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Bookkeepers often face conversations that trigger genuine anxiety - presenting tax bills clients weren't expecting, addressing scope creep, disengaging difficult clients, or handling situations where you feel like the messenger who'll be shot. The fear can be paralysing, making you question your competence and spiral into worry about things you can't control. 

This session tackles the reality that many bookkeepers experience but rarely talk about - how anxiety shows up in client conversations and what to do about it. You'll learn practical strategies to manage the physical and mental response to difficult conversations, communicate with clarity and credibility even when you're nervous, and build the courage that comes before confidence. 

This isn't about pretending you're not anxious - it's about speaking with impact despite the anxiety, protecting your professional boundaries, and showing up as the credible expert you are.

In this session Zoe Thompson will cover the following topics: 

• Understanding where client conversation anxiety comes from and why certain situations trigger stronger responses - from delivering unwelcome news to fear of future judgement you can't control
• The physical and mental patterns of anxiety in professional conversations and practical techniques to manage your nervous system response before and during difficult client interactions
• How to separate yourself from the message - How to maintain professional boundaries without taking on your client's emotional response
• Communicating with clarity and credibility when you're feeling anxious - the language, structure and delivery that builds client confidence in you even when your confidence is wobbly
• Building courage before confidence - actionable strategies to move forward with difficult conversations, address imposter syndrome patterns, and develop resilience for the conversations that matter most to your practice

By attending this session, you will understand why certain client conversations activate feelings of anxiety and how to manage your response, be able to communicate with clarity and credibility even when you're nervous, learn how to separate yourself from difficult messages without losing professional boundaries, and gain practical strategies to build the courage needed for conversations you've been avoiding or dreading.

This session will be of most interest o bookkeepers and accounting professionals who experience anxiety around client conversations, particularly when delivering difficult news, managing scope boundaries, or disengaging clients. It's relevant for sole practitioners and small practice owners who handle their own client communication and want to feel more confident in challenging conversations.

Course level: Intermediate