Collection · 6 articles
Consulting client communication.
Client work turns communication into a set of small, repeated decisions: what actually counts as news in a status update, how soon after the meeting the recap has to go out, who stays on which thread once five stakeholders are involved, how to turn down work outside the scope without cooling the relationship, how many times to follow up on a proposal before you close it out, and how much email in a week is too much. Each piece here takes one of those and answers it on its own, with the wording, the timing, and what to leave out. Read the one that matches the message you owe somebody this afternoon; each stands on its own.
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The status update clients actually read
Most client updates are skimmed in under a minute or not at all. What a reader gives you, what counts as news, and how to earn the next one.
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Sending a client recap two hours after the meeting
A recap is where you find out whether you and the client heard the same meeting. What belongs in it, what stays out, and why two hours is the window.
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Managing email threads across several stakeholders
One engagement becomes five threads and nobody meant it. Who belongs on which thread, how to merge them, and the ones you are not on.
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Saying no to scope creep without damaging the relationship
The delay and the flavour do the damage, not the answer. How to decline extra work in writing and out loud, and keep the client.
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Following up on a proposal without sounding pushy
A follow-up reads as pushy when it has no reason to exist. What to put in each message, how far apart to send them, and how to close it well.
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Keeping clients informed without over-emailing
Volume is what stops the one important message landing. How much to send, what can wait for the next slot, and what has to go the same day.