# Why Clients Don't Read Your Communications (And How to Fix It) Ivy Coach's 35-year battle against information blindness in business communications - **Source:** [Entrepreneur – Latest](https://brifing.si/source/1bee40f8-abda-4cd6-b055-05148ce79f53) - **Published:** 2026-09-18 - **Topic:** [Marketing](https://brifing.si/c/marketing) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/567bb249-97da-415c-8d2f-ce774a40a75a ## The reading avoidance epidemic Ivy Coach reports even highly educated clients increasingly ignore critical written communications about fees and services. This spans 35 years of college consultancy experience, with parents (not teenagers) being the primary offenders. The firm observes clients missing information despite multiple delivery methods including emails, websites, and verbal consultations. ## Bookending crucial information The consultancy now employs psychological primacy-recency effects by stating fees twice - before and after service explanations. While repetitive, this method proves more effective than single disclosures for retention. Their testing shows critical details sandwiched in middle communications get overlooked despite clear presentation in traditional formats. ## From reading to scanning design Ivy Coach redesigned communications with larger fonts, shorter paragraphs, and visual cues to accommodate scanning rather than reading. This isn't about simplifying content but ensuring survival through the attention filter. The firm found traditional 'easy to find' information architecture fails when clients won't engage with text at all. ## Verbal redundancy as necessity The team now verbally explains details already provided in writing during consultations, accepting this inefficiency as essential. With a $2,950 Strategy Session at stake, they prioritize message receipt over medium purity. This reflects an industry shift where communication success means overcoming, not lamenting, reading avoidance. ## Quantifying communication failures The consultancy tracks which questions clients ask repeatedly, treating these as conversion metrics. When multiple prospects ask about the $2,950 fee despite prior mentions, they test new presentation formats. This A/B testing approach focuses on reducing recurring questions rather than blaming clients for inattention. ## The AI information filter challenge Ivy Coach notes AI summarization tools create another layer between clients and original communications. As algorithms increasingly parse business information, companies must design content that survives both human scanning and machine interpretation. This requires fundamentally rethinking centuries-old assumptions about information consumption. ## Carrier pigeon escalation protocol After four failed attempts to communicate critical details, the firm humorously considers alternative delivery methods. This highlights the extreme measures businesses now contemplate to break through attention barriers. The joke underscores a serious reality - traditional communication channels are failing despite sender efforts. ## The new communication imperative The case study proves information transmission alone no longer suffices in business. Success requires guaranteeing receipt through strategic redundancy across channels. Ivy Coach's adaptation shows professionals must treat client attention as a design constraint rather than a given, rebuilding processes accordingly. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.entrepreneur.com/entrepreneurs/your-prospective-clients-arent-reading-the-information-you-give-them-heres-how-to-communicate-more-effectively — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._