Beyond AI narratives: Be prepared to go off-script.
We’re seeing more consultants, advisors and managers walk into client meetings with AI-assisted decks, notes or narratives. They look polished and smart, but sometimes....they miss the mark. Not because AI is bad, but because ownership quietly slipped away.
Introduction: faster preparation, new risks.
AI has become standard preparation for client-facing professionals across consulting, sales, account management and advisory roles. It structures presentations, drafts narratives and articulates value faster and more fluently than ever.
But in real client meetings, a new failure mode is emerging. Not dramatic. Not technical. But damaging.
The issue isn't that AI gets things wrong. It's that AI prepares people forlinear conversations, while client reality is non-linear, pressured and strategic.
Where AI-prepared narratives break down.
AI is excellent at creating coherent storylines. It optimises logic, flow and confidence.
Client meetings don’t necessarily follow those rules.
They are shaped by:
regulatory pressure
internal politics
risk exposure
emotional context
time constraints
Three predictable weaknesses appear when professionals rely too heavily on AI-prepared narratives:
1. Script dependency: inability to function without the prepared narrative.
2. Linear thinking: struggling when the conversation doesn't follow the deck's logic.
3. Context blindness: missing emotional, political or timing signals.
What AI readiness really requires.
Being AI-ready does not mean using AI more fluently.
It means being less dependent on the prepared artefact and more capable of thinking strategically in the moment.
Three capabilities matter.
1. Ability to abandon the narrative If you can’t explain your point without the slide, you don’t own it.
2. Non-linear, strategic thinking Clients want help choosing between options, not more content.
3. Sensitivity to context and emotion AI can’t read pressure, fear, or political reality. Humans must.
Conclusion.
AI amplifies preparation. But in client-facing work, preparation is only the entry ticket.
Trust is built when the script breaks, the question shifts and the real concern surfaces. AI can help you sound right. Staying credible when the plan no longer applies still requires a human.
Ready to strengthen communication skills that work off-script?
Let's explore how your team responds when clients shift direction.
