Technical people are notorious for thinking that their technical reports and details are sufficient in communicating the situation to their clients. You’re a technical person and when you think like a technical person, you lose the message in the details. Your focus is on getting the details right, completely overlooking the story being told. That’s what matters most to your clients. Details are only valuable when they explain the story; not because the meet all the laws, codes and regulations.

I’ll never forget the meeting I attended where the partner presented a report to his client, gave a few minutes for everyone to read it, and said, “Well, it’s all right there. Pretty clear what the situation is.”  This partner was so sure his clients caught all the nuances and consequences of the data that he didn’t think to explain anything.  Of course, no one on the leadership team ventured to ask any questions because no one wanted to appear stupid. After all, it’s all right there.

One successful partner who understood the complexity of his work likened his work to that of an x-ray technician. What would happen if you had some tests run and you received in the mail the x-ray film with a note, it’s all right there?  You would be both keenly aware of your ignorance and frustrated at the presumption that you know how to read the x-ray. Do you think your reports are viewed any differently by your clients?

Always ask, what’s the message here? What’s the story being told? What narrative can I give my clients that the technical data tell? Don’t just give the data, explain what it means and what will happen with different actions. Don’t just spew jargon; COMMUNICATE a message. Lead your clients to success.