Real Tax Business Success
Lesson - 7
How You Get A Target Client To Take Action:
Author: Chauncey Hutter Jr.
How do you do it?
Make “irresistible” offers to your target market!
Irresistible offers? Most tax business owners either don’t know what an “offer” is, or they just don’t use them in their advertising. And if they are using an offer in their promotions, they think saying, “Please call for a free consultation,” is the most irresistible offer in the world. (You would not believe how many times “free consultation” comes across my desk when I do ad critiques for my Real Tax Business Success Members and personal consulting clients.)
** Quick Tip: If you have a “free consultation” you’d like to promote, that’s fine. But spend some time and come up with a new “selling” title for your consultation. I KNOW the public is TIRED (and bored) with professional service businesses (like us in the tax industry ) advertising those same ol’ two words. (Remember: USP)
What is an offer supposed to do? An offer should be either THE reason or one of the reasons the client “moves towards action” and contacts your tax service.
A good offer helps “close the sale!” (Just the offer alone can make the difference between an average promotion and a big “money-making” hit!)
So what do most ads in the tax business look like? They say, “We are Joe’s Tax Service. Here’s a $20 coupon. Use us this year for your tax needs.” Or, they say, “XYZ Tax Service. We’ve been in business 25 years. Call us for your free consultation.”
Now don’t get me wrong, those are “offers”, but I believe if you spent some time thinking about it, you could develop some “irresistible offers” that knocked your clients’ socks off!
You see, your competitors will continue to have weak, wimpy and “ordinary” offers like I’ve already described. (Borrrrring.) But you can promote BOLD, GUARANTEED, RISK FREE “SELLING” offers that would blow your competition away and give you a series of unique selling propositions that set you apart from all the other tax businesses in your area.
The goal of your IRRESISTIBLE OFFER is to have your targeted client say in his mind (if not out loud), “I’d be a darn fool if I said ‘NO’ to this offer!”
If you have your targeted client thinking this way once they read, hear or listen to your series of USPs or one outstanding irresistible offer, get ready for the stampede, because they will be coming!
What makes an irresistible offer so “irresistible?” When the client REALLY WANTS what you are offering! (If the target market doesn’t want it, your USP [or irresistible offer] is not going to go over very well.)
I think tax business owners underestimate what it takes to actually make a prospect get up off the couch, go to the phone and call you (much less actually come down to your tax office and give you their money).
If you can get a person to pick up the phone right after reading your sales letter, seeing your ad on TV or whatever, the power of your offer is probably pretty good!
Let’s talk about some examples.
My strategy for developing an irresistible offer comes from the “Ginsu Knife” technique.
You remember the ads. “This knife is so amazing and it only costs $19.95. But as an added bonus we will give you these extra knifes. And to go with that, we’ll throw this in for free. And if you call right now we’ll include this other extra thing and we can’t offer it if you wait and call later. So that means you get these 21 things for only $19.95 etc. etc.”
Yes, it sounds “cheesy” but it works! And if you are interested in results you’ll learn from that example and tailor your marketing message accordingly.
Here’s what we do. (This example is from one of our old ads targeting the “blue collar” market.)
In an ad we’ll offer:
- Fastest Tax Refunds Allowed By The IRS -- GUARANTEED!
- 1 Day (Sometimes SAME Day) Tax Preparation Service
- A “Complete Peace Of Mind” Accuracy Guarantee
- Open Year Round (with 30+ years in the tax business)
- $33 Off Coupon on any tax service (w/ deadline date)
- Added bonus: $25 worth of Free Gifts for each tax return prepared
- An additional “Special New Client Offer” limited to 1st 10 callers
Now if you were a “blue collar” taxpayer looking for a tax firm to help you with your taxes this year and you saw two different style ads -- one ad like we talked about before (ie. “Free Consultation”) or an ad with the above USPs ALL LISTED TOGETHER MAKING AN IRRESISTIBLE OFFER -- which one do you think would at least get a phone call?
Do you think the potential client might ask in their head, “I’d have to be crazy not to at least call these guys and see if they offer quality tax services!”
I rest my case.
Now you can do the same thing for a “white collar” market, bookkeeping or payroll services, anything you’re offering out of your office.
Don’t promote it “wimpy” or BORING! Use the power of an IRRESISTIBLE OFFER to set your tax business above the rest.
And like I always say ...
“ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN OTHER TAX BUSINESS OWNERS IN YOUR AREA AND YOU’LL GET DISPROPORTIONATELY MORE THAN YOUR FAIR SHARE OF TAX BUSINESS!!
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man IS king.
Chauncey Hutter Jr.
Tax Marketing Expert
Chauncey Hutter, Jr, is a best-selling author and leading marketing consultant and success coach to the tax industry. Mr. Hutter grew his father’s $50,000 per year tax preparation business to a multi-million dollar empire with 24 locations, 400+ employees and over 27,000 tax clients all coming from his marketing campaigns.
For more info on Real Tax Business Success, go to www.taxmarketing.com
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