The process begins with a client brief. If the client is clear about the output required, and is able to list down detailed input points (for example, list of competitors, product details, references, etc), the quote and the timelines would be clear from the beginning.

Having said that, in some cases, it is common for the client to be unsure of the exact scope at the beginning. Here we could follow an approach of incremental clarity. The client could engage my services for an initial short duration (say, a couple of weeks) wherein I could discuss with the client the details of the larger deliverables, and carry out sample research to deliver a pilot. From there, I would get into discussions with the client to understand their feedback and together build the scope of the next set of deliverables.