7 Tips for Writing a Client Report (with Sample Report)

Writing a client report is essential for communicating your progress on a project and managing and building positive relationships with clients.  

What Is a Client Report? 

Client reports help you and your client measure progress, identify any obstacles or issues, and ensure that you are working toward the same goals. Your written client report could be an informal checklist of items accomplished and upcoming tasks or milestones, or it could be a more formal document that includes detailed information. 

Here are four reasons why writing a great client report is important: 

1. At the beginning of a client engagement, it summarizes the project background, goals, metrics, and milestones. 
2. It communicates progress on a project, on a weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis.
3. At the conclusion of a project, it summarizes the project, tasks completed, final metrics, outstanding issues, and recommendations.
4. It summarizes research, survey, or study information. 

Whether your report is a Word document, spreadsheet, or presentation, the following seven tips will help you to produce well-written client reports. 

7 Tips for Writing a Client Report

1. Agree on Timing and Content

Establish report timing and content at the start of your client engagement. Every engagement will be different, but it’s important to communicate effectively with your client from start to finish. For long-term projects, your client may prefer a monthly phone call, weekly email summaries, or a quarterly report. Some clients may want a short weekly report and a more comprehensive monthly report. Establish the frequency, method, and details of your communications upfront.

2. Write a Strong Summary

Even with an initial agreement, some clients—particularly senior-level managers—may not have time to read the entire report. Consider an “executive summary” format that can easily communicate the significant parts of the report, including hard data. This format should be able to stand alone, providing a clear and concise overview for readers.

3. Maximize Readability

Make your report easy to read by including carefully selected headings and bullet points. This enables your client to find information quickly. If relevant, include visual information such as graphs or pie charts to reinforce your main message and break up text.

4. Write Clearly

Your report shouldn’t be excessively long—don’t add unnecessary length to a report just to make it appear more important. Use clear language and avoid the use of clichéd business terminology. Keep your report focused on the information that the client wants and needs.

5. Be Accurate 

The ability to write a well-written report is not only a critical business tool, but it also reinforces your brand by demonstrating your expertise and knowledge. Take time to make sure that your information is accurate. Avoid relying on spellcheck alone to catch typographical errors. You may even want to print and read your document—it’s often easier to edit on paper than it is to edit on screen.

6. Reflect Your Personal Brand

Your report should align with your client’s culture but also reflect the personality of your brand. Report writing doesn’t have to lack personality to be professional. Your brand should have a consistent voice and tone that matches both your personal brand and the unique needs of your client.

7. Write for Your Audience

Ask yourself these questions: What information do they want to read? What questions will they want answered? Then consider the best way to deliver the information. Instead of a traditional report, you may opt to use a PowerPoint presentation, an interactive format such as a Google Doc, or one of the many virtual collaboration tools currently on the market. Or, if your report contains a lot of data, it may be better to use Excel rather than Word. Use the method and medium that will work best for your intended audience. 

Download our Sample Client Report

We have created a sample client report to help you. To download our sample, let us know where to send it.