WEEK 1
Start Your Engines!
Get Your First 2 Clients

Start Your Engines: Get Your First 2 Clients

Offline Lead Generation—The fastest way to generate consistent new client revenues. Discover the step-by-step process to generate money for your tax resolution practice within your first two months. You’ll learn where to start, who to mail, how to obtain a list, what to say, all with a minimal investment.

77 Comments

  1. Great information! However. just pulled the PTIN list for Texas. Should I be concerned that I’m not on it? I received my PTIN this tax season.

    Reply
    • Teresa – I wouldn’t be. IRS probably updates the list periodically.

      Reply
      • Thank you for the PTIN List information on IRS.gov

    • Hello, I am reviewing the PTIN List for my area. My question is if there is no CPA, or EA next to their names, are they unerolled agent? Are they the ones I should especially mail letters to?

      Reply
      • When there is no indication of credential, it means they are unenrolled. Mailing to both licensed and unenrolled is recommended. The main thing it to mail 1,000 names each month, month-in, month-out and don’t let up.

  2. Congratulations to the following members who mailed out their letters to their previous and existing client database! Paul Francetic, Keny Petit-Frere, Sherri Thomas, Anthony Mauriello, and Jose Marquez!

    Remember to put me on your mailing list: 11271 Ventura Blvd., #612 Studio City, CA 91604

    Reply
  3. Michael, we’ll start our mailings next week (had to order some envelopes & letterhead). Your video says no brochures in the client/personal contacts mailing. For the PTIN referral letter, same thing? No brochures, just letter & business card? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Bill, what I said was the most important thing was to get these mailings out even if one didn’t have their brochures done yet. I didn’t want members to have to wait weeks (for their brochures t get done) before they got their letters out. If you already have your brochures done, then by all means always enclose a brochure.

      Every marketing letter you mail out (even if you are mailing the same name multiple times) will ALWAYS contain a brochure!

      Reply
      • Got it – thank you.

  4. Hey Michael, When I type PTIN list on irs.gov…….it doesn’t give me a listing. Am I doing something wrong?

    Reply
    • Standley, Click on the first entry “PTIN Information and the Freedom of Information Act” that comes up in the search results after you type “PTIN list” in the search box. After you click on this, you should see all 50 states. Click on your state. The rest should be self-explanatory. If you are having issues contact Becky or Sue at 888 670-0303 and they will help.

      Reply
  5. Congratulations to William Spar, Gina Mewes, Dirk Danos and Kenneth Smith for getting their “Introducing IRS Representation Services letters mailed to their existing and previous client database! You can download this letter template from the Easy Template Library from the Member’s site!

    Reply
  6. Michael, I’m working on the PTIN list part of the referral mailing project. Should we be culling out tax franchise operations (Liberty, Jackson Hewitt, Block, etc.)?

    Reply
    • Yes!

      Reply
      • I hope this isn’t a stupid question but I didn’t know what the word “Culling” meant. In context, I took it to mean eliminate those but when I looked up the word in an online dictionary, it stated to pick out the “Desirable parts”. Just to confirm, we don’t send this letter to the franchises, correct?

  7. Hello Michael and Fellow Members,
    If I mail 1000 per month and I have 5000 leads to mail to, does that mean that I will not mail to the original 1000 until month six…?
    Please advice. Thanks

    Reply
    • Jesus

      Great question! The best way to accomplish is to “cascade” your mailings. In other words always include new names in each months mailing in addition to the second or third mailings. I suggest you keep track of this “cascading” schedule in excel. If you have 5,000 names that you’ll mail 3x, that’s 1,250 per month. (5,000 x3 /12).

      Reply
  8. More “shout outs’ to Bill Bourbonnais, Laura Villarreal McVay, and Kim Boldon for getting their first round of letters out to their existing and previous clients announcing that they provide IRS Representation services now. Congrats to all!

    Reply
  9. Michael-

    I got my first 3 clients from my existing clients. It is very important to listen to your advise, that is the magic in this training.

    Thank you,
    Michael

    Reply
    • Congratulations! And Keep the momentum going!

      Reply
    • My Pleasure! Hope you getting value from it!

      Reply
  10. Hi Michael! I’m excited to get started. I do have a question. What should we do if start getting clients before we’ve reached the later modules that go into detail about the actual work? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Great Question.! I have full faith that you are smart enough to figure that out. Plus we are always here to help and answer questions

      Reply
  11. I have located the PTIN list. What am I looking for on this list to start my resolution practice?

    Reply
    • The video explains that you use the PTIN list to compile your list for your referral (CPA/EA/Unenrolled) letter mailings. You can sort the list by zip code/city AND credential.

      Reply
  12. Would it be possible to get another “kit”? My kit was destroyed in an auto accident. Thank you – Gary Williams, P.O. Box 548, Parker, Co 80134. Please note this is a new address.

