Does Who You Are Matter With The Clients You Attract?

A Black woman with long curly black hair, gold hoops, a nose ring, and purple lipstick stands looking at the camera. Her hands are on the lapel of her jean jacket. There are cars, an intersection, and a storefront behind her. — Photo by Clarke Sanders via Unsplash.

How do you show affection?

Do you shower the people you love with affirmations about how much you care for them?

Are you a physical person, constantly hugging and kissing on your friends and family?

Earlier this year, I learned something about myself: the way I show love is by giving gifts.

It makes sense because my mother was the same way—and a lot of other mothers and women in accounting I know.

At least in Black culture, it’s not very typical for mothers to be the kind who are constantly talking about how much they love you or care for you. To vocalize their feelings towards you. And that’s not to say they don’t!

My mother loved and continues to love me—and she showed me through gifts.

She was an entrepreneur who owned beauty salons, and it’s actually how I got introduced to accounting. I would handle the books, appointments, and make sure that customers paid their bills.

And if we had a good day at the salon, my mom would buy me a little something to show her appreciation and affection for me.

I noticed that I do this with my own kids: if they did a good job cleaning their rooms or did well on an exam at school, I’d buy them something or take them out to dinner to congratulate them.

So, I got to thinking about it. I tend to give gifts to people to show them that I love them, not understanding that I am the gift.

Boom!

There’s no monetary, material gift or amount of time that I can dedicate to someone that compares to the gift that is me!

The qualities you possess, the person you are, the things that make you, you, ARE the gift!

Once you understand that, that you don’t have to bend over backward proving that you’re worth it through an extrinsic value, you won’t feel like you have to give so much of yourself to other people.

And while this realization will open up doors for women in accounting and business professional women in ALL parts of your life (career, family life, friends, everything), today I want to talk to you about one thing that it will transform in particular: your business.

When you understand that you’re the gift, you and only you, you won’t have to spend hours and hours with clients showing them that you are capable of doing what they’re asking for. You won’t have to jump through hoops to prove that you are knowledgeable. You won’t feel like you have to offer free consultations to anyone and everyone who asks for it to prove your value and expertise.

Because you know what happens when you realize that you’re the award?

You know yourself—and who you want to work with
You believe in your value and your worth
You start to realize that your biggest competitor is you

You know yourself—and who you want to work with

The importance of this cannot be understated. When you know that you’re the gift, this means that you know what you bring to the table. You’re well-aware of your expertise and your offering. And, very importantly, you also know which clients you want to say “yes” to.

We’ve all been there, especially as women in finance and accounting. We say “yes” to every client that lands in our inbox or calls up our phone. It’s hard to say “no” to income, I get it!

Two women seated in an auditorium look at each other and knowingly smile. There are other women all around them also in conversation and smiling. — Just remember: friends don't let friends undersell their value! Photo by Joel Muniz via Unsplash.

But when you’re piling up your schedule with these low-ticket clients, you’re working yourself to the bone for hours on end for hardly any payoff. That’s not sustainable for your mental and physical health—and it’s definitely not going to get you your 6 figure business.

When you know yourself, you start defining your practice’s niche and learning how to say “no” to opportunities that don’t align with your vision for your business—or for your life!

You believe in your value and your worth

Lean in close for this one: if you don’t believe you’re worth the price you’re charging, neither will the client!

Clients can pick up on a soft sell: the heavy justification you give for your rates, the hemming and hawing, the subtle passive, submissive language. You have to believe in yourself. And that means believing in your experience, in your strategy, and your business!

Say it to yourself out loud if you have to: I am worth it, I am worth it, I am worth it. There’s no “if that works for you” here. There’s no “we can talk more about it” here.

Plus, high-value clients are less inclined to haggle about your price than low-ticket, Nightmare clients are, because they’re looking for the same thing you are: quality.

And quality doesn’t have a cheap price tag.

You start to realize that your biggest competitor is you

When you know who you are and who you want to work with, when you believe in your value and your worth, and when you realize that you are the gift to everyone around you (clients included!) your self can’t be threatened.

There is no outside force that can knock over your sense of value and worth in yourself and what you do.

Because this all comes from right inside!

So when you become firm in knowing that you don’t have anyone ready to stomp out your business from the outside, you are free to become a part of the network of women in accounting.

What does this mean? It means that you put yourself in a position where you uplift yourself and other women in the industry. You know that empowered women empower women!

A Black woman with her hair up, blue eyeliner, blue nails, and gold hoops laughs while covering her mouth with her hand. In the backdrop, there's a blue sky. — I know—it's all really possible! Photo by Etty Fidele via Unsplash.

So when a client comes to you asking for a service that you don’t offer? You refer out to another woman in finance you know who does. When a client comes calling but you’re already booked up? You refer them to one of the other ladies in the field.

There’s room for all of us here—recognizing your gift (that you are!) allows you to see that.

And guess what else: when you start referring out to others, you get referrals back.

You start building your reputation, not just with your clientele and who they know, but within your industry among your colleagues.

And you start building your 6 figure business. Just like that.

To all my women in accounting, I want to end with this: you are the gift to your children. You are the gift to your family and friends. You are the gift to your spouse. You are the gift to your clients. You are the gift to your colleagues.

You are the gift to everyone you encounter.

If you ever start to misunderstand who you are or the abilities you have, take a second to remember that you have a gift: and it’s yourself!