Question

You are working as a subcontract bookkeeper and have been approached by a home maintenance service, to maintain financial records. What are the communication techniques you can use to reach an understanding of the businesses’ needs and expectations of a bookkeeper?

Answer 1

In this case I (as a subcontract bookkeeper) will have to maintain a direct and explicit communication technique. First of all I will ask questions to the home maintenance service company in order to better understand their needs and requirements and in what ways can I optimally help them. I will inquire about their business and this will help me to gain an understanding as well as reinforce my interest in their business. Secondly I will ensure that I do not ask closed questions. This is because closed questions are answered only in a ‘yes/no’ manner and this can tend to intimidate the client as well as will not allow me to collect meaning information. In fact use of open questions will enable me to gather all useful information in a systematic manner as open questions are answered by providing full and proper explanations.