Good clarifying question topics
- Client objective and success metric.
- Geography, product, customer, and timeframe.
- Business model and revenue source.
- Constraints such as budget, capacity, regulation, or timeline.
What to avoid
Avoid asking questions just to stall. If the answer would not change your framework or first analysis, it probably is not worth asking at the start.
Questions to ask in a consulting interview
Objective
"What is the client's primary goal, and how will success be measured?"
Scope
"Are we focused on a specific geography, customer segment, product line, or timeframe?"
Constraints
"Are there budget, capacity, regulatory, brand, or timing constraints I should keep in mind?"
Clarifying question FAQs
How many should I ask?
Usually two or three focused questions are enough before you take a moment to structure.
Should I ask about profit every time?
Only if the objective is unclear. If the prompt already defines the goal, ask about context that affects the analysis.