If it wasn’t for the existence of all of those peppy inspirational news aggregation sites, all of the negative stuff in the media (especially, nationally — but even right here in the Birmingham area) would be pretty overwhelming.

But there is a reason why that’s the case.

The old journalist refrain: “If it bleeds, it ledes …” is a truism for the simple reason that people have this incessant urge to watch a car crash, or peer into tragedy.

People ask me at cocktail parties about horrible tax situations for a reason (yes, Birmingham tax accountants occasionally have a life).

And understanding this reality is a great lesson for marketing your Birmingham smallbusiness.

But speaking of horrible situations, here’s a few tax-related things you should know…

Firstly, even at this late hour, we will gladly receive friends of our existing tax and accounting clients — we make a special point to accommodate clients’ friends, because we’ve found that our great clients have very good taste in friends.

So, share this post with your friends right now and make sure they let us know you sent them. They can also call: (205) 715-4488 and we’ll be their last-minute lifeline!

Secondly …

* Obamacare Deadline Extended: If you haven’t signed up for insurance,  and you can comfortably assert that you “started” before Monday, March 31 …well, you have more time. Not sure yet how much, but … you have more time. Procrastinate away!
https://eba.benefitnews.com/health-insurance-exchange/news/obamacare-deadline-extended-for-last-minute-enrollees-2740197-1.html

* Do you have any Bitcoin? We probably need to talk then — the IRS just decided to classify it as “property”, so capital gains taxes now apply (effective immediately). We can help you with it, as it’s important to be smart about your transactions there. Tax software is NOT equipped for this.
https://techcrunch.com/2014/03/30/bitcoin-slips-in-the-wake-of-the-irss-tax-decision/

* Are you carrying student loans? Beware new “forgiveness” schemes. There could be a big ol’ tax bill in your future. Again, software is part of the problem here. I may have more to say on this in the future for my Birmingham clients and friends.
https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2014/03/feds-partner.html

Now, speaking of fear and loss…

Birmingham Tax Accountant On Using Negative Emotions In Your Business
“Your present circumstances don’t determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start.” – Nido Qubein

Nobody is looking to buy something to solve a problem they don’t think they have.

However, one of the big problems I see in how people market to ME here in Birmingham (and, of course, in how they market generally) is that they jump right into features and benefits without first understanding and/or speaking to whether the prospect thinks they have a problem needing a solution.

The challenge is this: if a prospect hasn’t had their identity stolen, they don’t really think there’s an issue with having their personal identification details all over the web. They won’t wake up in the morning dreaming about how to solve it, or go to bed wondering how much it’s costing them (or would cost them) to ignore it.

And so the marketing challenge is to sell the problem. Which, of course, is what drove LifeLock™ to so much success.

Here’s the thing: many people don’t actually see that they have a problem unless they also believe that there’s a solution … so part of selling a problem is hinting that there’s a solution that others are using, or is right around the corner.

Imagine, for example, getting the information about the toxicity levels of carpets after a certain age. If you knew that your carpet was X years old, and you were suddenly confronted with compelling data that, as a result, you were exposing your family to much higher levels of infections and sickness–voila. You now have a product with demand (carpet cleaning). But your prospect also then needs to see that there is a valid solution, in order to be willing to accept and deal with the problem–which, of course, is where your product (or service) then comes in.

And for the business-to-business realm, when a prospect comes to the table and says, “We have a problem,” then you’re both working together to solve it–which, of course, is a completely different sales environment–and one which you want your marketing to continually provoke.

On the other hand, if they’re talking with you simply because you’re persistent and/or charming, the only problem they have is, “how can I end this quickly?”.

I would ask that you forward this article to a Birmingham business associate or client you know who could benefit from our assistance–or simply send them our way. While these particular articles usually relate to business strategy, as you know, we specialize in tax preparation and planning for Birmingham families and business owners.And we always make room for referrals from trusted sources like you.

Warmly (and until next week),

Randall Hancock
(205) 715-4488