A short while later today, Hugh McLeod published a drawing with the slogan “I don’t have a career. I have a blackberry.” – inspired by people like us, I guess, who stand around at airports and yack away at their BlackBerries. He wonders what work really gets done in those moments…

This is enough. Apparently, it needs to be said. Out loud.

YOUR BLACKBERRY IS NO EXCUSE FOR BAD EMAILS!

That means:

• Still, one-line emails are not considered polite
• Speling mistokes are still bad form
• The recipient should not notice a difference in the way you reply to his/her mails, regardless of what you typed them on
• Nobody cares that you are at the airport, in the taxi or on the loo
• There is no law that says that an email answered shoddily from the BlackBerry is always better than a delayed reply

So you should:

• Get rid of this stupid footer line – or do you think that people find it cool that you have a BlackBerry???
• Only reply to an email on the go when you have the required concentration and time to write it in correct grammar, in a polite and complete manner (if you would only write “Hi Jim! Yes, we got the deal. Regards, Peter” on your computer in the office, that is of course still fine!)
• Refrain from the “VP style” at all cost(not addressing the recipient, not saying thank you, not punctuating, not using UpperCase letters, etc.) – it really is just bad and unrespectful, I can’t say that often enough!
• Instead of writing a bad email, when under time pressure, CALL the recipient, or send a short message telling her that you will answer her request when you get to the office ->remember, there still are people out there who DO NOT get their mails on their mobile devices, and they somehow manage to survive!

That’s it. Easy, right?

Now go out there and be good!

US President Barack Obama in his first meeting with Indian PM Manmohan Singh remarked that India is a critical player on the world stage. Being an Indian, I take pride in knowing that to be true, however, a simple translation of what Mr. Obama meant is that India is poised to grow at a considerably faster rate as compared to the rate at which more developed nations would grow. The reasons for such an assumption are obvious, as companies strive to be more competitive, they are more likely to seek out newer markets, India with its over 1 billion population and an emerging middle class provides a perfect setting for prolonged periods of growth.

Phew! That sets the context for the main purpose of this article, as more Indian companies seek out unexplored global markets and as more global companies seek out Indian markets, one Industry that is likely to greatly benefit is the “Consulting Industry”. Yes you heard it right. Mr. Consultant in India does not have to worry about slowdown in the Consulting Industry for the next years.

So one question that comes to mind is how difficult is it for a prospective Indian candidate to break into consulting compared to his global counterpart? Answer is “considerably more difficult”. Reasons for such a contention are obvious; India probably churns out more graduates each year than any other country in the world. Strong emphasis on studies by parents plays a major role in more students pursuing studies diligently. So in the end, the applicant pool for Consulting Jobs in India is extremely competitive.

Thus the major proportion of the consulting job opportunities is grabbed by students graduating out of tier-1 schools and colleges, and even among those students graduating from tier-1 schools and colleges the competition is extremely high. Irony in all of this is that even if you do break into a consulting firm, life does not get easy. Any practicing consultant will tell you that the work pressure is tremendous, timelines are tight, there are always things pending and at the appraisal time, you are pitted against the same hard working, extremely bright and highly competitive peers.

Second question that comes to mind is what are the major differences between an Indian consultant and his global counterpart?

The answer in this case is “it depends”, if you manage to break into the top 3 consulting firms, i.e. McKinsey, Bain, BCG then the difference is marginal, the reason is that these firms tend to promote global engagement teams; each engagement you work on will include people from different geographic areas and skill set. Hence, over a period of time, an Indian consultant tends to pick up skills to match his global counterpart.

However, if you break into other big consulting firms i.e. the famous Big 4’s (I avoid calling them Big 4 Accounting firms because significant portion – 50 percent in some cases – of the revenue is now derived from advisory services and hence it would be unfair to tag them as purely accounting firms) or firms such as Capgemini, Diamond Consulting etc., the business model for these firms is very location focused. They tend to promote country specific knowledge as their USP and hence interaction with global peers tends to be limited. Thus this category of consultants tends to be a little different in their style of working and depth of knowledge from their global counterpart. However, such differences are often mitigated over a period of time due various in-firm measures such as secondments etc. This second category of consultants tends to have a much deeper knowledge of the local markets than the other category described above (or so is my opinion anyway).

Though I’ve tried to generalize the differences between Indian and global consultants, there are some other extremely relevant factors that can make a mockery out of my generalizations, these include adaptability, opportunity, Intent etc. How easily an individual can adapt to new working styles, whether the service he or she specializes thrives on expertise in local markets or demands a more global outlook, whether an individual wants to travel and explore new environments – These are some questions that need more probing before a more conclusive generalization can be developed.

