This document provides an overview of business consulting services offered by Focal Concepts, including sales effectiveness training, sales management, proposal writing, workshops, consulting skills training, executive coaching, crisis communication, stakeholder communications, social media strategy, and business writing training. It describes the approach and benefits for each service area. For example, it explains that their breakthrough workshops aim to accelerate collaborations through diverse stakeholder involvement, iterative solution design, and ensuring commitment to solutions. The document also includes case studies and outlines for training curriculums.

1. Creating Business Roadmaps

2. What we do










Sales Effectiveness
Practical Sales Management
Excellence in Proposal Writing Training
Breakthrough Workshops
Consulting Skills Training
Executive Coaching
Crisis Communication & Management
Stakeholder Communications
Social Media Strategy Development
Business Writing Training
It’s all about Communicating better!

3. Sales Effectiveness
 Crafting a high-impact sales pitch using our simple but
powerful P5 methodology
 Get people interested
 Pitch precisely what’s important
 Learn how to economize on words and time for maximum
impact

4. Sales Management
 Learn about how to organize your sales efforts. Throw out
the complex tools that eat into the time you could be selling.

5. Excellence in Proposal Writing
•Intense
•No-Nonsense
•Workbook oriented

6. BreakThroughs – Accelerating your Collaborations!
BreakThroughs leverage unique environments to solve tough challenges using a comprehensive set of
data based on the “As-Is” situation of the client. The collaborative process allows a rapid and effective
engagement of large audiences of diverse stakeholders with varying business priorities. Hence,
BreakThroughs involve lower risk, greater collaboration, shorter coordination cycles and higher focus
on value realization.
The “BreakThrough” Approach is derived from the fundamental premise that environments which
allow participants to relax and express themselves in an open way while challenging each other
constructively, create a common purpose and collective determination to work towards a common
goal. The actual event involves small sub-groups working in parallel on fragments of a large problem
within such creative environments. The solution designed by each of these sub-groups has a deliberate
focus on actions necessary to achieve the desired outcomes.
Challenges
1.
2.
3.
4.
6
Complex issues and change
require intensive
reconciliation, consensus and
commitment
Involvement of Multiple
Stakeholders
Lack of clarity in achieving a
common solution
Time Consuming
Approach
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Visualization of future states
Iterative solution design
Rapid testing of solution
Knowledge Integration
Focus on actions necessary
for desired outcomes
Collaborative working and
decision making with diverse,
multi-stakeholder groups
Benefits
1.
2.
3.
Significantly shortens coordination cycles and
accelerates implementation
Ensures “Buy In” of all and a
best quality decision through
profound analysis
Guarantees broad alignment
and commitment of each
participant while creating
enthusiasm for the solution
designed

7. Benefits of
BREAKTHROUGH WORKSHOPS
Compression in decision making
● Transparency in thought process
● Collaboration in solution design
● Accountability established
● Money and Time saved
● Team Building & Identification of Leadership traits
● Strong contribution to organizational memory
● Strengthening of the strategic bond between
the firm and its stakeholders
●
(c) Focal Concepts Confidential

8. Case Study: A Collaborative Event designed to bring out
the solutions that lie within . . .
Client – Large Insurance Company
8

9. Case Study:
A Resource Demand Portfolio
Envisioning Workshop
Client - Large Insurance Company
Workshop Objectives
 Develop a common view regarding the key challenges
of resource and demand management
 Begin Defining a way to address them:
• Chunking the problems
• Prioritizing them
• Putting them on a timeline (Phase 1)
• Indentifying possible solutions to the most critical
problems
 Creating alignment and buy-in for how to move
forward
Outcome
Outcome
 Reached a shared view of what needs to change
 Key Stakeholders had a better understanding of the
processes that have been approved by the CIOC
 Reached agreement on the prioritization of issues
 Got the inputs to create a strategic roadmap
 Started to create evangelists who support an aligned
approach to RD-PF
 Gained understanding on how select critical issues are
addressed by the approved RD management processes
9
Workshop Approach
 Review of the In-flight RDPF Initiatives
• The team discussed the various RDPF initiatives introduced by them such as
OCTO RDP Process Improvement, BSA Collaboration Model, ITBM RDP
Roadmap, etc
• This was followed by a debriefing session where the participants were asked to
identify three positive things about the organization and three things where it
needs to step up
 Our Findings
• Four key challenges apart from 16 other challenges were identified; a group
discussion followed
 Work Session Breakouts
• The participants were divided into teams and each team was given one key
challenge
• The team was asked to take the challenge to the next level of refinement by
addressing a given set of questions and then presenting their findings
 Group input to remaining challenges
• Both sets of participants were asked to rate the remaining 16 challenges
 Interactive review of prioritized challenges
• The ratings given by participants were correlated and all were found to be in
sync except for 4 challenges
• A scope discussion took place where scope of improvements was explored

