A client told me my project updates were too long and they stopped reading them.

I used to send huge weekly emails with every little detail. After a project in Austin, the client said straight up, 'I skim these for the bottom line.' So I switched to a one-page summary with three bullet points: done this week, planned next week, any blockers. I send it every Friday without fail. It cut my writing time in half and they reply faster now. Has anyone else found a better format for keeping clients in the loop without overwhelming them?

4 comments

4 Comments

the_emma1mo ago

Honestly, you nailed the fix. Most people miss the bigger point though. It's not just about shorter updates, it's about training your client on what to expect. That rigid Friday send is the real key. It stops the random "status?" emails because they know exactly when info is coming.

wood.jana16d ago

Same here, switched to a three line email. It's just current progress, next step, and if I need anything from them. The shorter it is, the faster they actually read it and give an answer.

kelly.pat1mo ago

My team in Denver started adding a single green/red/yellow project health icon to the subject line. It lets the client know if they even need to open the email.

murray.pat1mo ago

Totally agree about training the client. We set a hard deadline for status reports every Thursday at 3pm. It cut down the check-in calls by like 80% because they just wait for the update now.