“Can you share some more details?”
When this is the first question a consultant asks on a call, it is usually not curiosity. It is a confession.
It tells you the consultant has not read the background, has not reviewed prior discussions, has not gone through notes or context, and has arrived as a tourist on vacation. Someone parachuted into a conversation that has already evolved, expecting the customer to rewind time and restate what has already been said, often multiple times before.
That is not engagement. It is disrespect.
A professional consultant either comes prepared or stays silent until they understand the landscape. They read. They listen. They connect dots. They do not treat a live customer call as a discovery exercise because they skipped the work that should have happened before joining.
With whatever small company we run, we do not micromanage people. But this question is one we listen for carefully, because it reliably signals deeper issues. Lack of preparation. Lack of ownership. Lack of seriousness about the client’s time.
Ironically, this has nothing to do with intelligence or technology. Some of the most dependable professionals we know work with their hands. A cobbler recently restored a pair of worn Oxford shoes in three hours. Quietly. Methodically. For a few hundred rupees. He understood the problem, applied skill, and delivered an outcome. No pre-read deck required.
Consulting is not different in principle.
The point is simple. Show up prepared. Carry a notepad. Write things down. Listen carefully. Think before speaking. No client expects behaviour today that did not exist centuries ago. Respect, attention, and competence are not modern inventions.
At Lydian, we believe consulting starts long before the meeting begins. If you want to work with people who value preparation over performance and clarity over theatrics, start that conversation at lydiangbs.com.
Because asking better questions begins with doing the homework first.
