Foot on the Gas:
Transform Telephone Calls Into Paying Clients
This week’s homework assignment:
- Watch week #3 video
- Download the “Initial Intake Phone Script”
- Download the “Scheduling Appointments Phone Script”
Both of these are in the “Easy Template Library” in Section 4 - Start using these immediately to answer your phones and schedule appointments
Action Items:
- 24/7 – Live Answering Phone Service – contact Ding A Ling at dingalinganswers.com and give them the “Initial Intake Phone Script” tell them you’re a Roz Strategies Member and they’ll know what to do!
Michael, I can implement the scripts but my phone is not ringing yet. I have sent out letters to my existing clients as instructed on the week 1 video. What else can I do to make the phone ring?
You’ll get the best response when you employ a multi-step campaign. Make sure (since these are clients that KNOW you) that you email them too. I recommend that you stay the course and commit to a strict 6 month direct mail diet.
Other strategies that will get the phone are, paid search, Radio, Newsletter Marketing, SEO and content marketing, Mailing to the PTIN list, Speaking, and many others. All of these are contained in the Tax Resolution Domination System.
When you ask them what credit card they want to use to reserve appointment, are you running the credit card at the time of appointment? If so, how much? Or do you wait to see if they don’t show and then run a no-show fee?
Jose – Thanks for your comment! Other things you could be doing right now to get the phone to ring is to start your referral marketing campaign to CPAs/EAs, unenrolled preparers, BK attorneys and Realtors. You should also implement the strategies discussed in training video #2 regarding the social media initiatives I discussed. Put your existing clients, leads and preferred referral sources/partners on your mailed Tax Resolution Times Newsletter list.
Sherri – Thanks for commenting! The credit card is not run when you obtain it. It’s merely a “placeholder” to reserve their time with you. Be sure to let prospects know they need to cancel 24 hours in advance to avoid having their card charged for a no-show appointment. Depending on the situation I was flexible here. I would give them another opportunity to re-schedule. If they didn’t show and didn’t call to reschedule I generally charged $300 for the no-show appointment. The point of this strategy is to get them to show-up and not to charge their card.
Thankyou… Great info I have a question do you suggest having one designated phone number like a 800 number for tax resolution. I currently give my office and cell number which I thought a local number would be better. I just started the answering service which is great but I have tax clients and others that would not want to go through the script. Seems like a specific number for all the advertising I am doing would be better.
Thank you
Gina Mewes
Gina – A dedicated/unique phone number (different from your regular office number) would be best to use for marketing for tax resolution. I also just received your letters and marketing materials that you mailed out to your database. These look Great! Excellent job! Keep the momentum going!
Will defineately implement both scripts . Thank you so muvh for this training!!! Donna Henderfon
Donna,
These phone scripts will bake a big difference in only seeing and talking to qualified prospects. It gets rid of all the tire-kickers and looky loos!
Hi Michael. Can you tell me the approx cost for the 24 hr phone answering service? Thanks
Check out http://www.mapcommunications.com and callrail.com. Pricing and fees are very reasonable.
When we ask for their credit card to reserve the appointment, do we charge it at that time? If so, how much?
If no, when and how much?
Michael or Sue or Becky,
I am contemplating mapcommunications. I understand everything you stated. What happens, though, when a client already secured would call after hours and be forwarded to mapcommunications? Or is that a question I should pose to mapcommunications? Thanks!
Map will forward an email with answers to the 5 questions per my call/intake script.
Michael,
Once Map Communications has taken the prospect through the Initial Intake Script provided, will they also schedule an appointment if needed, or is that something I would need to do upon following up with that prospect?
Thanks,
Bobby
NO! Your office should schedule the appointment
I have put this process in my practices
How is it working so far?
Michael, I have a small firm and am the only employee. I plan on using MAP Communications as you suggested. Is your recommendation that that they answer 100% of the initial calls with the Phone intake script with the follow-up email, or should I answer when available, and only forward to them when not available?
It’s important that you, or a team member, answer the phones LIVE during normal business hours. Use MAP or DingaLing (another answering service provider) from 5pm to 8am, weekends and holidays.
