It isn’t easy to make the leap from a bookkeeping student with all the relevant theory to being a practicing bookkeeper. Many factors make this so but a huge challenge is finding the self-belief to follow your dream, as well as the confidence to approach potential clients and sell yourself. We are hoping these hints and tips might help you start thinking about this crucial aspect of your new career:

4. Be methodical
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! Or as the Scouts say “Be prepared”. Break down the seemingly enormous task of opening a practice and finding clients into small steps….on their own they will hold less anxiety, and you can prepare for them more easily. Each small step should have a clear aim or goal and should also be used for you to try new ideas and new ways of thinking: HOW you get there is important too: how you speak to people and present yourself matters and your confidence will grow if you use each small step to bring in new ways of being positive.

5. Stay calm
It isn’t easy to get where you want to be. It is also infuriating, stressful and emotionally draining. It’s crucial to take the time to relax – ‘time out’ as it’s known. Every day you need to stop, calm down, relax and gain the energy to deal with situations, people and setbacks. Many people believe that the key is working harder, longer hours, giving more…but the key is calmness. This allows you to come at the issues from a new angle, see the bigger picture and work smarter in areas that really need your attention. There are SO many options but something like this might help:

 10 minutes of mindfulness

6. It’s a state of mind
William Shakespeare: “Nothing is good or bad but thinking makes it so”.

People can detect whether you’re confident in what you are saying. They detect waffle, a shifty look, and avoidance of eye contact. Could you lose a client before the introductions are over? Well the secret is not to be flashy, or smarmy or smooth…it is to be prepared, to project professionalism and to stay calm as we discussed above. You can gain confidence by being prepared – the discussion you have with potential clients will be easier if you know your stuff. This will in time create a ‘safe place’ where you feel less anxious due to the confidence that comes from being well briefed, and sure in what you are saying. This in turn will help you present as confident, and convincing. It is a virtuous circle: as you prepare well and set manageable goals you will be able to relax when meeting new situations; and in turn you will be able to prepare for new situations through short relaxation programmes, which leave you clear headed and able to do what you KNOW YOU CAN DO.

We have already posted 3 tips in our first blog and we are hoping these additional hints might help you start thinking about this crucial aspect of your new career.