10. Summary
 Preparation Phase
 Data Collection
 Internal Event Branding and communication
1
Actual Workshop
 Scan the complete set of issues raised by the participants
 Create an ambience of trust and energy and get people to talk freely
 Encourage participants to speak up and capture their viewpoints
 Sponsor to identify 3-5 buckets/streams of issues where the problems are likely to reside
 Focus on a practical prioritized set
 Use methods of consensus building to zero in on the top 3-4 in each bucket
 Then work on solutions for them and present back to the group for ratification
2
 Act on the solutions created by the group
 Create a realistic action plan for each stream across defined time periods
 Post-Workshop Phase
 Sponsors program manage the action plan
(c) Focal Concepts Confidential
3

11. Consulting Skills
 Training of entry level consultants on fundamental skills







needed to thrive and be effective
Simulation, role-play and presentations
Proposal development
Role expectations
Team dynamics
Client complexities
Account planning and Financials
Career Planning

12. Executive Coaching
 Confidential counseling, coaching and mentoring of
identified individuals with leadership potential outside the
confines of the organizational boundaries

13. Crisis Communication & Management
 Understand and create workable crisis communication plan
 Understand how and why people react to incidents
 Understand how and why Media react to incidents
 Identify key stakeholders and create appropriate messages
 Learn about the variety of media available and use them
effectively
 Build strategies to protect Government reputation in crisis
 Gain skills to handle media and brief colleagues and
stakeholders in crisis

14. Stakeholder Communications
 Understand the various stakeholders in your environment
 Understand the importance of engaging stakeholders
 Create a plan to engage the stakeholders effectively
 Implementation of stakeholder communications plan

15. Social Media Strategy Development
 Identifying Social Media objectives
 Base-lining organizational Social Media maturity
 Competitive positioning
 Social Media policy creation
 Social Media messaging consistency

16. Business Writing
 Three-phased approach
 Analysis of baseline competencies
 Two day workshop with the FOCUS Filter Method
 Six month engagement to ensure continuity
 Three levels
 Entry level – drill basics with contextually relevant writing
exercises
 Managers – dealing with subordinates, senior management and
clients
 Senior Managers – organizational messaging and client
communication

17. Curriculum – Entry Level
 Phase 0: Analyze current writing strengths and weaknesses – structure,
grammar (active/passive voice, apostrophes, subject-verb agreement
etc.), tone, understandability, core messaging, adherence to writing
etiquette, reading habits
 Phase 1: Fundamentals of communication, self-assessment exercise,
crafting of relevant documents and instant feedback, three types of
writing, basic editing, eliminating common mistakes, writing and editing
using the FOCUS Filter method, comprehension and rating of
documents of varying complexities
 Phase 2: six monthly assignments with a mentor
A FINAL REPORT WILL BE WRITTEN FOR EACH PARTICIPANT AND
SHARED WITH THE SPONSOR. THIS WILL LOOK AT OVERALL
PROGRESS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINED
PROGRESS.

18. Curriculum – Managers

Phase 0: Analyze current writing strengths and weaknesses – structure, grammar (active/passive voice,
apostrophes, subject-verb agreement etc.), tone, understandability, core messaging, adherence to writing
etiquette, reading habits

Phase 1: Fundamentals of communication, self-assessment exercise, persuasive writing , crafting of relevant
documents (including bad news messages, status reports, white papers and proposals) and instant feedback, three
types of writing, basic editing, preventing common mistakes, creating clear and unified paragraphs, writing and
editing using the FOCUS Filter method, comprehension and rating of documents of varying complexities, using
different sentence types for variety and emphasis, avoiding business-writing habits that cloud comprehension and
frustrate readers, writing executive summaries, avoiding politically-sensitive phrases.

Phase 2: Six monthly assignments with a mentor
A FINAL REPORT WILL BE WRITTEN FOR EACH PARTICIPANT AND SHARED WITH THE SPONSOR. THIS
WILL LOOK AT OVERALL PROGRESS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINED PROGRESS.

19. Curriculum – Senior Managers

Phase 0: Analyze current writing strengths and weaknesses – structure, grammar (active/passive voice,
apostrophes, subject-verb agreement etc.), tone, understandability, core messaging, adherence to writing
etiquette, reading habits

Phase 1: Fundamentals of communication, self-assessment exercise with an emphasis on written executive
presence, persuasive writing , writing to inspire, organizational communication, crafting and review of relevant
documents, writing to an international readership, preventing common mistakes, writing and editing using the
FOCUS Filter method, avoiding business-writing habits that cloud comprehension and frustrate readers, writing
executive summaries, speed reading tips, avoiding politically-sensitive phrases.

Phase 2: Six monthly assignments with a mentor
A FINAL REPORT WILL BE WRITTEN FOR EACH PARTICIPANT AND SHARED WITH THE SPONSOR. THIS
WILL LOOK AT OVERALL PROGRESS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUSTAINED PROGRESS.

20. WRITING WITH ENERGY
for High-Potential Leaders
 Creating the right framework for
energised business communication
 Constructing concise, lucid and
effective business artefacts.
 Presenting information, facts and opinions in
simple, correct and easy-to-grasp formats.
Communication is the
key to personal and
career success.
- Paul J. Meyer
• Phase Zero
• Phase One
Analyse
current
writing
strengths and
weaknesses
Pre-assessment
Workshop with
FOCUS FILTER*
Method.
Learning Centre
• Phase Two
Six month Mentorship
to sustain learning
Post-program
Focal Concepts

21. STRATEGIC WRITING
 Creating the right framework for
strategic business communication
for Business Visionaries
Writing to inspire and give directions.
• Phase Zero
 Media Management and Public
Communication.
Assess needs of
participants.
 Crisis Communication
- External and Internal.
Pre-assessment
 Risks and their mitigation in Digital
Communication
 Handling Strategic ClientCommunication channels.
Communication is the
key to personal and
career success.
• Phase One
Learning Centre
Strategic
Communication
Workshop with
the FOCUS
FILTER* Method
Paul J. Meyer
Focal Concepts
• Phase Two
Six month
extended
program :
communication
consultation on
call..
Post-program

22. Focal Concepts

23. Vasudev Murthy
 Managing Partner, Focal Concepts www.focalconcepts.in
 Former Senior Practice Partner and P&L Head, Functional Consulting (HR,






OCM, Finance, Supply Chain & Social Media), Wipro Consulting Services
Former Head of Shared Services at WCS – Training, Research, Knowledge
Management, MBA recruitment (selection, induction, assimilation), Consulting
Operations.
Master Facilitator, with the ability to guide large groups of people in a common
direction in a structured manner, emphasizing decision-making through
consensus-building.
BE – IIT Roorkee, MS in CS Florida State University, MBA, Southern
Methodist University
Visiting Professor of Management Consulting at Indian Institute of
Management, Bangalore
Vast international consulting experience
Organizations: NEC America, AT&T, Deloitte & Touche, Wipro Consulting

24. Books by Vasudev Murthy
The senior priest at Kinkaku-ji temple is found
dead in mysterious circumstances Dr John H.
Watson receives a strange letter from Yokohama.
The quiet, distinguished Mr Hashimoto is
murdered inside a closed room on a voyage from
Liverpool to Bombay. In the opium dens of
Shanghai and in the back alleys of Tokyo, sinister
men hatch evil plots. Professor Moriarty stalks
the world, drawing up a map for worldwide
dominion. In a seriocomic Missing Years novel
that radically ups the ante, Sherlock Holmes and
Dr John H. Watson find their match in more than
one man (or indeed, woman). A thrilling chase
that will leave you breathless.
HARPERCOLLINS 2013
This useful book demystifies a very important
part of formal business practice writing a quality
proposal. It helps the reader put together a
comprehensive and professional document that
will be taken seriously. Covering all elements
that are crucial for writing an effective business
proposal, the book also spells out when and
under what conditions a proposal should be
submitted, the information required, and the
ethical business issues involved. Vasudev Murthy
provides useful tips for producing a professional
proposal that will enable the writer to establish
the credibility of his organization and persuade
the reader to accept it SAGE 2006
This set of thirty powerful short stories
takes the readers on a journey from the
absurd to the sublimely sensitive, from the
mundane to the esoteric and from the
depths of extreme sorrow to the heights of
humour. It explores the boundaries of
imagination and holds the attention of
readers with unusual storylines, tight and
subtle language and a unique narrative
style.
Read a story a day from this collection.
Liberate yourself LiFI 2013
Mysteries of the spiritual world brought
home to us through various raags... the
narrator sits in meditation, his spirit on a
mission to bring back the secrets of the
raags to him. His spirit ushers in images
and diverse personifications of Bhairavi,
Kamod, Puriyadhanashri and many
others,over a period of time, and
covering a gamut of emotions reflection, meditation, sorrow and joy.
Lyrical, absorbing - this book is one of its
kind! RUPA & CO 2004

25. Recent Articles
 Social Media and the CIO: Be the Gas Pedal, Not the Brake CIO
Insight 26-February 2012
 Five Ways to Help Your Annual Strategy Succeed Chief Executive
Magazine 27- March 2012
 6 Things Every Consulting Candidate Should Know –Vault Magazine
20-April 2012
 B-school profs need industry experience – EducationWorldOnline July
2013
www.focalconcepts.in
vasudev.murthy@focalconcepts.in
+91 99866 80400

26. Ganesh Kollegal
 Head – Customer Acquisition & Strategic Account Management,







Focal Concepts www.focalconcepts.in
Public Affairs, Public Relations, Branding, Marketing and Corporate
Communications Expert.
Has vast experience covering crisis communication, change management,
stakeholder communication and branding
Has a strong consulting and research track record and has been part of the
consulting team on a UNDP project in India.
Was also associated with the Urban Solid Waste Management research team of
the University of Amsterdam.
He has published various research papers
Writes often for leading Indian publications viz. The Times of India, Business
Line, CIOL, MiDDay.
Organizations: Novo Nordisk India, BATF, Mudra Porter Novelli, 2020 Media

27. Thank you
Vasudev.Murthy@FocalConcepts.in
+91 99866 80400