Great question, Jim!

In my opinion, there isn’t a “one-size-fits-all” answer because mentioning vs. not mentioning the extra work you’ve done depends on the nature of the situation in which you find yourself (especially as regards the specific kind and amount of extra work you’ve completed).

On the one hand, you don’t want your efforts to go consistently unnoticed or un(der)appreciated. On the other, though, you definitely want to avoid pestering your clients with attempts to make them recognize just how “awesome” you are at what you do.

My experience suggests that clients do often notice when you’ve over-delivered in a meaningful way. In most cases, therefore, I find it unnecessary to explicitly point it out.

I recommend erring on the side of caution by letting the work speak for itself, so-to-speak, or by being very subtle and to-the-point when noting how you’ve gone beyond what’s expected of you.

If you choose the latter option then be sure to clearly explain how the extra work you’ve done is immediately relevant and usable to your client.

For instance:

“Hi Maggie,

Please find attached to this email next week’s ready-to-publish blog posts.

I recognize that you weren’t expecting them for another few days but the last time we spoke you mentioned that next week is going to be unusually busy for you and so I thought it best to get this content to you as early as possible.

Cheers,
Nico”

Another example:

“Mark,

I just sent over the next piece of content for your blog.

You had asked me to discuss the strategies that companies A, B, and C used to create viral apps. Company B just filed for bankruptcy a couple of days. I’ve noted this in the article and explained what led to the business’ downfall. I’ve also provided another (short) case study on company D, which has also created a viral app that’s currently attracting lots of media attention.

Cheers,
Nico.”

I hope this helps Jim :)