senior roles (yes, networking is also about learning about the job!).

There's strategic thinking, relationship building, project management, etc.

Hello!

To a certain extent yes, being a parter is hugely selling engagements to your clients and tryng to “land” new ones. This said, ofc there is a piece of working and guiding the teams in the ongoing engagements. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara