Death of “Let Me Get Back to You”
When clients have already asked ChatGPT, what’s left for a consultant to add?
There was a time when consultants could survive on one magical phrase:
“Let me get back to you.”
It was the professional pause button. A graceful, tactful way to buy time while you scrambled behind the scenes to phone a colleague or Google it.
But in today’s world? That phrase is dead. Buried. Retired.
Because your clients? They have an alternative.
The End of the Safety Buffer
“Let Get back to you” made clients feel heard and reassured.
But now? By the time you finish your sentence, they’ve already:
Asked ChatGPT &
Cross-checked it using Claude & Grok
When you circle back hours or days later, you are not the first source - you are the last. And in consulting, that could be risky.
Clients already know enough to tell when you are bluffing.
Clients don’t need more of the same.
They Need Interpreters.
Here’s the truth: clients don’t hire you to be a walking encyclopedia anymore. They already have one. It’s called AI.
What they need is a translator. Someone who can say:
“Here’s what the tool missed.”
“Here’s how it applies to our messy reality.”
“Here’s the risk you didn’t see coming.”
“Here’s why it won’t work for you.”
That’s where consultants make a difference, not in parroting information, but in applying it.
So when you say “Let me get back to you,” you’re dodging the very value they’re paying you for.
Hands-On Is the New Credibility
Picture this: a client asks, “How would this work in SAP?”
Old-school answer: “Great question, let me get back to you.”
New-school move: fire up a sandbox, walk them through a live example, even if it’s rough.
Or they ask: “Can we automate this HR workflow?”
Old-school: “We’ll schedule a demo next week.”
New-school: open the tool, mock up a draft with Miro or Figma in real time.
Because nothing builds trust faster than being willing to show, not stall.
Clients don’t expect perfection in the moment. They expect presence.
The Death of BS
Let’s be honest: consultants have historically survived on a little bit of performance art.
Confident tone. Jargon-laced sentences. A diplomatic promise to circle back.
But AI killed the dance.
Why? Because BS has a half-life of about 15 seconds. A client can type your confident answer into ChatGPT and see if it holds water. If it doesn’t? They’ll remember that.
Transparency beats tap-dancing. Always.
If you don’t know, say: “Here’s what I do know, here’s what I’d test, and here’s how we can try it together right now.”
That’s credibility in this new era.
The Consultant’s Survival Checklist
So how do you replace “Lemme get back to you” without sounding clueless? With a new playbook.
Here are five habits for consultants who want to stay indispensable:
Be Hands-On in the Room
Don’t just talk about the system - open it. Show it live. Even a rough walk-through earns more trust than polished silence.Co-Create With the Client
Fire up the AI tool together. Let them see how you problem-solve, not just what answer you land on.Frame, Don’t Fake
If you don’t know, frame the path forward. “Here’s how we’d test this. Let’s run a quick pilot.”Stay Current
Assume your client has already read the headlines. Don’t repeat what they know. Instead, translate it into action for their unique context.Bring Judgment, Not Jargon
AI is great at answers. But it can’t weigh trade-offs, politics, or people. That’s your edge.
The Doctor vs. WebMD
Think about medicine.
Everyone has WebMD in their pocket. Patients show up knowing what their symptoms might mean.
But does that make doctors irrelevant? Not at all.
It makes their judgment even more valuable. Because the role of the doctor isn’t just spitting out information. It involves interpreting, contextualizing, and guiding patients toward the right decision.
Consultants are the same.
Your client already has the “what.” They’re hiring you for the “so what” and the “now what.”
Credibility Isn’t Delayed. It’s Demonstrated.
The death of “lemme get back to you” isn’t the death of consulting. It’s the rebirth of real consulting - hands-on, transparent, and rooted in judgment.
Clients want partners who show up, roll up their sleeves, and open the hood in real time.
So next time you feel your instinct wanting to say “I’ll get back to you” STOP.
Instead, say: “Let’s test it now.”
Or: “Here’s what I know and how I’d try it.”
Or: “Let’s explore it together.”
Because credibility doesn’t live in the follow-up email, it lives in the moment.
In this new era, you don’t earn trust by circling back. You earn it by stepping up.
Stay Curious,
AI Lady
About the Author
I’m Priya Tahiliani, and I’ve spent the last 15 years at the intersection of HR and Technology. Most of my career has focused on SAP HCM and SAP SuccessFactors consulting, working with Big Four firms and clients worldwide.
I built and launched my company’s first AI tool by forging a great partnership with IT, and today I continue to work with HR leaders to help shape the future of work with AI.
Beyond work, I serve as Vice President of Public Relations at Toastmasters. I’m also the Founder of the AI Collective – Oakville Chapter in Canada, part of the world’s largest community for AI professionals - a network dedicated to learning and leading responsibly with AI.
And of course, I write the AI Lady newsletter, where I share my experiences, insights, and thoughts about how AI is reshaping our workplaces.