Client Newsletters

[erchess]

I'd like to know whether any of you send or have sent out newsletters to your clients and perhaps to other interested parties.

What results do or did you get?

Do you buy your newsletter or compose your own?

Do you and your staff physically do the mailings or do you staff that out?

If you are happy with a newsletter you purchase, from where do you purchase it?

Thank you for all responses.

[Uncle Sam]

Client Newsletters

I have been sending out monthly newsletters to clients - published by a subsidiary of Thomson - for over 10 years.
I find that I get inundated with nuisance calls a lot less over tax related issues.
Sometimes I do get phone calls to clarify some issues raised that has relevance to their returns. Some others hold a specific monthly edition in their folder to discuss with me at next year's tax interview.
Although I'm not certain about this - I've been told by other practitioner boards that by sending out newsletters - you lower your chances of malpractice - because you're continually keeping your clients advised as to proper tax law provisions and planning.
They definitely help.
I can't say that I get a whole slew of new clients continuously, but occasionally I'll get a referral from one of my present clients who has passed one along to someone else.

[taxfun]

Newsletters

Like Uncle Sam our practice has been sending monthly 4 page newletters to clients for over 10 years. I write ours. We do all of the mailing although we have our favorite printer reproduce, forld and tab the newsletter.

We always have comments and questions from our clients and once in a while we get a referral from some one who has received a passed on copy. We also include a mailing to our new home buyer list sometimes.

We believe that it is worthwhile and make keep some clients and gain a few more.

[OtisMozzetti]

Send to other interested parties

I'd say that a well-written newsletter send to the right group(s) of non-clients can lead to a lot of new business.

[Black Bart]

Erchess - newsletters

I'd like to know whether any of you send or have sent out newsletters to your clients and perhaps to other interested parties.

What results do or did you get?

Do you buy your newsletter or compose your own?

Do you and your staff physically do the mailings or do you staff that out?

If you are happy with a newsletter you purchase, from where do you purchase it?

Thank you for all responses.

I sent one out for about four years back in the early nineties. I was the staff and made my own (2-page) letter by clipping out short tax articles and tax tips from various publications, laying them side by side on a sheet of paper and photocopying it (probably wasn't supposed to, but was never sued). I filled in the blank spots with typed (or hand-written for a personal touch) short observations, tax advice, and tax deadlines for this, that, and t'other. It looked homemade alright, but that can be a good thing and to me it seemed far more appealing than junk mail form letter format.

An enthusiastic tax seminar speaker motivated me -- he said the most important thing about a newsletter is that it shows your clients you care. I kind of think that's right; it says you're still out there in business, interested in their financial welfare, and keeping tabs on new taxes affecting them -- the psychological value of keeping in touch is important even if a client's not interested in taxes.

Results? I don't know -- I couldn't tell any difference one way or the other and nobody ever mentioned the newsletter to me although I sent one to every client. I quit it after those few years because I just got tired of doing it -- I was sending out about 500 and it got to be quite a chore and expensive. My clientele pretty much stays the same no matter what I do, so I guess I just lost my enthusiasm for it somewhere along the way. But while I'm too old and tired to fool with it anymore, I still like the idea and highly recommend it to the younger set as good experience (it's like cheap toilet paper -- it builds character).

If you'd rather buy one to insert your name on, this outfit sends me a sample occasionally and it looks pretty good (a ten-page letter/ cost--$359.50 for 1,000 copies-minimum)
Tax Guide Publications
263 29th Avenue SW
Albany, OR 97322
Ph: 541-926-1139
Fax: 541-926-1515

https://www.crowestaxguide.com

Best regards, BB