I never liked selling and I still don’t.

Yet I knew that in order to stay in business for myself, that getting new clients (selling) was the only way I would be able to do that. So I was determined to find a way to present my services, results and value in a way that was authentic and in integrity with who I am.

When I first started my freelance practice my prospective clients meetings would go something like this:

• “I can do a lot of this myself, I just want you to come in once a month and review the file. Then you can show me how to input the transactions that I didn’t do correctly.”

Or

• “I only write 10 checks per month and make, maybe 8 deposits. I want you to come here and update my books and it should only take you two hours at the most. How much charge by the hour?”

It was so frustrating! Not only was I not meeting with prospective clients who I wanted to work with, it felt as if it was their meeting and I was there to agree with whatever it was they were saying. I would walk away with the perception that the majority of business owners just don’t place a high value on bookkeeping. They regarded it as a necessary evil.

Or did they?

In search of a way to present my services without feeling as though I was being pushy or slick I took a step back and looked at the situation from a completely different perspective.

• What if my prospective clients were behaving like this because they were hiding from the truth about their relationship with money?

• What if my prospective client hid from their “bookkeeping” because if they truly understood their financial position they may have to take a hard look at how and why they were doing certain things?

• What if my prospective client was trying to hide from their fear of not understanding bookkeeping and being taken advantage of?

If one or all of these statements are true, then my prospective client regards me as the messenger they want to shoot as opposed to welcoming with open arms.

Taking these perspectives into account, I knew that the only perspective I could change was mine. So that is what I concentrated on and by concentrating on that I was able to change not only my experience but that of my prospective clients as well. Here are a few tips you can apply.

• Perform Deep Listening. Listen to what the prospective client is really saying underneath the “I only write 6 checks and make 8 deposits.” This is your opportunity to ask them questions and uncover where their pain and frustration originates from.

• Acknowledgement. Communicate back to the prospective client that you have heard what they have said by re-stating it back to them. Everyone wants to be heard and acknowledged and this technique demonstrates that you have done just that.

• Meet the Client Where They Are. When you perform deep listening and acknowledge that you understand where the prospective client is coming from only then are you meeting them where they are and offering them a solution that they can hear.

Remember, you have the power to change your experience by changing your perspective and determining whether or not this is someone you want to work with.

© 2009 SUMSOLUTIONS LLC.  All Rights Reserved.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:  Linda A. Hunt, the small business accounting expert teaches bookkeepers how to create a 6-figure freelance practice.  To learn how to create a freelance practice that supports you body, mind and spirit, register here for her free bi-weekly newsletter at www.sumfreereport.com.