Write Your Tax Lien Marketing Letter

Write Your Tax Lien Marketing Letter

I’ve spoken with several tax resolution practitioners that confidently declare they will build their practice with direct mail to emulate successful practices. Unfortunately, some get stuck when they have to design and write their mail piece. Let’s break down the process so you don’t join the ranks of the dreamers that stay asleep.

First and foremost, you want to put yourself in the shoes of the person who, just days before, received a Certified Letter from the IRS notifying them that their property is now subject to a Federal Tax Lien. Imagine that, what a scary moment! Oftentimes the individual had put their tax problem to the back of their mind before this point due to fear or lack of information, but now the problem is difficult to deny. This is often the moment they first decide to reach out for professional help. So what do you have to offer them? Why will they contact you?

My strategy is to write a personable letter which gives potential clients peace of mind and highlights my company’s abilities. It emphasizes the fact that we are local and offer free initial consultations.  To stand out from the crowd that mails from Denver and Los Angeles, our mail piece has a local return address, is a standard white #10 envelope, and contains a single page letter on our company letterhead. Our clients respond to us because we’re real people with real experience, and we stand behind what we do.

Items to Consider Including

1. A Local Address and Local Area Code phone number. Google offers free local phone numbers through their Google Voice service. You can set these up to forward to your main phone number. If you have a VoIP service like Ring Central, it’s very cheap and easy to add extra numbers.

2. Your Biography and a description of your practice. People need to feel comfortable enough to call you, so give them a bit about yourself and/or your company.

3. The Services you provide. Inform taxpayers that their bill may be far higher than it really should be, and that it is a wise investment to consult a professional. The most popular services are multi-year filings, settlements (OIC), installment agreements (IA) and currently not collectible status (CNC), levy and lien removal, penalty abatement and audit defense and reconsideration. Be careful to not promise any specific results.

4. Consequences of inaction. It’s important to let the taxpayer know they are in for a light paycheck or an empty bank account if they don’t take action. Make sure to be forceful but not dwell on the negative. Emphasize the fact that you can get between them and the Service with a Power of Attorney. The IRS will have to deal with the practitioner and not the taxpayer. We’re used to talking to the IRS everyday, but to the potential client, just the thought of an IRS Agent at the front door is a heart-stopping catastrophe.

5. Testimonials from prior clients. This is a huge confidence builder in your skills. Use testimonials that emphasize results; levy removals and successful OICs are big sellers.

6. End your letter with a Call to Action. The prospect must have a clear way to call, email or visit your office. Confidently state that they must take action today so they can have peace of mind tomorrow.

7. Consider sending a Follow-Up Letter a few weeks or months after the first. Sometimes, your future client will not take action until a Revenue Agent or Revenue Officer is assigned to the case, or a levy has been issued. This second letter (or even third or fourth, if the response rates are acceptable) might take a different tone in order to reach a different type of client.

Now it’s time to take action and leave your competitors in the dust! Write your letter today, or contact us and we can have our in-house copywriter draft a letter for a reasonable price that meets your specs. We also can recommend a graphics designer, printer and/or bulk mail shipper upon request.

Tags: basics, bulk rate, letters, mailings, marketing