The phrase bank
Short, safe phrases for every moment of a case.
Key takeaways
- Your accent does not matter. Clarity does.
- The clear answer accepts the point, says what it changes, and suggests a next step, in short sentences.
- Common mistakes: Translating from your first language word by word, which makes sentences long.
Key idea
Your accent does not matter. Clarity does. A small set of practiced phrases lets you think about the problem instead of searching for words.
| Moment | Say this | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Summarizing the prompt | "Let me summarize to check I understood. Our client is... and the goal is... Is that right?" | Starting the analysis without checking |
| Clarifying | "Could you tell me a bit more about how the company makes money?" "What does success look like for the client?" | "What do you mean?" with no detail |
| Asking for time to think | "May I take a minute to structure my thoughts?" "Let me think about that for a moment." | Long silence with no explanation, or filling time with "umm" |
| Signposting | "I would like to look at three areas. First... Second... Third..." "Let me start with costs, because..." | Listing ideas with no order |
| Asking for data | "Do we have any information on how costs changed over the last two years?" | "Give me all the data." |
| Did not hear | "Sorry, could you repeat the last number, please?" | Guessing a number you did not hear |
So-what
Learn these phrases until they come out without effort. Then your mind is free for the problem.
| Moment | Say this | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Disagreeing politely | "That is a fair point. My concern is... because..." "I see it slightly differently. The data shows..." | "No, you are wrong." or giving in at once |
| Correcting a mistake | "Let me correct that. I dropped a zero, so it is 4.5 million, not 45 million." | Hiding the mistake or panicking |
| Mid-case summary | "So far we have found... This means... Next I would like to look at..." | Moving on without saying what you learned |
| Answering a direct question | "Yes. The main reason is..." "The short answer is no, because..." | A long story before the answer |
| Closing | "My recommendation is to... for three reasons... The main risk is... As next steps, I would..." | "So, yeah, I think maybe..." |
The interviewer says: "I am not sure the market is growing as fast as you assume."
Unclear
"Oh, okay, umm, so maybe it is not, I mean, it could be, I am not sure, yes, maybe lower."
Clear and calm
"That is a fair point. If growth is closer to 3 percent than 8 percent, the market is about a fifth smaller in five years, and the case for entering is weaker. Could we check the growth data?"
Why the stronger answer wins: The clear answer accepts the point, says what it changes, and suggests a next step, in short sentences.
Say this out loud in under 20 seconds, using the phrase bank: you have found that costs rose 12 percent, mostly because of rent, and you want to look at revenue next. Then reveal a model answer.
Translating from your first language word by word, which makes sentences long. Apologizing for your English. Filling every pause with "umm" or "like". Saying "I think maybe perhaps" before every point: say "I would" or "My view is".
You did not hear a number clearly. What should you do?
Which is the best way to disagree with an interviewer?
What matters most when you speak in a case interview?
Sources for this lesson (1)
- Recognized public explanations of case-interview concepts and frameworks
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