How to improve English communication skill (to be concise, sharp, to the point)

Hey there,

If your sole focus now is to become a top consulting communicator, I would look into resources that revolve around the type of communication that is needed for case interviews and the daily life on the job and less on more general English language classes. In practice this means:

• Read business journals for the lingo
• Read top-quality research papers in the business field, since they have been rewritten 50 times with the goal in mind to transport clarity of thought and preciseness with the least possible word count
• Learn specific phrases for the different parts of the case and keywords, either through a coach or by watching YouTube videos of mock consulting interviews (large variation in quality here though). In the end, certain elements of the communication will always be the same across all cases (e.g., how to summarize, formulate a hypothesis, etc.)
• Practice structure, chart, and math drills out loud by yourself to internalize the correct habits. Pay attention to the time you take to convey an idea or a thought. Every sentence should add value to the conversation
• Lastly, read the Pyramid Principle by Minto, which focuses especially on the top-down communication employed by consultants

Reach out if you need help with learning to communicate most effectively. As a former Mck consultant and researcher, it is a core pillar of my coaching.

Cheers,

Florian

Hi there,

It is difficult to answer a communication question without seeing you “in action” but I will try anyway ;)

If you want to specifically improve your English, possible tips are:

• Find a teacher. I am personally using preply.com, another alternative is italki.com. You can filter the teachers based on languages, reviews, budget, availability, etc, similarly to PrepLounge coaches. I am using it for a couple of languages and it works really well. In your case, you should target teachers willing to help you with business terms. Working with a teacher is relatively cheap and helps enormously if you manage to stick to a weekly class
• Study daily new words. I recommend the app Anki, which uses the SRS system – the best way to learn new words. Focus on the words critical for your job – usually, if you master the 1000 most important ones, you can talk and understand relatively well your niche
• Gamify your learning. I tried a few apps and the one I liked the most in terms of that is Memrise – you should target a course based on business terms in your case

If you want to improve case communication, possible tips are:

• Present the first level, then the second level: “So given the goal XXX, I think we could look at 3 main areas: first ABC, second DEF, third GHI. If ok with you I would like to go deeper into each”
• Use numbers/clear bullets when presenting levels: “In the first area I would like to look at the following: First…, Second..., Finally..."

Hope this helps,

Francesco

Hi,

This question has been answered before and there are plenty of threads in the Q&A forum. Have a look at these:

• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-be-more-concise-6237
• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-give-concise-answers-during-interviews-575
• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/not-concise-enough-3533
• https://www.preplounge.com/en/consulting-forum/how-to-improve-communication-skill-oralwriting-more-concise-to-the-point-8942

In terms of English not being your first language can actually help- you will keep it simple, use simpler vocabulary. Believe me, I have come across many native speakers candidate who just talk non-stop and try to bullshit their way. Its all about structured thinking and presenting well. This will come with practice.

All the best,

Interesting point. Personally, I feel it's the opposite; it's more correlated with clarity of thought.

Hello!

I totally get you, English is not my 1st language either and it seems that you are running the race with less speed!

What helped me most was honestly tons of practice. Of course once in McKinsey, but in the prep, I found GMAT verbal part really useful too. It forced me to take a toooon of practice, which was a pain but helped a lot. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Hello! Such a good question.
Start with finding a good teacher. Watch news, read business journals, everything in English for sure. But the best way is to have native speakers friends, With them you can polish and practice your skills - something like a specking club. And don’t forget: practice, practice, practice.