With the tax season extension deadline ending, clients are always scrambling to get their information in at the last minute, despite numerous requests from having to get their information received in a timely manner. In general procrastinators is what makes the world go around, and there is no getting around it. However, there is always a fine line between people who are trying to help and those who just simply are punching a clock.
Just like employees who feel undervalued or disrespected at work, they often lose interest in doing their job so they will go through the motions and productivity is lost. There becomes no buy-in for that person as far as what the company’s objectives are to achieve a better life for themselves or those around them. There’s often resistance for change. A lack of innovation or “thinking outside of the box” mentality is what eventually ensues. Again, just punching a clock.
Well business owners work with a variety of people outside of their employees, including their legal professionals, accounting professionals, vendors, social media professionals, tax professionals, IT professionals, etc. This is the team that they have which is who is supposed to help make them successful, but again it is about how they not only trust that team but also how they earn their respect. Do they go out of their way to offer you solutions or do they you ignore during times of crisis and will “get back to you” when they can.
Everyone has challenges and many people have lost the meaning of what is a request versus a need, versus what they feel is an entitlement because of our inherent need for instant gratification. Personally, I work with a variety of clients that I learn about their business as much as possible. Research and offer potential tax saving solutions, help with tax planning strategies, take care of their books to make sure they have accurate financials that can be defended properly. Going above and beyond for those clients who want me as a team member and who are not only willing to respect and value me for that service, but also compensate accordingly because it helps make them more money in the long-term.
People who want to just get by and pay for the bare minimum, offer no appreciation for the people they work with, they get a contractor. Emails and phone calls get responded to when they can, whatever is agreed upon is just that and nothing more. The adage “you get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar” is never more apparent than today in 2020. No, you do not always have to pay an outrageous premium for a service to be successful, but showing appreciation and respect makes a bigger difference than any amount of money can ever do.
Within everyone’s own professional life, including my own, sometimes you just need to accept the fact that it is just not worth the check but your own peace of mind not to bend over backwards for someone who can’t be appreciative of what you bring to the table, nor compensate you for your time, because you can never make more than 24 hours in a day.
Dwayne J. Briscoe