When a client asks you a question for your perspective and advice, you answer, “It depends.” Then you sit quietly, waiting to be asked, “On what?” If they don’t ask, you don’t answer. It’s like a game you play—like you’re daring them to ask for more.

Once they ask, you launch into all the factors that should be considered to arrive at an answer. After all, you have to cover yourself. You can’t give the answer without qualifying your answer. You don’t want to be backed into a corner without fully disclosing ALL the warnings. The problem is that the answer doesn’t depend on everything you warn against. Your client doesn’t need the mechanics of the watch when they ask you what time it is.

In the end, your attempt to show how smart you are backfires. Your client hates it when you say, “It depends.” You say it to either cover yourself or to bait them so they will ask you to explain. Regardless, “it depends” isn’t particularly useful, but it is particularly annoying.

All this said, what clients really bristle about is that they know it DOESN”T depend. What you really mean to say is, “I need more information.” So why don’t you just say that and save the game playing?

Your clients don’t ask questions out of the blue. They ask in a context that is important to them. So, when your client asks a question, say, “tell me more about what you’re you have in mind.” Then they will tell you what they really want and you will have the information you need to answer their question. Just remember, it doesn’t depend.