My boss said my project pitch was 'too detailed' for the client call

I spent two days building a slide deck with exact timelines and cost breakdowns for a software update. During the prep meeting, my manager in Austin told me to cut it down to three bullet points because clients get overwhelmed. Has anyone else been told to simplify technical plans this much, and how do you decide what to leave out?

4 comments

4 Comments

nguyen.lily2mo ago

Too detailed" means they only want the big picture outcome.

wren6381mo ago

My last boss wanted the "elevator pitch" version of everything. I once gave a two minute update on a client call and he cut me off to ask if they signed the contract. That was the only data point that mattered to him. It felt like trying to explain a movie plot to someone who only wants to know if the good guys won. You learn to just hand them the trophy and skip the story of the game.

jason_lewis32mo ago

Got it, @nguyen.lily. They just want the final score, not the play-by-play. Like telling someone your flight landed safe, not every bit of turbulence you hit. Or saying the project is done, not listing every single step you took. Some bosses just want the headline, not the whole article. It's a skill, figuring out how much detail to give.

linda1142mo agoTop Commenter

Used to believe more detail showed more work. @jason_lewis3's flight example flipped a switch for me. My old boss didn't need to know I restarted the printer three times, just that the reports were printed and bound. Now I lead with "the vendor is paid" not the story of my three calls to accounting.