How To Be A
Great Consultant

Transforming Business Analysts into Consultative Solutions Experts

Bridging the Gap Between Software Requirements and Human Psychology

● Business Analysis ● Consultative Selling ● Human Psychology

The 70% Reality

Why Requirements Fail — and What We Can Do About It

70%

of software projects fail due to
poor requirements gathering

Source: Standish Group CHAOS Report

2.5x

more likely to succeed when BA uses
consultative discovery

Source: PMI Pulse of the Profession

60%

of BA time wasted on
requirement revision cycles

Source: IIBA Global Survey

We ask "What features do you want?" instead of "What problem keeps you up at night?"
We document requirements rather than diagnose root causes
We validate checklists instead of discovering real needs
We can change this — by becoming a Great Consultant

“The biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

— George Bernard Shaw

The Iceberg Principle

What Clients Ask For vs. What They Actually Need

Surface Level

Feature Requests & Explicit Requirements

10%

Under the Surface

Workarounds, Emotions, Beliefs, Identity

90%

Core Question

Ask: "What problem are you really trying to solve?"

The Trap

Taking requirements at face value (mentah-mentah) = building the wrong product

Great BAs don't stop at feature requests. Dig deeper to find the real need.

7 Levels of Client Needs

Mapping Human Psychology to Business Analysis — Dive Beneath the Surface

L1 Behavior "I need a dashboard" — Feature Request

L2 Pain & Frustration "I’m losing money because I can’t see data"

L3 Perception & Assumptions "Dashboards are the only way to track KPIs"

L4 Expectations "I expect this system to save my team 10 hrs/week"

L5 Core Need "I need to feel in control of my business again"

L6 Business Value "Revenue growth, operational efficiency, competitive edge"

L7 Vision & Identity "We want to be the market leader — digitally"

▲ Each level reveals a deeper truth. Your job as a Great Consultant is to dive deep.

Diving Deeper: The 7 Levels

How to uncover what your client truly needs — level by level

Level

What It Means

Key Question

L1 — Behavior

The feature request. What the client says they want. Like a fever — don't treat it without finding the infection.

"What triggered you to ask for this now?"

L2 — Pain & Frustration

Behind every request is a pain point. Maybe they're losing money, embarrassed in front of their boss, or the team is overwhelmed.

"What happened that made this urgent now?"

L3 — Perception & Assumptions

They believe this solution is the only way. But their assumptions may be wrong. Gently challenge them.

"What makes you confident this is the answer?"

L4 — Expectations

Unspoken targets. "I hope this saves 10 hrs/week." If you don't uncover this, you'll deliver on time and still be seen as failing.

"What does success look like, measurably?"

L5 — Core Need

What they actually need. Not a dashboard — but "to feel in control of my business again." This emotional need is rarely spoken aloud.

"What worries you most if this doesn't get solved?"

L6 — Business Value

Revenue, efficiency, competitive edge. If your solution doesn't touch this level, senior stakeholders won't approve.

"What's the impact on the bottom line?"

L7 — Vision & Identity

The deepest level. The company's north star: "We want to be the digital market leader." Every solution must align with this identity.

"Where is this company heading in 3-5 years?"

Pro-tip: Start from L7 (Vision) and work your way up to L1 (Feature). That's how a Great Consultant thinks.

The 5 BA Communication Stances

Which One Are You Today? — Target: Congruent

🙏

Placating

"Yes, we can build anything you want!"
Avoids conflict, over-promises, says yes to everything

People-Pleaser

📈

Blaming

"The client didn’t explain it well enough!"
Defensive, shifts responsibility, finger-pointing

Deflector

🧠

Super Reasonable

"Per BRD section 4.2, the system shall..."
Hides behind process, rigid, no human connection

Robot

🤔

Irrelevant

"Let’s circle back and pivot on that..."
Deflects with jargon, never lands on a decision

Cloud-chaser

✨

Congruent

"Help me understand the real problem you’re facing."
Authentic, curious, consultative, trusted advisor

★ Great Consultant

Congruent is the only stance that builds trust — and trust is the currency of consultative selling.

The MHUI Framework

Consultative Discovery in Action — A Structured Approach to Deep Diving

● Masalah (Problem) → ● Harapan (Expectation) → ● Usaha (Attempts) → ● Ide (Solution)

M

Masalah — Root Cause

Don’t treat symptoms. Ask: "What triggered this need? What happens if we don’t solve it?" Identify predisposing factors vs. triggering events.

H

Harapan — Real Expectations

Separate wants from needs. Ask: "What does success look like in measurable terms?" Differentiate technical wishes from underlying yearnings.

U

Usaha — Audit Attempts

Don’t reinvent the wheel. Ask: "What have you tried so far? What worked? What didn’t?" Avoid proposing solutions that have already failed.

I

Ide — Consultative Solution

Co-create, don’t dictate. Ask: "Based on what we’ve uncovered, what would be the best approach?" Let the client own the decision.

Pro-tip: Use open-ended questions (What, How) — avoid "Why" (triggers defensiveness)

Case Study: “I Need a Dashboard”

The Real Story Behind the Feature Request — Surface vs. Depth

❌ Typical BA Approach

1

Client says: "I need a real-time dashboard for my operations team."

2

BA documents: Dashboard with 12 KPIs, real-time refresh, role-based access

3

Result: Delivered on time — but client says "This isn’t what I needed." 3 rounds of revisions follow. Budget overruns by 40%.

✔️ Great Consultant Approach

1

Dives deep with MHUI: "Tell me what happened that made you realize you need this dashboard right now."

2

Discovers the real problem: Operations team missed a critical SLA breach last week. Client lost a $200K contract. They don’t need a dashboard — they need an early warning system.

3

Solution proposed: Alert-based notification system with escalation workflow + simple dashboard. 60% less development effort. Client: "This is exactly what we needed."

💡 The client didn’t need a dashboard. They needed to stop losing money. A dashboard was just their “Feature Request” — the tip of the iceberg.

4 Mindset Shifts

From Scribe to Consultant — Transform How You Work

01

From Note-Taker to Detective

Stop documenting what you hear. Start investigating what lies beneath. Every feature request is a clue to a deeper problem. Channel your inner Sherlock.

02

From Solution-Mode to Understanding-Mode

Resist the urge to propose solutions in the first meeting. Stay in discovery mode. The longer you listen, the better your solution will be. Silence is a powerful tool.

03

From Checklist to Conversation

A BRD is not a form to fill — it’s a reflection of a human conversation. If your requirements gathering feels like a survey, you’re doing it wrong.

04

From Vendor to Trusted Partner

When you uncover what the client truly needs, you stop being a vendor who delivers features. You become a partner who delivers outcomes. That’s the difference.

Remember: Clients don’t buy software. They buy solutions to their problems.

Be a Great Consultant

Stop the Cycle of Endless Requirements Revisions

“The best consultants don’t just deliver what the client asks for.
They discover what the client truly needs — and deliver that.”

🔎 Listen to understand,
not to respond

📈 Dive beneath the
feature request iceberg

🤝 Build trust through
consultative discovery

A Great Consultant changes everything.

Thank You

Solution With Purpose

✉ tanya@kabarbaik.xyz

☎ 0818-KBTI-19

How To Be AGreat Consultant