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?

3 comments

3 Comments

nguyen.lily1mo ago

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

jason_lewis31mo 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.

linda1141mo 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.