DAY 2 of 30 Day Reset for New Bookkeepers: Understanding the Client’s Needs
You’ve sharpened your core bookkeeping skills and now it’s time to shift the focus to your clients. As an experienced bookkeeper with an established roster of clients, maximizing satisfaction and retention means truly understanding their individual wants and needs.
This begins with clear and open communication – the foundation of every strong service relationship. Day 2 of the reset challenges you to schedule time for a discovery meeting with each client to discuss their pain points, requirements and expectations.
Come armed with probing questions to uncover the specifics around their accounting frustrations and goals. Where do they feel unclear or overwhelmed? What tasks do they dislike handling? How would they define bookkeeping success for their business? What key insights do they want from their financial data?
Diving deeper often reveals priorities you can directly align your efforts toward. As part of the meeting, co-create a list documenting must-have deliverables they expect from you. Be very precise – having defined specifics prevents ambiguity and confusion later on. Get clarification around reporting needs – what format, frequency and metrics matter most to them and why?
Taking detailed notes while listening intently reinforces that you value their perspectives. Repeat back summaries of what you heard for confirmation and be comfortable pausing so they can verbalize thoughts. You might be surprised what emerges when you actively create spaces for clients to share reflections.
This discovery process also casts light on the boundaries of your working relationship. As their trusted bookkeeping partner, determine what falls within and outside of your wheelhouse based on your credentials and bandwidth. Being upfront about any limitations promotes transparency all around.
Perhaps there are areas outside your formal scope that still warrant attention. Explore options like referring clients to specialist accountants in your network. Or investigate expanding your own skills where viable through continuing education.
Explain what working parameters and expectations make you most effective in fulfilling the core bookkeeping responsibilities they need covered. Share your policies, rates and typical timelines so everything is clearly defined.
While this clarity and calibration takes effort upfront, over time it cements strong client relationships rooted in understanding. When both parties better grasp priorities, possibilities and limitations on both sides, the stage is set for mutually beneficial cooperation.
Use active listening techniques during your meetings such as:
- Maintaining eye contact and an open posture
- Limiting interruptions and distractions
- Clarifying with occasional summarizations
- Expressing verbal and non-verbal encouragers like “Yes, I see” and head nods
After each session, follow up promptly with documentation recapping key discussion points, action steps and next meetings. Keep communication flowing across multiple channels like email, phone and shared cloud folders.
Make the conversation an ongoing dialogue rather than isolated interactions. Checking in periodically ensures you realign as their business evolves – remember, standing still means falling behind!
Investing priority time into comprehending client challenges and objectives allows you to become a true strategic partner. So be proactive in scheduling in-depth accounting discovery meetings this week. Dedicate your full attention to better understanding client needs…the payoff over time will be immense!