Map Communication offers a 1 800 number, I already have a 800 number for people to call for the specialized report. Can I use Map Communication number for the specialized report?
MAP is best used for callers responding to a direct response marketing campaign, like Radio or Google Adwords.
The number you have for someone to get your special report (this is lead generation) should be a recording in your voice for people to leave their mailing address. You can specify an extension number or another line that comes into your office. These calls are not answered live.
Michael this is great! I called MAP and I am getting set up. I used to have a janitorial business when I was young and I got a lot of business because I had a live real person answering service. We handled complaints more quickly too. It kept my customers happy.
I am definitely a long term member and I will continue with the $495 monthly fee. See you in New Orleans.
Phillip, Glad MAP is helping out!
Hi Michael,
I use calendy to make get appointments. Not all appointments are made there esp when the prospect calls my office line. They also have a service that allows a credit card be added to teh appointment. Calendy charges ($17/month) for such an integration. Do you think it’s worth it or should I hold off until I am furtther along on in marketing?
As for the after-hours answering service, do you recommend starting that right away or when there is an uptick in calls or appointments? I have implemented pretty much everything you’ve said in weeks 1 & 2.
Thanks!
I personally would not use a software that allows people to schedule appointments The goal here is for people to call you. This call must be answered LIVE by you, or a team member, during office hours. I would also hold off on the overnight/weekends/holidays answering service until your marketing activity and volume will support such a service. You won;t need this until you start investing in paid online search and/or radio advertising.
Thanks for your insight, Michael!
I have had the calendy thing for some time now. What I have done is to add the payment integration for a few dollars more than I was paying. With that, I have two options: a 20 minute free consult which I am offering to folks that come thru my postcard/google follow up campaign. I have a few lead magnets, including an offer for a free consult in exchange for their contact details. We will then run follow up campaigns for those we capture via the funnel.
I also have another have another appointment option that requires a credit card HOLD to book a 45-minute session. Ths option allows the prospect to chat with me and have that fee applied to future service is engaged or as a consultation fee if I am not engaged.
I signed up with MAP communications but they will not start billing me until I start getting calls. The calls will start coming in once my post card mail campaign gets underway by the begining of August. This has been in the pipeline before I purchased your course. We will start with postcards to 1000 leads obtained from IRS ALS database (ending June 30, 2020). The 1,000 leads will be in NYC/NYS (or, at worst, the Tri-state area). My vendor will also find those same prospects online via google, facebook and Instagram follow-up (banner) ads. Interested prospects will be sent to my landing page where I have my special report, a video and free consult as lead magnets to get them to at least provide their contact details so we may follow with a series of 6 emails via a drip campaign.
Please provide any feedback.
Thanks.
Awesome! Good luck with the campaign and let us know about your progress!
Thanks will do. I have a great feeling about it…
I had implemented both strategies suggested. So far so good!!
Great! Keep the momentum going by blocking out 60 minutes each day to work on your marketing!
Great plan, Now I just need to get the phones ringing.
Thanks Michael – I am just getting into this. I have been working along side and office sharing with a CPA for 3 years, and am working on expanding my Practice. The plan is that the girls up front will answer the phones – I am certainly hoping that I can get them to utilize the script…but I might just get the call transferred to me (if available) or get a note to call them back. I might end up scheduling most/all of my own appointments right now, as I am a solo Attorney with no real staff of my own.
I will look into MapCommunications for after hours/weekends – but my big question is: we have said throughtout that we are providing a free intial consultation, and now asking for a credit card. Do we just explain that it will only be charged if they are a no-show? I am trying to work though that conversation in my mind….thanks!
Daniel, I am recommending Dingaling answering services now in place of Map Communications. Map’s customer service is not what it used to be.
Also, from a “positioning” standpoint I don’t think you should be the first person a prospect speaks with. Actually, I can’t think of any attorneys I know of that answer their own phones.
