In the influential book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit number 5 is “First understand, then be understood.” What does that have to do with expert interviews?
Explain a project you’ve worked on in the past, or a project you’re working on now. Avoid consulting jargon.
An interview should begin with an introduction. We will follow a simple “trusted advisor” framework.
Why me?
- My name is ______ and I am a (position) at (company name).
- I’ve worked on (your practice area).
- Our team specializes in (your company’s experience with the case focus area)
Why this?
Talk about the project itself. One strategy is to start broad and get more specific.
Why now?
Briefly outline what you’ve done so far.
Why you?
Explain why this expert is relevant to the project.
- I read that…
- Your work in…
- I noticed your achievements in…
In this course, we are going to be studying a business case together. Read the background with your teacher.
Think of a country where Christmas dinner begins with a large bucket of fried chicken, warm biscuits, and coleslaw and ends with a cute, decorated Christmas cake on an annual commemorative plate. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in Japan first introduced “Kentucky equals Christmas” in 1974 and became a massive success, now amounting to over a third of its annual sales.
You have been hired as a consultant for Chick-fil-A, a fast food joint that is well-known in the United States that is known for its fried chicken, similar to KFC. The main difference? It is a Christian company and is only open 6 days a week, with Sundays off for all of its employees. They also provide healthier, 50% less fatty options to KFC. You want to hear from an expert what they think about opening Chick-fil-A in Japan.
Pretend that your teacher is a global researcher in fast food culture and habits in Japan. Give a “trusted advisor” introduction.