From the Mailbag… Final Reports and Security…

Here is a recent question from blog reader regarding client reports:

I’m looking at moonlighting, and have been enjoying digging through your blog. So far I have one quick question – did you have to deal with securing your data or reports?

Was it was ever a concern for you? Did you just send any documents you created as Word or something similar?

Here is my response:

While I sent reports in PDF, I never encrypted them. But not a bad idea to do so if sensitive data is involved. My accountant does so with any financial or tax information.

For security, both Bill and I shredded client files three years after filing taxes. Our lawyer advised this to protect both us and clients from legal “fishing” if lawsuits were involved.

If sensitive, we would immediately ship the files to the client upon project completion. The sensitive cases were for “expert witness” cases (very few) and medical devices,

When we started in 1987 (pre-Internet) we sent typed reports, which usually ran 5-10 pages. We had a cover page, a single “Executive Summary” page (for management,) followed by the “Technical Details” with as many pages as needed.

These reports were on our letterhead and spiral bound. We then placed them in a presentation folder, which also included our brochure and business cards.

We followed the same format with PDF reports, and used electronic letterhead. If the client requested, we would also send a bound hard copy. In recent years, reports were electronic.

Although many consultants do not enjoy writing reports, in my opinion this is a very important final step in any consultation. You charge for your time, of course, but the reports are a final touch in marketing. They often lead to repeat business, even years later.

Be sure your contact information is on every page!

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