Expert Interviews 2: Setting context

[See end of Language Notes for key terms]

The "trusted advisor" framework

"Why me? Why this? Why now? Why you?"—any order is okay, but this one is best for most expert interviews. 

• MECE—Mutually Exclusive and Collectively Exhaustive. In other words, it includes everything, with no overlap.

A. Why me?

As mentioned in Consulting 1.1, don't give a stock introduction. Rather, think about what the expert wants to know. 

Look at the following and discuss when you would share that information.

• Your name and position at your company—definitely say it. 
• Your practice area—usually. 
  • If it's relevant, then say it. 
    • E.g., you studied and then worked in the industry your project is focused on.
    • E.g., you are interviewing someone associated with the competitor. (In that case, you won't want to say much—keep it brief.) 
    • E.g., you are interviewing an expert unfamiliar with your case focus. Then, add a lot of context. 
  • If it's impressive to the listener, then say it.
• Your, your team's, or your company's experience with this case's focus area—usually.

  • If it's relevant/impressive, then say it briefly. 

  • If your interviewee is a competitor, be very brief!

Practice: How knowledgeable are you about the following industries, and what would you say to an expert if you were doing a project in that field?

There are a few aspects to each topic.

1. Supply chain management / in consumer goods / manufacturing.
   • E.g.: I have a background in manufacturing and supply chain management, but only B2B, never consumer goods.
2. IoT / in the manufacturing sector / in the automotive industry. 
   • E.g.: I've been working in the IoT area for a couple of years, but this is my first experience with the automotive industry. 
3. Brand-building / in the fast-food industry.
   • E.g.: I'm interested in brand-building, but this is my first project in the fast-food industry. 

Have the student tell you about a past project and how much they knew about it when they started. 

B. Why this?

Have the student describe the case as they would to an expert interviewee. They should not just read out the information.

—

CLIENT: Lord of the Wings Fried Chicken

• 240 locations in your country.

• Sales have dropped 8% in the last year, compared to an industry average drop of 3%.

• Initial research shows:
  • superior product;
  • weak brand image;
  • long waits;
  • fierce competition; and
  • competitors leveraging social media for viral campaigns. 

Hypothesis: Wait times and brand image are related and are the core issues.

Solution: Use technology to innovate the food production process; reestablish the brand identity.

The project started 3 days ago. You are ending the first round of expert interviews. 

EXAMPLE: 

• My client is a major player in my country. 
• But they're having trouble. Sales have plummeted 8% in the last year, compared to the industry average drop of just 3%. 
• We've done some initial research. The product itself is very good. The food is delicious. However, the brand image is quite negative, and that's a key problem.
• We believe that the wait times are a core issue and are affecting the image. 
• We are going to use innovative solutions in food production and also reestablish the brand identity. 
• We only started this week, so your insight should help us shape this strategy. 

C. Why now?

You can briefly outline what you have done and what you have yet to do in your project. Many experts will know that you have different needs in different parts of the project. 

The project is 3 months long, and there are interviews scheduled at the following points:

[Let your students fill in this information. Discuss it if necessary.] 

• Week 1—We need to understand the case, identify bottleneck issues and develop a hypothesis. 
• Week 2—We need to... Idea: continue to develop your hypothesis...
• Week 4—We need to... Idea: confirm the hypothesis—are your ideas right?
• Week 6—We need to... Idea: (if interviews are necessary) make sure your ideas are spot on.  

What week is the example in the text box above from? —Probably week 1 or 2.

What would you say to the same expert at week 6?

Example:

We've established some key aspects of what the digital experience should be, but we are looking at how to overcome some big hurdles. 

D. Why you?

Ask:

• Do you usually research the expert? [Most consultants usually do.] 
• Should you research the expert? [Yes!]

The Why you? part is often overlooked, but it can show a few important things: 

1. You are well-prepared.
2. You acknowledge the expert's accomplishments.
3. It establishes the direction of the interview.

Key terms

Make sure your student knows the following vocabulary. Don't spend too long on this, but short discussions are okay.

• Map the customer journey.
• Make the process more intuitive. 
• Best-practice—important when comparing or "benchmarking" your client to others. 
• Supply chain management—there is a "chain" of manufacturing, and it should be as tight as possible. 
• Consumer goods manufacturing—this is B2C (business to consumer) as opposed to B2B (business to business). 
• Human-to-machine interaction
  • IoT—the Internet of Things. It's a hot topic as manufacturing becomes more and more digital.
• Brand-positioning—your brand compared to other brands.