Consultant tip: Ghostwrite client e-mails

Over the course of your project, there will times when you need your government client to contact someone else to get something you need. It could be an approval to do something, a form to fill out, or whatever.

Sometimes, clients are slow about it and it's holding up your work.

One technique that I have found works pretty well is to ghostwrite the e-mail for them.

This means you write a draft of the e-mail to the target recipient as if you were your client.

For example, if you need approval for a software license or something, you would send this e-mail to your client:

--

Hi Client,

I need X software to do my work. IT would need to approve it. Could you sent IT@agency.gov the below e-mail? Feel free to edit as needed.

-Your 1099

IT,

My contractor requires X software to perform his work.

I've filled out and signed the request form (attached).

Please let me know if there's anything else I need to do.

Thank you.

-[Client]

--

This is effective because it takes all the thinking out of the task. The client just needs to copy and paste this into a new e-mail

It also makes you look real good because no one else does this.

So get in the habit of ghostwriting your client's e-mail. You'll get more done and your client will love you.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.