About the Author:
Mohit is a consultant at a leading big 4 firm, he specializes in advising clients on mitigating non financial risks during investments and business dealings. Mohit is also the founder of Consulting Network, a leading portal for aspiring consultants, Consulting Network focuses on providing in depth knowledge and mentoring services to aspiring and practicing consultants and promoting networking and job opportunities. Visit http://www.consultingnetwork.co.in/ for more on Consulting Network.

Disclaimer: Views expressed by the author on this article are completely his personal views and in no way reflect the views of his employer or any other parties mentioned in this article.

Although everyone knows since grammar school that spelling is important, it still sometimes is underestimated – as you see with this lovely decorated cake.

For consultants, producing work that is free of spelling errors is critical. Why? Because we hardly ever have tangible products or results to show our clients. The closest they get to that during a project are the things we present to them. Thus, consulting clients tend to put a disproportionately high attention on even the smallest details when they receive a something from you – the latest PowerPoint deck, for example. In the worst case, you lose credibility and trust, because your client perceives you as working inaccurately. Even if that does not occur, you might still waste crucial face time with your client trying to gloss over a stupid mistake he noticed.

Spelling correctly whilst producing your deliverables quickly and often with many revisions is a challenge. Here’s 5 tips to help you out.

1. Use the automatic spell checker:
   Basic, you mean? No-brainer, you say? Hah! If it is already your habit to a) tell the application which language your document really is in (especially if you are not working in an English speaking country, which means that you will often be switching between at least two languages and confusing the heck out of MS Office) and b) engage the spell check every time before you send out a document – kudos! You are on the straight path to becoming a KillerConsultant. If not: Start now. Saves you a lot of effort.
2. Make a list of the abbreviations and conventions used on your project:
   Agreeing on how to write “as-is” (As-is? As-Is? As is? …) within the team saves you a lot of time – just make a simple table that gets updated whenever something new comes in. Send it around as a reminder when appropriate.
3. The clients’ spelling is almost always the way to go:
   When it comes to client specific words (products, departments, project names, abbreviations), make sure that you use them in exactly the way the client does – but do not copy spelling errors that your client made (don’t necessarily rub their nose in it, either – that often has a backlash)
4. Cross-check with colleagues:
   Flight attendants do trust each other – still they always “put the doors in flight and cross-check”. Because another pair of eyes spots your mistakes much easier than you do yourself. Same goes for proofreading.
   Whenever an important delivery comes up, agree beforehand with a colleague to take the time for a full read-through. It already helps when you print out the document and go over it with a red marker yourself (I tend to spot more errors on paper than on the screen), but the magic is in having someone do it who did not write the content.
5. ALL NAMES MUST BE CORRECT, NO EXCEPTION.
   This definitely is a “last but NOT least”. People are, naturally, very sensitive about their names – it is their identity. Come hell or high water, do never ever circulate a document without making sure that you have spelled all names correctly, especially looking at the names of your client contacts. I mean it.

There surely are a lot more tips and tricks when it comes to avoiding spelling horrors – which one has saved you from major disaster? Share it in the comments!

after I got a great email today from Martin from Germany, and from  Akarsh from India earlier last week, it is time to put a big thank you note up here. It gives me a lot of joy to see that I what I write for the KillerConsultant really is of value for some people out there, and the occasional email that I get with positive feedback and further questions on the subject are invaluable.

Let me tell you, it is absolutely awesome to reply to a sceptic friend who asks me why the heck I run this website something along the lines of “you know, there’s Pete, a student from the US, and he just told me that the things I put online really helped him in making the decision to go into consulting – I helped someone in real life. So, you know, it’s kinda worth it.”

Thus: Thanks everybody, really. You make this a worthwhile thing to do, and I do appreciate every piece of feedback I get.

Enter my newest discovery: STAIRS! (*gasp*)

No-seriously! Try it out!
I am on a mission to avoid elevators and escalators at all cost for two weeks now, and it starts to pay off. The rule is strict – no exceptions for “but I am carrying my briefcase AND my suitcase!”. No exception for “but the office is on the 6th floor!”. No excuse for “But there are only fire stairs in the hotel!”. No excuse for “my colleagues are looking at me funny!”. I am just taking the stairs. Of course this is no complete workout yet – but lifting my luggage all over the place sure feels like on, it costs close to no extra time and serves as an instant feel-good moment.

Maybe their is a staircase just waiting for you?

To make life easier for me and you, I have created a Q&A page here on the KC, where I will be collecting the questions and answers that come in. Have a look – so far questions range from “what business car do you drive” to “what business schools in Europe to consulting firms recruit from preferably?”. And, of course – keep ‘em coming!

Here’s your chance!

I just signed up with this fun service called formspring.me – they provide the form below. You can post your questions anonymously, if you chose to. Answers will be posted on formspring.me/theKC . Of course, I might not be able to answer all questions you have – but hey, try me!

