My dad was a lawyer in Miami. I used to visit his office and hang around. It was interesting.

I remember sitting in his office one day when his secretary, Thelma, came in and asked him about a note he had written to her. She was trying read it and couldn’t make out the handwriting. He studied it for a moment and couldn’t figure it out either. It was his own handwriting and it was so illegible that even he couldn’t read it.

Apparently, I learned handwriting from my dad. My handwriting is terrible. Most of the time I can read it myself but it’s getting worse as I get older.

My approach is to type things on the computer. More often that not, when talking to a client, I take notes using the computer keyboard as the client talks. My notes are legible, I can read them later and we’re good to go.

Unfortunately, however, that practice creates a small issue. My keyboard makes noise. The keys click. Clients can hear the clicking.

I’ve learned over the years that some clients, maybe just the insecure ones, worry that I’m doing unrelated things on the computer rather than listening to what they’re saying (which is probably true sometimes). They worry that I’m not paying attention.

My practice has become to tell them that I’m taking notes while they’re talking. I tell them that I’m using the keyboard and that they may hear some clicking. I try to remind them of my practice  every time we talk. It’s become a routine part of my conversations.

I’ve had more than a few clients acknowledge their concern about the clicking. They usually say something humorous, but it’s clear that I’m addressing something they were thinking. Sometimes they sound relieved to know that I really am listening.

Telling clients what you’re doing – explaining things – is always a good practice. You never know what they’re thinking. They’re under stress and they have vivid imaginations. Put yourself in their place and try to think about  how your behavior might be impacting them. The typing is a small example, but it has the impact of making the client feel unimportant. That’s the last thing you want to have happen, especially if you’re truly taking the time time to listen.