Why client interviews are lost
- A consultant who hears the questions for the first time on the day. A strong profile can fail in front of the client simply because they hadn't anticipated the questions or presented their engagements in a muddled order.
- Account managers with no time to coach. Having every consultant rehearse before every meeting is something nobody can keep up over time.
- Bench time that drags on. A missed client interview means a consultant waiting a few more weeks for their next engagement.
How client interview preparation works
- You launch the simulation. Delectus prepares a tailored interview from the engagement description and the consultant's profile.
- The consultant practices when they can. They get a link to their personal space and take the simulation over video, whenever suits them.
- They read their report. The report is written for them. It covers their strengths, the answers to rework and the questions to prepare before the real meeting.
What is a client interview at an IT consulting firm?
It's the meeting where the client meets the consultant the firm is proposing for an engagement, often with the account manager present. The client wants to be sure of three things: that the experience described in the profile is real, that the consultant has understood the project's context, and that they'll fit into the team.
It isn't a job interview. The consultant isn't applying for a job; they're showing that they match a specific need. So the questions are concrete, often technical, and closely tied to the client's project.
A simulation that feels like the real meeting
The AI starts from the engagement itself: its technologies, its context, its level of demand. It asks the questions a client would ask, follows up when an answer stays vague and asks for examples. The consultant can practice the night before or that same morning, from their browser.
The simulation is still a practice run. It's kept separate from hiring evaluations, and the report is written first and foremost for the consultant.
Examples of questions asked in a client interview
Here are the kinds of questions a consultant needs to be able to handle, phrased the way a client asks them.
- "Tell me about the engagement closest to our project. What exactly was your role?"
- "Our application runs on an aging architecture. What would you start with in your first week?"
- "How did you work with the business teams on your last engagement?"
- "Tell me about a production incident you had to handle."
- "What interests you about this engagement?"
- "What's your availability, and can you be on site three days a week?"
Preparing to walk through your background
The interview almost always starts with "Tell me about yourself." That's where many consultants lose their way, running through ten years of career in chronological order.
Two minutes is enough, focused on the engagements closest to the need. For each one, the context, the role held and one concrete achievement. Then one sentence linking it to the proposed engagement. The client then knows why this consultant is sitting in front of them.
How to answer a technical question in a client interview
A good answer starts from a real situation, describes what the consultant did themselves, then the result. It stays understandable to a client who isn't necessarily technical, and ends by coming back to the project at hand.
If the consultant doesn't know a technology that's mentioned, it's better to say so and explain how they got up to speed on a similar tool. A client quickly spots an improvised answer, and lost trust costs more than the gap itself.
Mistakes that lose a client interview
You see them in very good consultants. Not having reread the engagement description and discovering the context mid-interview. Telling their whole career story instead of the relevant engagements. Saying "we" when talking about the team, without ever specifying what they did themselves. Criticizing a former client or a former firm. And finishing without asking a single question about the project.
Most of these can be fixed in one rehearsal. They're often the first thing the simulation report points out.
A simulation built from the engagement and the profile
The simulation doesn't start from a ready-made list of questions. Delectus draws on the engagement description sent by the client and on the consultant's profile, the very one the client received. So the AI questions the consultant about the experience the client read and the technologies they expect, just as the client would.
The consultant gets a link to their personal space, with no password. They take the simulation there over video and find their report there too. If they redo a simulation after reworking their answers, they get a new report before the meeting.
The account manager's role in preparation
The account manager knows the client: what they value, the sensitive topics, the person who will be across the table. Their briefing is still essential, and the simulation doesn't replace it. It adds what a briefing can't: the chance to answer out loud before the day.
After the interview, quick feedback to the consultant matters, whether or not the engagement is won. If they aren't selected, the reasons the client gives help prepare the next meeting, and the next simulation can target those points.
Consultants on the bench or finishing an engagement
A consultant on the bench has time, but may have gotten out of the habit of interviewing. One who is finishing an engagement, on the other hand, has very little time. Either way, they take the simulation when they can, and the report tells them where to focus their efforts.
Frequently asked questions
How do you prepare a consultant for a client interview?
Have them reread the engagement description, prepare with them how to present their closest experience, then have them rehearse the interview. With Delectus, that rehearsal happens with an AI that plays the client, without tying up an account manager.
Does the consultant see their report?
Yes, the report is written for them. They find it in their personal space, opened through a secure link, with no password.
How long does a simulation last?
It depends on the engagement and the number of topics chosen. The consultant takes it in one sitting, at their own pace.
What's the difference between a client interview and a job interview?
The job interview decides whether the firm hires the person. The client interview decides whether the consultant is selected for an engagement, and the client mainly checks how well they fit the need.
How long does a client interview last?
Usually between thirty minutes and an hour, sometimes with a technical part led by one of the client's experts.
What questions should you ask the client at the end of the interview?
Questions about the project: the team's makeup, the priorities for the first few months, the current challenges. They show the consultant's interest and give them material for what comes next.
Should the account manager attend the client interview?
It's common. They introduce the consultant, steer the conversation if needed and get the client's immediate feedback. But it's the consultant's preparation that makes the meeting.