Wishing you all a great holiday season,

Florian

[UPDATE: The posted form did not seem to work, sorry to all who submitted a question here, it did not reach me! Please post it directly at formspring.me/theKC. ]

In this second and -so far- last post on the issue, let’s look at the frivolous side of things – and as requested by reader Sebastian, I’ll look at relations inside your firm as well.

• No getting drunk-drunk.
  Let me state it without evaluating it: In many countries, alcohol is part of socializing. You will most likely end up at a restaurant or a bar with your clients once in a while, especially after you and your team did a good job, of course. At those occasions, people will drink alcohol, and you will, too. Now – remember the last time you had a crazy night out with your friends? Hangover and all? You don’t want this to happen. It is ok to have a few beers, wine, what have you – it might even be noted negatively if you don’t participate and stick to your Evian, especially if your clients are the “hands on manager”-type. But you must not lose control - there’s too much trouble potential, from telling the client that you really hate the images in his office (his wife might have chosen them, or his kid painted them…) to spilling your drink over the client CXO’s Savile Row suit, the possibilities are endless, and none are desirable. Pace yourself, stick to low-alcohol drinks, eat enough beforehand, you know the drill. If you begin to feel buzzed beyond what you know you really have under control, pull the plug - shake hands, say goodbye, go to the hotel. There, it’s a good idea to drink as much water as possible before going to bed, and arranging for a wake-up call. Your client can come in late the next day with a dizzy head – but that is not accepted from people he pays four figures a day.
• NO intimate relations with clients. Never.
  “Don’t screw the crew”, you probably knew that line already. Getting into romantic – or… “temporarily satisfying relations” with a colleague is a potential setup for trouble, especially if you involve across hierarchy levels. This applies to your clients even more so. I admit, I have no first hand experience on that, but my common sense tells me that this is the way to go. Sure, we are hired to make our clients happy – but seriously, thinking about how meticulous clients can get over the smallest errors in our slide decks, imagine what trouble you are in if you hurt their personal feelings. Guys, I am looking at you. Don’t.
• What about relationships in your own firm?
  On to Sebastian’s question. Well – the first statement is already made in the topic above: Intimate relations? Think twice. Then think twice again. Again, I have no first hand experience, so it’s just my two cents on the topic… I wouldn’t risk the possible problems for a short-term thing. Be very sure that both of you can make a clear difference between your personal and your professional relation – even more so when you are on different hierarchy levels and might end up working on the same assignment.
  The same goes for friendships: It is great to get along great with colleagues, but you have to make sure that it does not affect your professional behavior. Be aware of the politics in your firm, and the culture: You don’t want to stand out by being too stiff, or too laid back and chatty either. Applying your common sense goes a long way.
  Last not least: people talk everywhere, and they sure do in consulting as well. I’d be cautious about disclosing too much sensitive personal information quickly… because basically, it is like it always was: Not everyone keeps what you tell them to themself. Only this time, the result might not be limited to your college friends having a laugh on your behalf – it might damage your career.

Have I forgotten something? Any of those topics ring a bell with you? Let us know in the comments!

• You always work FOR them.
  Even if you achieve your results in strong collaboration WITH them – which is for sure my preferred way of doing consulting – you are still hired as an external advisor. This distance is important to keep perspective. Quarterly results have improved while you were there? Great! Still, it was “your quarterly results”, not “our quarterly results”. Clients achieve results through our help, but THEY achieve them.
• Never disclose internal information or talk bad about your firm.
  It should be clear that you don’t disclose internal information about your firm to the client. This would destroy your reputation, just as if you disclosed sensitive information from another client – they’d have to assume you will go telling their secrets to someone else as well.
  On top of that, never bad-mouth your firm. You might be angry about your staffing manager because he put you on an assignment in Siberia or loathing the “coffee” in your home office: That is no matter for chit-chat with the client. It is normal to have some things to criticize about your own company – but you don’t do it publicly. It discredits you and the firm… and incidentally, the client you are yapping to about the bad coffee just started thinking why exactly he was paying so much money for such a crappy consulting firm. Keep a positive note when they ask you about your firm. You are an ambassador, act responsibly. If you can’t, this should really get you thinking if you are working for the right firm.
• “Sie” or “Du” / “Tom” or “Mr. Hanks”.
  Although you normally always start out with addressing your clients formally, there might come a point where they offer you to “just call me Tom”, and in non-English languages, that most of the time goes in hand with addressing them informally as well.
  Should you do it? General rule of thumb: No. Decline respectfully, thanking your client, and tell him that after the project is over, you’d be glad to do so. It keeps you on the safe side.
  If you consider it nonetheless -and there is no rule in your firm against that-, be very aware of the culture of your client company and the country you are working in. Don’t do under any circumstance in companies where the informal address signals personal friendship. That could well jeopardize your credibility as an objective and facts-driven advisor.

Alright, enough for now. In part two, I’ll talk about three more things that are real no-no’s in dealing with your clients.

What are your thoughts on those points? War-stories to share? Let us know in the comments!