There are all kinds of people in this world …
- People who jump on to-do items and get them done as soon as possible.
- People who handle their affairs in a timely manner.
- People who procrastinate until the absolute very last minute.
- People who can’t seem to make a deadline to save their lives.
- And finally, people who have no idea what day it is or what it was they were supposed to do.
These are the personalities we deal with as each and every one of these types of people are taxpayers… and also your clients. Now that we are past the April 18 deadline, you’ve already dealt with clients 1-3. It’s those 4s and 5s you’ve not seen nor heard from that you should be thinking about right now.
Here are some ways to reach out to those people (and maybe catch a few new clients in the process).
- Pick up the phone. They’ve missed the deadline so time is of the essence. Give your clients a courtesy call to remind them that they need to come in to file their taxes.
- Email. If the phone doesn’t work, send personal email reminders to clients you still haven’t heard from reminding them of the deadline. Make sure you include information about penalties and about what they need to bring with them to their appointment.
- Send an email newsletter to all clients. Educating clients is important. Just to make sure you’re covering all of your bases, send a newsletter with tips on late filing and on amending returns. Encourage your list to share the information with friends who may need to amend or still need to file. Remind them of your referral program if you have one.
- Post information about filing after the deadline to all of your social media channels to catch clients there or pick up new ones.
Outreach and education is an important part of showing value and keeping clients engaged. Any opportunity to offer up information or be proactive should be seized.
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