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Overheard a client say my report was too tidy, took it oddly personal at first
In a hallway after a kickoff at a Denver office, I caught the finance director telling their CEO my deliverable looked 'too polished to be real.' I was annoyed for a second, then realized they meant it lacked any trace of how I got to the numbers. Next review I added a short notes section with assumptions and one dead end I chased. Client opened with 'this finally feels honest' and we had our best planning talk in a year. Does anyone else let clients peek behind the curtain like that, or do you keep the process fully hidden?
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michael8031mo ago
The part about the dead end you chased is what got me. Did you worry at all that showing a wrong turn would make them question the final numbers, or did you frame it in a way that made it clear the dead end actually helped you get to the right answer? I ask because there is a real risk there. Some clients see any misstep as a sign you don't know what you're doing, even when the notes are just about being straight with them. Curious how you worded it so it landed as honest instead of shaky.
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