When I started in the tax resolution business and had my initial consultations with clients, I’d have meaningful conversations but no signed engagement letter and no deposit check.

I soon realized I was leaving something very important out of my conversations during my “close”.  I learned there are ten simple, but super important words to say to get retained.

I would go through my consultation script, get their financial information, and determine how the case could be resolved.  The whole consultation would go smoothly.  I built their trust by positioning myself as the expert, which my marketing was responsible for.  I was connecting with the prospect, and I wanted to work with them. I would get the impression they wanted that too. At the end of my consultation I would say, “Hey, Joe, how does that sound to you?” Their response was often, “I have to talk with my wife” or “I need more time to think about it.”  After they left the office or the call ended, I was wondering why they were not retaining me right then and there.  What had gone wrong? We had connected, I listened to find out the particulars of their case, and recommended solutions based on the information they provided but it wasn’t translating into sales.

As I worked to solve the problem of not closing the sale, I realized I was leaving something very important out of my conversations.  There are four phases to a consultation: meet, probe, prescribe and close.  During the meet phase your goal is to establish rapport with your prospective client. I did an excellent job of connecting and finding common ground to build rapport.  This phase leads into the second phase, the probe phase. In the probe phase you want to find out what the prospective client wants and needs.  In the prescription phase you propose solutions.  Multiple solutions allow the client to understand that if one strategy does not work to resolve their IRS problem there is another solution we can employ.  Remember, that the client is hiring you for “representation” before the IRS and to solve the problem once and for all. The fourth and final phase is the close.  This is the phase where I was underperforming.  During this phase you need to ask for the sale. Asking for the sale was what I was leaving out of my conversations.

It was not until I learned the ten magic words that my business began to boom.  Those words are “What credit card do you want to put that on?”  Then be quiet and let the client respond.  These are the 10 most important words in the tax resolution language.  Memorize them.

If you do not ask for the sale, you are not going to get it.  You are not going to be retained.  Many practitioners do not say those magic words at the end of their consultation, and they let the client walk out the door without getting retained.  In order to stay in business, you need clients. The way to get clients is to close the sale.

When you use these 10 magic words “What credit card do you want to put that on?” you’ll see your close rates increase significantly.  You’ll have more clients and more money in your pocket.   Your family and bank account will thank you. Memorize the magic words and use them during your next initial consultation.  You will be amazed at the results!

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