One of the things about being a Bookkeeper is that everyone assumes you are dull and boring. You share this with professions like Economists and Accountants. You shouldn’t have a problem with this. Think about it. When people expect you to be dull and boring, shall we say “sparkling conversation challenged”, it can come as quite a shock to them to find you an interesting person.
None of us quite know the secret to being an interesting person, but it is a quest you should take very seriously. But how ?
I read an interesting quote that said it’s the quality not the quantity of the time that delivers the most benefit for you and your clients. This is quite profound – and so obvious – and so easy to overlook.
People expect you to be experienced and qualified. You don’t have to prove it to them by telling them stories about yourself. Mind you that’s what most people actually do. We live in a very competitive environment, and it is human nature for us to try to impress each other, especially if we lack confidence.
I subscribe to the theory that your clients want to be understood, and be heard. You must give them the opportunity.
A suggestion for you to open the conversation “Now tell me – what is it that you actually do and how did you get started?” Pretty corny – but it works. Always probe for a bit of detail if the answers are a bit vague. Successful people love detail, and that’s who you want as clients. It’s quite a good test of the relationship straight away. If someone can’t tell you what they do in the first few minutes, you might suspect they are running a crystal meth lab in their garage, in which case you should RUN.
But seriously, the very first step is to bring the client out of their shell and get them to explain what they do, and importantly for you, get them to show you who they are.
Believe me it will pay dividends.