Here’s a sample script/conversation regarding securing a credit card for the consultation:
“Mr. Rozbruch has two time slots available this week; Tuesday at 10 to 11am and Thursday afternoon at 2pm. Which time do you prefer and what credit card would you like to use to reserve your time with Mr. Rozbruch?” Mr. Rozbruch only sees clients on these two days, which are nearly booked as he’s only accepting 2 new clients this week/month”
Again, this should be relayed by the team member qualifying the lead, not you.
thanks!!
Another question: Obviously the MapCommunications # is not going to “transfer the call to me” – so they will just tell the caller that I am unavailable, get me the info, and it is up to me to call them back and set up an appointment? I think I need to find a way to have someone else call to set the appointment…..
DingALing can qualify the prospect and transfer the call to you or a team member. That team member would schedule the appointment.
sorry about all of the messages here – SO, Dingaling or Map can qualify the lead and transfer them to me (there are no team members yet….lol – that is my goal though – to be busy enough to need them!!) – is it okay if the are transferring the call to me???
And I know that you are recommending Dingaling over Map, but Jennifer from Map has been SUPER responsive to me – following up again and again – I spoke with her for an hour back in April when I was trying to figure this out — no one from Dingaling ever called me back. Ever. I still reached out to them – they are supposed to call back Monday am, so we will see. I emailed Jennifer too – and I will just compare. But I wanted to let you know that.
Michael: I am scraping the bottom at this point – I cannot afford someone to answer my phones (YET!!! I am confident that this will develop) – so if I am answering my own phone, how exactly do I do this?? Do I say “I appreciate the call, but I am only accepting new clients on XXX at YYY or ZZZ at AAA”? I am not sure what to do with this….thanks!!
You can’t afford not to have someone on your team answer your phones. I don’t know any lawyer (who’s worth their “salt”) answer their own phones? Do you? It’s all about perception and “positioning”. It “cheapens” you when you answer your own phones. I will be covering this during the Challenge.
thanks!!! I will see what I can come up with!!!
okay – I am either going to go with an answering service (MAP or Dingaling) for the nights and weekend/holidays, and MAYBE have the day handled by the CPA firm receptionists (if have to see if they are okay with the script) – or maybe just have all calls handled by the answering service. You are 10000000% correct – I cannot be answering my own damn phones!!!!!
I am calling the answering service company on Monday, the 17th. Thanks for putting this package together for us Michael.
In regard to the “Front Office Potential Client Script”, when does the phone operator for our Tax Resolution Business say “Thank you. Due to the sensitivity of this issue and the fact that this is a legal matter, I’m going to see if one of our tax consultants is available to speak with you now. Please hold while I transfer the call to (so and so). Thank you.”? Doesn’t that bypass the “Setting Up Appointments – And Making Sure They Show Up” Phone Script since their case would be escalated at that point?
Great question! Best practice, if the prospect is qualified per the intake script, is to conduct the consultation right then or there. A caller on the phone is golden. It today’s world of so many distractions, it’s much more difficult to get that caller back on the phone or to an appointment in the future.
The post-pandemic world also lends itself that most consumers don’t want to come in to an office and welcome doing business via phone or zoom. I’m doing a webinar in about 45 minutes (check your inbox for the invite email or spam folder) on this very topic with one of our members who has a mid 6-figure tax resolution business conducted 100% remote/virtual. He never physically meets with clients. Hope you can attend. It will be recorded and on your Diamond membership site in 24-48 hours if you can’t make it “live”.
I’ve implemented both phone scripts and hired Ding A Ling. I’m so excited, I am content marketing and running my first campaign in two days, I have posted articles on all of your recommended sites and ready for the crowd to roll in.
Kudos for taking action and getting your marketing out there! Let us know how things progress.
Hello I may be thinking a bit ahead, however how do you tell you current clients that you will not be providing tax, accounting, bookkeeping services any more as you transition into a full tax resolution service?
Monica. This will be a natural evolution of your business. The more resolution business coming in will dictate what you do with traditional services you’ve been offering. There’s no need now to inform clients what you won’t be doing. Just inform them what you’re expanding into