also: what not to guarantee.
by michael rozbruch, cpa
rozstrategies.com
the 10 most important words that must roll off your tongue when it comes to asking for the “sale” must be part of your “close “repertoire. the 10 words are “what credit card do you want to put that on?”
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let’s assume your marketing is working, the phones are ringing and you know how to screen the looky-loos and tire-kickers from qualified prospects because you have a phone script system. you’re scheduling appointments because you have a system and script for that too.
you’re also making sure that they actually show up to the appointment, whether that’s in your office or on the phone because you’re using a “reservation” system. now they’re sitting across the desk from you or on the phone, and you’re conducting your initial consultation. how do you get the client to take action and retain you?
assuming you can help the prospect resolve their case and you would like to work with him or her, the following language should be used to close the deal. one example of a “soft” close goes like this: “there’s a lot of work to do here to make sure we protect your income and assets and get the best possible deal from the irs. as soon as i have a representation agreement signed, i can get to work. can we get started today? what credit card do you want to put that on?”
those are the 10 most important words, “what credit card do you want to put that on?”
an example of a stronger close is, “i’ll need a $2,500 deposit today to get started; what credit card do you want to put that on?” here’s another example, “i want to contact the irs immediately to protect you and get a collection hold on your account. i’ll be on the phone with the irs before you’re out of our parking lot. what credit card do you want to put that on?”
if you don’t ask for the sale, chances are you’re never going to get the prospect to take action and hire you. also, you’ll be able to isolate objections, if any, when you do this correctly.
one of the most common sales objections you’ll encounter is “what kind of guarantee do i have?” below should be part of your answer:
- if any firm/company gives you a guarantee, run away as fast as possible. the irs is the final arbiter of any decision.
- talk about what’s more likely than not to happen given your historical experience but you cannot guarantee an outcome, it’s illegal and impossible. instead, give ranges and talk about options.
- let the prospect know what you can guarantee, that they’ll have licensed professionals with years of experience handling their case. they’ll generally never have to speak or meet with the irs. you can guarantee you’ll do everything legally you can to protect their assets and negotiate the best possible resolution allowable by law.
- the main rule of thumb is only guarantee things you can control and never guarantee things you have no control over.