    Reply
  13. Should envelopes be typed – use labels – hand written ??

    Reply
    • Addresses on Envelopes should use handwritten fonts (available for free online or Becky can help). You want the envelope to appear as personal (not commercial) as possible.

      Reply
  14. Another question on the letter for our existing and previous clients – on the bottom of the letter it refers to a phone number for a recorded message 24 hours a day for free and a copy of the Free report. If we send this letter our now we do not have this setup ??

    Reply
  15. You would have to secure and set up the phone number or simply an extension line from your current phone system. The “script” for the 24 hour recorded message and the Free Reports are in the Easy Template Library.

    Reply
  16. Great Content and Ideas – I have downloaded the letters and just want to confirm that the tax deductions for realtors and mortgage brokers are all still in play with the Tax Reform Act.

    Reply
    • I suggest you review these to see what’s chnaged. Most are still intact but they have not been updated for the new Tax Reform Act yet

      Reply
  17. Are we supposed to have a separate tax resolution name and business entity? If so, shouldn’t we do that before we send out our mailings? Otherwise, we will be confusing people.

    Reply
    • There are two schools of thought here; 1. In order to get the phone ringing NOW i suggest that you get your letters out ASAP to every name you have in your database (previous/existing clients, referral sources, friends, colleagues, etc.). When you hit $100,000 in revenues, that’s a good time to incorporate this as an 1120-S). The other thing people do is to form a new entity out of the gate and start marketing under the new name.

      Reply
  18. Do you have a CRM you recommend to keep track of all the different campaigns we will be running? We certainly don’t want to miss contacting a single lead. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thank you!

    Reply
    • PitbullTax is great but is really not a robust CRM tool. I recommend you check out the following softwares: You will need one of these in order to automatically follow-up with your leads. All below have great auto-responder capabilities.

      1. Aweber
      2. Ontraport
      3. Infususionsoft
      4. Saleforce

      Reply
  19. Is there a company that will actuall send out the direct mail letters, with actual stamp?

    Reply
  20. Yes, Handy Mailing does this will be in Dallas as a vendor. You can check them out at http://www.handymailing.com. Ask for Julie.

    Reply
  21. Hi Michael,
    I am not sure if I heard it right, is it OK to mail the Intro Letter to existing clients without the brochure and flyer?

    Thank you again, it was nice to meet you and your team last week in Dallas!

    Reply
  22. Yes, you can mail the Intro Letter to previous and existing clients (actually everyone in your database) without the brochure because you already have or had an existing relationship with them. However, you should (must) include a brochure in all of your external mailings and marketing.

    Reply
  23. Hi Michael,
    I downloaded the PTIN List/Directory, can you share some helpful tips to clean out this list? There’s so much in the list like 14K names. Do you suggest to exclude the CPAs and EAs from big firms? also those who work for HR Block, Liberty and other franchise tax shops do we exclude them?
    Thanks,

    Reply
  24. Good Question! And yes, do not mail to the big 4 CPA firms or the big box retailers like H&R Block, Liberty Tax, etc.

    Reply
  25. Hi Michael. If I send out the initial letter to a client, when should the second letter go out? And then when should the third letter go out? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Generally, when these letters to your own database of existing and previous clients you should send the one letter and then put them on your (recommended) monthly mailed Newsletter list. This way they are getting something from you every 30 days. If you are not going to send them a newsletter then send them letter #2 in 60 days and letter number #3 60 days after letter #2.

      Reply
      • Thank you!

  26. This is great information!

    Reply
  27. So, for the first week, are you recommending to mail out approx 300-400 letters each week, then to the same people the following weeks to reach 1000 in a month?

    OR

    250 letters each week to different places each week, so that by the end of the month there is 1000 letters mailed, then mail to all the same ones for the next 3 months?

    Reply
    • You should plan on putting 1,000 letters in the mail each month. You can do this all at one time, or stagger it throughout the month. Plan on mailing each addressee 3x over a 90 day period.

      Reply
  28. Hi Michael,

    I have a brochure already but its not a resolution-ONLY brochure (it mentions 3 different services including resolution which is the main one). Should I not send it and order new brochures using your template?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  29. I highly recommend that you send a 100% dedicated tax resolution brochure. Tax Resolution prospects automatically assume you do all the traditional tax prep and accounting. Marketing more than one service on your brochure is a distraction for the reader. A confused buyer is a non-buyer. The more laser focused your marketing materials are the better your response rate will be.

    Reply
    • Thanks Michael!

      Reply
  30. for the PS part and the pre recorded message, do we setup a new phone number or one of our extensions? Where do we find the message to record?

    Reply
  31. You can designate an extension number on your existing phone system, or get a dedicated line. The copy for the recorded message in on the members site and Becky will get this to you on Wednesday.

