My friends and I have been practicing our communication commitment to ask more questions. Amy is involved in a legal situation that has her needing to get answers… but she has no good idea what the questions are. She asks anyway. Bea is getting advice from an expert she never would have approached before. And me… well I wondered why my corporate tax prep cost me $150 more than last year. So I asked.
“I didn’t raise my rates,” my CPA told me. “Tax laws are that much more complicated this year.” He went on to offer me a break in his fee.
I appreciate that, but what I appreciate most is the fact that he makes it easy to talk about things like the fee increase. I told him so.
“Well, you’re my favorite client,” he responded. “I’m happy to talk.”
“Oh, your favorite?” I replied. “Maybe I should leverage that.”
“Uh oh,” he said. “I shouldn’t have told you.”
“That’s okay,” I replied. “I can’t leverage it because if I manipulated your goodwill, I wouldn’t be your favorite client anymore.”
And it’s true. We work together well, and when I wonder about things, I just ask.
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