What If You Don’t Know the Answer?

Today's newsletter was inspired by a question asked by a new member in my free Facebook group, Bookkeeping Business Hub. She said, "My biggest concern is encountering something I don't know how to handle with my first client!"

I hear you! Whether it's your first client or your 100th, this is a normal and understandable concern.

To overcome this, it's important to recognise a few key things:

1. Embrace the Learning Journey

There will never be a time, even with years of experience under your belt, when you feel that you know all there is to know about bookkeeping. Even after 30+ years of doing this, there is still stuff I don't know, still things that I am learning, and that's OK. So, being OK with not knowing everything is a good place to start. This is a journey, and you will learn along the way.

2. You Know More Than You Think

You will almost certainly know more than your client, and you probably already know more than you think you do, but you won't know this until you get in front of the client and start doing the work. The best way to gauge where you are in your professional development journey is to get stuck in and do the work. Until then, your brain is making up stories in your head of potential bad outcomes. But what if the outcomes were positive instead?

3. It's OK Not to Know (Just Follow Up)

It's OK to say that you don't know, and that you will find out and get back to them. In a real-world example, in one of my first client interactions way back when, the question invariably came up that I didn't know the answer to, and I said, "Hmm, I haven't come across that one before. I'll look into it and get back to you." Now, the kicker here is that you really must find out and get back to them, preferably within 24 hours. And hey, now you've learned something new, and that question won't stump you again. 

4. Lean on Your Community

On that note, it can be super useful to have a supportive community of industry peers whom you can go to for questions. That might be the clients' accountants, or it might be fellow bookkeepers - consider joining a professional body if you haven't already. There are many bookkeeper associations and professional bodies around the world, or you can join The Business of Bookkeeping, my online coaching community where you'll find training, resources and bookkeeper-specific support. 

5. Fill in the Gaps if Needed

If you need further accounting or bookkeeping education, then by all means, pursue that. Maybe you really do have some gaps to fill in your knowledge (spoiler alert - we all do). Bookkeepers must have a solid understanding of basic accounting at a bare minimum. You need to know your debits and credits. Make sure that you're appropriately educated so you can do a great job for your clients. 

The Learning Never Stops 

Experienced bookkeepers know that the learning never stops and it's OK not to know everything right now. That said, we do all still have our wobbles from time to time nonetheless. We're human after all.

Hope this helps.

Stephanie Crawford