Clients do not get anxious because work is slow. They get anxious because they cannot see it. A short, regular update is the cheapest trust you will ever buy, and it ends the “any news?” emails for good.
Send it on a schedule
Pick a day and stick to it, even in a quiet week. A predictable update tells the client you have things in hand. Silence, however busy you are, tells them the opposite.
What to include
- Done: what moved this week.
- Next: what you are doing before the next update.
- Needs from you: anything you are waiting on, with a clear ask.
- Timeline: still on track, or the new date and why.
Example
Hi Sam, this week’s update:
Done: home and pricing pages built and on staging.
Next: the blog template and contact form.
Needs from you: sign-off on the homepage copy by Wednesday so I can lock it.
Timeline: on track for the 30th.
Common mistakes
- Only updating when something is wrong. That trains the client to fear your emails.
- Going quiet in a busy week, exactly when they most want to hear from you.
- No clear ask, so things you are waiting on just stall.