When I was mocking with my partner, I assumed wine will be bought by consumer at year 1, and didn't come up with the possibility of wine appreciation. What kind of questions should I ask to get interviewer to give me these informations. How will I think structurally to avoid such mistake?
Schedule mock interviews on the Meeting Board, join the latest community discussions in our Consulting Q&A and find like-minded Interview Partners to connect and practice with!
Back to overview
10
The business model of wine cellar is difficult to come up
2
1.5k
Be the first to answer!
Nobody has responded to this question yet.
Top answer
Pedro
on Oct 18, 2021
Coach
Most Senior Coach @ Preplounge: Bain | EY-Parthenon | RB | Principal level interviewer | PEI Expert | 30% in October
When you have a business you don't understand/know much about, you should directly ask “what's their business model? How to they make money?” as a clarification question.
You are not being asked to guess the business model of the company. So just ask it. It's that simple! ;)
0 comments
Ian
on Oct 18, 2021
Coach
Top US BCG / MBB Coach - 5,000 sessions |Tech, Platinion, Big 4 | 9/9 personal interviews passed | 95% candidate success
Hi Xinlu,
It is indeed but it's not uncommon for you to face unfamiliar industries!
You need to get comfortable with the “unknown”. Identify what you don't know about the industry and just ask! In other words, turn your known unknowns into known knowns.
To practice, conduct research on various industries. Setup an industry deep-dive template and go ahead and fill it out. This should get you use to understanding the varioues levels/dynamics within various industries.
Similar Questions
Most Popular Posts
Skill/Level differences
9
on Oct 11, 2025
Middle East
5
100+
Top answer by
Sidi
Coach
McKinsey Senior EM & BCG Consultant | Interviewer at McK & BCG for 7 years | Coached 500+ candidates secure MBB offers
5 Answers
100+ Views
+2
Trouble with brainstorming
13
on Oct 12, 2025
USA
8
100+
Top answer by
Sidi
Coach
McKinsey Senior EM & BCG Consultant | Interviewer at McK & BCG for 7 years | Coached 500+ candidates secure MBB offers
8 Answers
100+ Views
+5
Final question to ask to the interviewer, MCK
13
on Oct 12, 2025
Europe
6
200+
Top answer by
Seongyun
Coach
Current OW Interviewer | Offers from McKinsey, OW, All Big 4 Strategy Houses | CV & Cover Letter Review
6 Answers
200+ Views
+3
Cover letter advice
8
on Oct 13, 2025
Middle East
6
100+
Top answer by
Evelina
Coach
EY-Parthenon l Coached 100+ candidates into MBB & Tier-2 l 10% off first session l LBS graduate
6 Answers
100+ Views
+3
McKinsey Offer Negociation
11
on Oct 18, 2025
Europe
7
100+
Top answer by
Sherif
Coach
Ex Sr. Engagement Manager with McKinsey - Aug 25 - Top EEMA interviewer 2023 - 2024 with +350 interviews
7 Answers
100+ Views
+4