During a kickoff call, what percent of the time should the client spend talking?

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 60%
• D. 75%

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that kickoff calls should be client-led so you surface goals, requirements, and constraints directly from the people who will live with the result. The facilitator guides the flow, asks targeted questions, and captures details, but the client drives the discussion about what success looks like, what risks exist, and what needs to be in scope.

Why the best balance is the client speaking the majority of the time: when the client drives most of the conversation, you gather authentic priorities, success metrics, and real pains. That level of input is essential to align on scope and expected outcomes, and it also builds trust. The other party uses the remaining time to structure the conversation, ask clarifying questions, summarize, and confirm understanding, ensuring you don’t miss important details while keeping the meeting focused and actionable.

If the client speaks only a small portion, you risk missing context and alignment. If they speak about half, you may not surface enough depth of requirements. If they dominate too much, the meeting can drift without sufficient guidance to capture all necessary information and next steps. In practice, aim for a client-led discussion that still maintains a clear agenda, with thoughtful questions and timeboxing to cover goals, scope, success criteria, risks, and next steps.