Got told my project updates were too long and it honestly changed how I talk to clients

Tbh, a regular I work with in Seattle straight up said my weekly emails were like reading a novel. Ngl, I used to send 5 paragraph updates covering every little thing. After that chat, I switched to a 3 bullet point format with just the key progress, next step, and any blockers. Honestly, it cut my email time in half and the client actually reads them now. Has anyone else had to totally change how they communicate after some blunt feedback?

3 comments

3 Comments

troyjackson3mo agoMost Upvoted

My old boss in Cincinnati made me rewrite a tenant notice three times for being too wordy. I learned that most people just want the bottom line, not the whole story. Your three bullet point method is spot on, it forces you to get to the point. I bet your client is way happier now.

thead443mo ago

Ever try to read a roofing estimate, @troyjackson? My first drafts are novels.

sagey691mo ago

You're absolutely wrong here, sorry. The three bullet point method is a crutch for lazy communication. My old boss used to call that "fast food writing" - quick to digest but zero substance. When I'm dealing with a tenant notice or a roofing estimate, I need to see the full context, the reasoning behind each charge, the timeline of how things got where they are. You strip all that away and you're just giving people a headline with no story. That's how misunderstandings happen, that's how people end up calling you back with ten follow up questions because the bullet points raised more questions than they answered. A little bit of wordiness shows you actually care about the details and you're not just trying to rush through the whole thing.