Recently, I was on the phone with a new client who was about halfway through the onboarding process. As we were talking, I noticed that the client kept needlessly apologizing for things. She apologized for not having answers, for not having certain information she felt she should know, and for just about every time that she had to answer a question with, “I don’t know.”
I finally asked, “Why do you feel the need to apologize? You’re not a professional bookkeeper or financial manager. You know that and you’re ready to make some changes, which is why you’ve hired us to help. We are going to improve the situation and get your organization ready for the next level. Together.”
My client let out a big sigh and sounded tearful as she replied, “Thank you for saying that. Thank you for your kindness. I am apologizing so much because others in my past have not been as kind, and it’s been a huge frustration and slightly depressing. So thank you for being so kind.”