Why great consulting starts with great storytelling

Emily: Namaan, with AI quickly becoming an integral part of how B2B firms and consultancies do business, I can’t help but wonder – is AI really suited to help companies connect with clients and win trust?

Namaan: The short answer is yes and no. So, if you’re using AI to replace client interactions, that’s not going to build trust. But if you’re using AI to try to extract deeper or better insights for your clients, that can lead to increased trust.

The conversation is a nuanced one – how do we leverage AI in a way that helps us become more efficient and drive better client outcomes, but also so that we’re not losing our voice and perspective? That’s really what clients are paying for in a changing world – an outside, expert perspective that they can’t get elsewhere. My clients are paying me for insight. They’re not paying me to dump data in their laps. In most cases, they already have the information they need at their fingertips; they’re paying me to tell them what the next best thing to do is and why.

That problem structuring and solution storytelling still needs to be done by an expert advisor, and the tailoring that results is what really builds trust.

Emily: When you’re creating these narratives for clients, what sort of approaches have proved successful?

Namaan: It may sound basic, but question number one is: “Who’s my audience?” It amazes me how many leadership teams I work with on big presentations don’t know who the most important person or group is in the room. Are these people representing different agendas, and which agenda is going to win out?

Number two is: “What do I want [the audience] to do or believe coming out of this meeting?” For example, in a sales context, they’re probably not going to buy from you right away. Do you want them to share more data with you? Do you want them to say yes to a demo? You need to have a specific ask. I work with a lot of teams in the Fortune 500, and the story you tell finance is different to the story you tell tech, operations, or the CEO. It’s the same project, but it affects everybody differently.

The goal is to gain buy-in and motivate action instead of getting stuck in an endless roundabout of meetings. An answer-first communication approach is the best way I’ve found to accomplish this.

Emily: Creating a genuine feeling of connection is incredibly important in consulting, but it can be challenging in an increasingly digital world. How do you solve that with your clients? How do you connect with people when your only point of contact is in the digital world?

Namaan: People work with people that they like, and so if you’re in any services business you’re going to have a competitive advantage if people like to work with you. Likability is a skill, and building rapport is a skill. Digitally, you must work a bit more intentionally to show that you’re open, that you’re engaged, that you’re having fun – if you were in the same room, the other person would be able to pick up on these things almost subconsciously. It’s not rocket science, but it’s amazing how many people, when they’re on calls, look like they’re being tortured!

Another thing is making space for small talk. Find the things you like to talk about and start the meeting a little more personally, and then after two- or three-minutes transition to the business at hand. And you want to have a conversation as you go, not a lecture, so build in engagement points (e.g., questions, polls) every few minutes.

Emily: So, storytelling and connection build trust, but clients also want to feel confident about their choices. What approach do you use to build trust in decision making?

Namaan: A way you can contrast communication approaches is thinking about a McDonald’s versus a Michelin star restaurant. At the McDonald’s, there’s a whole heck of a lot of options on the menu – it’s easy to get paralysis by analysis. You certainly don’t ask the person behind the counter, “What’s good here?”

At the Michelin star restaurant, the menu is normally very small, but the place is asking you to spend 50 times the money the McDonald’s is asking you to spend. You’re making a higher-value decision, yet you have less data. At this restaurant, you have a waiter or waitress who plays the role of an advisor – you ask them, “Hey, what’s good here? Can you pair my dish with the right red wine?”

When I’m communicating, I think of myself as the waiter at the Michelin star restaurant. My job is to serve stakeholders data is a way they can consume, and that means presenting limited options. As an advisor, I walk them through the takeaway I think is the best for them – the most effective solution. Stakeholders don’t necessarily want more data; they want more confidence. And that’s my goal in every interaction, to increase the confidence that stakeholders have in the decisions they’re making.