| After being in the bookkeeping and tax field for nine | | | | and I am so glad I did not take his |
| years, I still remember how nervous I felt when | | | | “advice” at face value. |
| meeting a client for the first time. If you are a new | | | | 4. You don’t need props. As a new |
| freelance bookkeeper, fresh out of training, you may | | | | bookkeeper, you may feel the need to bring |
| feel the same way. Here are some things I’ve | | | | brand-specific items or special presentation materials |
| learned over the years that I’d like to share with | | | | with you to meet potential clients. I’m not saying, |
| you. I didn’t include a few obvious things, like | | | | “Don’t bring them.” I am saying: |
| dressing or grooming appropriately, or getting good | | | | - Your potential client will not base his/her decision |
| quality business cards. These tips are born from | | | | upon them. |
| practical experience and I hope you find some benefit | | | | - Too many props say, "I feel insecure." |
| from them. | | | | - The client wants your knowledge and your care, not |
| 1. Be confident. Don’t let your lack of on-the-job | | | | your props. |
| experience make you feel unable to handle a particular | | | | I bring a pen and a spiral bound notebook to new client |
| client’s job. At times you may feel as if you are | | | | meetings. Listening attentively, I take lots of notes and |
| on a tightrope without a net, but it’s not true. If | | | | ask lots of questions. This has worked quite well, and |
| you have had proper training, it will support you. | | | | communicates exactly what I want: I’m |
| 2. You know more. Do you ever fear that the client will | | | | confident and can take care of things! |
| easily find some “hole” in your | | | | 5. Let them talk. Many clients want to do most of the |
| knowledge? In reality this rarely happens. Generally, | | | | talking during the first meeting. Try to listen very |
| potential clients don’t know enough about | | | | carefully. Are you familiar with the term empathic |
| bookkeeping/taxes/etc., to ask those types of | | | | listening? It’s a specific method of listening to |
| questions—if they did they probably | | | | people and is extremely effective when meeting new |
| wouldn’t need you! Similarly, if an unknown | | | | clients. Learn how to empathically listen if you |
| question does arise, don’t be afraid to say, | | | | don’t yet know how. |
| “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” | | | | 6. Don’t take bad clients. You will probably be |
| Then, be sure you do find out and promptly deliver the | | | | tempted to take any client, just to get your business |
| answer. | | | | off the ground. Resist this urge! If you have a bad |
| 3. Always verify. You may meet clients who act like | | | | feeling about somebody, or if your gut is telling you |
| they know a lot about accounting and taxes. In reality, | | | | something about somebody, listen to it. The money |
| many of these people know very little, but it may take | | | | bad clients bring is not worth the headache they |
| some time to realize how little they know. I recently | | | | cause. |
| had a client who insisted that certain information from | | | | 7. Remember your aim. Why did you get into this field? |
| a tax form be handled in a certain way. He spoke | | | | To serve people, or only to earn money? When |
| very authoritatively on the subject, as if he knew | | | | difficult situations arise, remember that a service |
| exactly how it should be handled. Since it was an | | | | oriented aim will always serve you better than a |
| unusual and rare tax topic, I had to do a lot of research | | | | money oriented aim. |
| to verify his statements. Guess what? He was wrong, | | | | |