Pre Season Marketing

[superman]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what works for pre-season mailers/flyers. I do not know if this works to early when people are not thinking about taxes right now.


Superman

[MariaR08]

Does anyone have any suggestions on what works for pre-season mailers/flyers. I do not know if this works to early when people are not thinking about taxes right now.

Superman

I agree...I'm not sure either. The best thing I thought of was to simply send out a "holiday card" in the next week and a half or so. Just to remind them I'm here for any "last-minute" tax savings actions

~maria

[Black Bart]

Pre-season

I'm with Maria -- I send a Christmas card to everybody I did last year. No discount ads, tax info, or anything like that -- just a card stamped with my biz name.

Trying a little homemade psychology, I skip the first week (too far away from tax season-they may forget me) and the third week (too close to Christmas-if they'll owe tax it's an unpleasant reminder (somewhat spoiling Christmas) associated with me). The second week (12th-13th) is about right -- if they've got a refund it reminds 'em money's coming to pay for season purchases.

This, of course, is just speculation and may not mean a thing. Nevertheless, I think most people like to get a Christmas card (I do) -- less so, of course, if it's a business card but still, it's a nod of recognition/flattery (implies "YOU ARE IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GET THIS") that generally leaves a good impression.

[S T]

Holiday Cards

Just sharing - I tried something new last year with Holiday Cards and send "ecards" to all those I had email addresses for.

The reply response was "overwhelming" - so will do again this year

Assisted in cutting down on the cost of purchasing cards, and also the "postage".

Sandy

[DMICPA]

Ho Ho Ho

I send Christmas cards to clients, attorneys and bankers. I sign every one and may write a personalized greeting or messege..

I designed some promotional six inch rulers with my name and phone number etc and sent them to my clients and other interested parties.

The local bank is allowing me to put the rulers in the lobby. So far out of 40 rulers I placed in the lobby, every one is gone.

I also purchased hand calculators with my name etc and those have been appreciated by whomever I gave them to.

Got a call today from one of the recipients and they referred a client.

I try to call my favorite clients a few times a year to "keep in touch".

[S T]

Great Info

Where do you purchase your "rulers" and "calculators" Would you share?

Sandy

[DMICPA]

Promotional Vendors

The rulers were the result of a lot of internet searching. Many Companies had a huge minimum that was beyond what I needed.

I found a Company called Competitive Edge Advertising Speciality Mfg. that would accomodate my order of 250 rulers for a price of $238.00. The account executive is Jason Simmons at 1-800-458-3343.

As for the calculators, I can't recall where I purchased them from but it was on the Internet. Basically, I looked for promotional companies that sold them and they can be personalized.

Hope this helps.

[taxcraft]

Mailings

In early October I send out a year end tax saving tips letter to give clients a chance to save taxes before the year is locked in concrete.
In middle to late January I send out ATX's tax organizer along with my own made up supplement. The organizer is directed right at preventing omissions that can come back and bite me. I don't give the client a chance to say "its your fault, you never mentioned it." My made up supplement has to do with those "other" items that are not evidenced with paper coming in the mail like 1099's and W-2's and need jogging the memory. My experience working with other firms really shocked me as to what was missed, like lost carry overs and initial RMD's, etc.

[travis bickle]

I send my clients

The rulers were the result of a lot of internet searching. . . . Basically, I looked for promotional companies that sold them and they can be personalized.

Hope this helps.

a refrigerator magnet -- BUT that magnet is a calendar for the upcoming year with a facsimile of my business card above the calendar.

I include them with a brief note that I am there for them all year long.

So far, after searching a lot, I have been able to get them for between 50 - 78 cents.

Keeps my name in front of them for the whole year.

When they come in, I often get "Can I get one of those calendars for my sister?", so I know it helps some.

[Black Bart]

I'll tell ya something that works.

Emory boards (fingernail files). The ladies just love 'em.

P.S. Even a few of the men have told me they use 'em (and we're nowhere even near San Francisco). Lordy, Lordy; their old-time, backwoodsy, rough-as-a-cob daddies must be rollin' over in their graves. Oh well, I admit I did rasp off a fingernail end once, but now it was just a hangnail, you understand.