How to Build Trust with Your Tax Resolution Clients

It's no secret that Tax Resolution has garnered a bit of a bad reputation. After all, there have been several incidents of supposed Tax Resolution companies scamming clients— taking fees upfront without any intention of resolving the client's debt with the IRS.

How do you set yourself apart as a reliable, trustworthy Tax Resolution professional in an industry many people have become wary of?

Be upfront about the chances of success.

Tax Resolution cases are not guaranteed to be accepted by the IRS, and your client should be made aware of that fact. Clients will feel scammed if they pay a lot of money in fees and then their debt isn't resolved if you implied it would be. Honesty is the best policy. That way, even if you can't resolve a client's debt, you won't burn any bridges.

Be upfront about the chances of his or her case being accepted so that the client can decide if paying for Tax Resolution services is worth it for his or her individual case or not. [bctt tweet="Show genuine interest in helping and leave the pressure tactics for the other guys." username="canopytax"]

Be mindful of your sales tactics. 

If you were recruiting clients for tax prep you wouldn't be a pushy salesperson, so you shouldn't be as a Tax Resolution professional either. A client wants to feel comfortable with someone handling their confidential tax information, not like he or she has been pressured into business.

Also, never use the phrase "pennies on the dollar" when referring to your Offer in Compromise services— even if you're trying to communicate that you could save your client a lot of money. Many articles and professionals have identified the phrase as a sure-fire red flag of a tax scam.

Gain clients from your current network. 

Reach out to clients you've already helped with other tax work and ask if they'd be interested in any additional Tax Resolution services.

If they've been happy with your services, give them business cards and ask them to refer you to friends if the opportunity arises. Maintaining professional relationships you already have will help generate future professional relationships. The more referrals you have, the more you will be seen as a reliable professional.

Reach out to your network outside of self-promotion. 

When you email your current and potential clients, send more than just self-promoting emails. If you send them emails with valuable, interesting information, you'll establish yourself as a professional without making your clients feel pressured or like you're filling their inbox with spam.

Maintain a level of transparency. 

Try to keep in contact with your client throughout the process of resolving his or her debt. Your client is bound to have lots of questions and will feel better the more you answer those questions.

To further the level of transparency, Canopy allows you to monitor and choose which sections and forms your client sees in his or her client portal. You can share files with your client and control what part of the process he or she has access to. Many clients will feel reassured if they are able to see the status of their case with a click of a button.

Ask for reviews from happy clients. 

After you've completed Tax Resolution services for a happy client, ask him or her to leave you an online review with positive feedback. You could have the client easily review you on your Yelp or Facebook page if you have one. Having positive reviews for potential clients to find will do a lot to establish you as a reputable Tax Resolution professional.