    Reply
  32. Good day,

    I actually wrote recipient addresses (on evelopes) by hand vs using cursive fonts. In my mind, I thought that (hand-written fonts) would increase opening. Thoughts?

    Reply
  33. That could get tedious to do 1000 envelopes a month, every month. I’m sure your time is much more valuable than hand-writing out addresses on envelopes.

    Reply
    • OK,. Michael. Thanks!

      Reply
  34. Would it be okay to use an online mailing service or is it recommended to sendthe letters out ourselves?

    Reply
  35. I would have an outside firm do it if you personally were going to be involved in this. We’ve partnered with a firm called Profit 911 Consulting. There’s info and pricing for this in section Two on the Easy Template Library under “Done For You”

    Reply
  36. Hello Micheal,

    The “REFERRAL LETTER TO MORTGAGE BROKERS: has included a free copy of “TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR MORTGAGE BROKERS YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF”! It may provide you some valuable insight into how you run your business.

    Where is those copy?

    Reply
    • You should Google The “TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR MORTGAGE BROKERS YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF” and put into your own words. The referral letter is in the Easy Template Library” tab on the Membership site.

      Reply
  37. Hello Micheal,

    Where are those free copies for “TAX DEDUCTIONS FOR MORTGAGE BROKERS YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE” along with? referral letter?

    Reply
    • See above comment. Since lawful deductions change form year to year, based on the tax law changes enacted for that specific year it’s best to Google for the most recent deductions. Place this into your own words so that a 6th grader can read and understand them. Enclose this with your referral letter (from the Easy Template Library) which can be found on the Membership site.

      Reply
  38. Thx! Got it.

    Reply
  39. If I understand this correctly I will the letters = L1 – 30 days later Newsletter – 30days later L2 – 30 days later Newsletter – 30days later L3? In addition, I will need to set up my phone system with the pre-recorded message. Also, send a brochure with tax resolution services only on it with every letter. I should send out 1000 letters a month.

    Reply
    • Send referral letters 30 days apart. For those that respond, place them on your physically mailed Newsletter list. Your phone should be answered live by you or a team member during normal business hours. You don’t necessarily need a live answering service until you do Google Ads (paid search) or Radio advertising. Yes, always include a Brochure with each mailing. Place a 1,000 letters in the mail each month, month-in, month out. This should yield 1-2 new tax resolution clients per month.

      Reply
  40. With sending the letter to I include my return address? I read the Cursive script for the font, is this just for the envelope or the letter as well? Is there anything else that I need to be aware of before sending my first batch?

    Reply
  41. Only include your street address, city, state and zip code. Do not include your name or name of your firm. Use handwritten font for the recipient on the envelope only. Referral letter should include a tax resolution brochure and business card. We’ve partnered with Justin Miller, owner of Profit 911 who can do all of this for you. Just upload a list and he’ll take care of the rest. You can get more information on this, in Section 2 – “marketing: Referral Letter Templates and Resources”, “Done For You” in the Easy Template Library tab on the membership site.

    Reply
  42. I am a CPA in New Jersey. Had a PTIN since the program began. I do not see a single CPA I know on the list.

    Reply
  43. What’s the difference between using Profit 911 or Information Technologies Inc (Christine)? It seems like they both do the same services.

    Kind regards,

    Reply
    • Information Technologies Christine is a list broker and can help you get a lien list. Profit911 will do the actual mailing on your behalf and send out the direct mail marketing.

      Reply
      • Thanks Roz!

  44. In regard to the referral letter to CPAs and/or EAs – I am a CPA so would it be okay to add in “CPA” at the end of my name? I don’t want to come off as threatening or someone who could take their client away from them.

    Reply
  45. Yes, you should add your credentials after your name. PRO TIP- If you’re a CPA, and your marketing to other CPAs for tax resolution, it’s very important that you market under a non-CPA name. CPA’s are notorious for not referring to other CPA firms. Therefore, your firm name, that your market your tax resolution services under, should contain the words “tax relief” or “tax resolution”. Also, our referral letter for CPAs contains verbiage that you’re not interested in an ongoing relationship with their client and that they remain their client for tax prep,/accounting, etc.

    Reply
  46. Does it matter how we select the PTIN holders we will mail to? I was thinking about mailing referral letters, brochures and my business cards to PTIN holders around my office location. Is there a preference whether to mail to local PTIN holders or scatter my mail list into different cities in my state?

    Reply
    • Since direct mail is a “math” game, we recommend that you mail at least 1,000 names each month for 3 months, then select another list of 1,000 names and mail those for 3 months and so on. Anyone who responds, whether they send a client or not, should also be put on a monthly mailed Tax Resolution Times newsletter list.

      Regarding the PTIN list I would start local and then branch out to surrounding zip codes (and/or states) as long as you have the budget for 1,000 pieces of mail each month.

      Reply

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