I wince when I think of the time that has been wasted over my career from teams trying to “guess” what a client will need rather than just asking them what they want.  A client may ask for a 30 minute phone call to discuss a particular detail, and it will somehow spark hours of internal speculation about what the client might want.

I believe it stems from a fear of making a suggestion that turns out to be wrong, or concern that you will be unprepared for client questions.

I’ve never known a client to be upset when they’re told, “I hear your requirements, and I will get back to you with a response soon.”