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The Roz Report
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
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There’s a learning principle that says we need to hear or see something seven times before our brains really remember what it is that we’re being taught. This is called the “rule of 7” and it certainly rings true for me. For the last few years, Roslyn and I have attended the Genius Network Annual Conference. This is a great event and it’s a lot of fun meeting up with all of the people we know who attend, but every year right before we get on the plane, my brain asks, “Why are we going to this? Isn’t this going to be the same conference as last year’s? Why do we have to go?” Fortunately, the answer to this question comes shortly after we arrive. Look Who’s Talking Lessons From Chris Voss and Keith Cunningham
Chris Voss Author of “Never Split the Difference”
The other amazing speaker we saw, Keith Cunningham, is the author of “The Road Less Stupid.” Cunningham is a successful entrepreneur who knows what kind of mistakes people make in business every day. The truth is that as entrepreneurs, we don’t always think about the downside the way we should. Many times, we make decisions only based on our “gut
feelings.” Cunningham proposes that we pay a “dumb tax” every time we make a decision without thinking things through. His whole strategy is about learning to recognize your own blind spots and making time in your day to “think.” He says that during your “thinking” time, ask yourself the right questions to think things through and come up with best answers and decisions for yourself.
“No matter how many times I learn something, I’ll eventually need to be reminded of it from time to time.”
This conference is one of the places where I always hear important things that I’ve forgotten or simply didn’t “hear” the first time. It’s the “rule of 7” in action. No matter how many times I learn something, I’ll eventually need to be reminded of it from time to time. In addition to reminding me of the important lessons I’ve forgotten, this
event always features amazing speakers who teach me something entirely new. Last year, two of the speakers who really stood out were Chris Voss and Keith Cunningham. Chris Voss was the FBI’s lead hostage negotiator and author of the book “Never Split the Difference.” I consider myself a pretty good negotiator, but I picked up things during his presentation that were ingenious! The biggest takeaway is that we have several different ways to negotiate something. One of Voss’ killer moves is to phrase a question in such a way that gets the other person to say no, but they are really saying yes. For instance, let’s say you are shopping for a new car and you have a strict budget you want to adhere to. You can say something like, “Would it be ridiculous to bring these monthly payments down to $550?” Getting the person to say “no” and mean “yes” shifts the entire conversation in your favor. Considering the fact that we all negotiate all day, from discussing dinner plans with our spouse to working with the IRS, our brains get “yes-fatigued.”
Attending the Genius Conference and hearing these great speakers got Roslyn and I both excited for the big event this summer. We’re very close to picking the venue for the next Tax Resolution Success Summit, which will be held Aug. 27– 29, 2020. In addition to making the final decision on a venue, we’re also looking into getting a great keynote speaker. Our goal is for the conference to bring a ton of value to attendees every year. We want you to have a great time and leave with new ideas about marketing and business practices as well as actually have a marketing plan in place to implement as soon as you get back in your office. Save the date, and keep an eye out for more updates about the 2020 Tax Resolution Success Summit including venue and our keynote speaker!
Dedicated to your success,
–Michael Rozbruch
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NOT BORN THIS WAY BY ROSLYN ROZBRUCH (FOOD FOR THOUGHT)
“I wasn’t born neurotic; experiences in my life have made me this way.”This is a common phrase I say to people when I do something neurotic. I have a few idiosyncrasies — just ask my family and friends— but I can own them because I know they don’t come from nowhere; actual events in my life have caused me to be this way. The problem isn’t so much my quirky ways, but more about the times that I want the people I love and care about, or even strangers in some cases, to feel the way I do about the “thing” that I think is so important for them to do. For example, every time I’m in the market and I see a woman with her purse in the shopping cart instead of on her arm, I want to say, “Don’t leave your purse in the cart, someone is going to steal it.” I haven’t said that to anyone yet, because I can be shy at times, and also, I’m not sure how the person would react. I’ve never left my purse in a cart before, but my anxiety comes from being held up at knife-point years ago, and by having my house broken into. I will speak up to people I know, like when anyone wants to leave their valuables in my car, I’ll have no problem to say, “This isn’t the suburbs, don’t leave your laptop in the car. I don’t care if I am parked in the driveway.” And I will speak up in public when necessary, like the time I called the police when I saw a dog in a car alone on a 100-degree day. But was that neurotic, or did I help save the dog’s life? The point is, events happen in all our lives that lead us to believe what is true, what is right or wrong. What we do with life experiences can either propel us to our best selves, keep us paralyzed with fear, or maybe just make us a little more cautious. Yes, I’m sharing that I’m a little neurotic, but for the most part I like to take an experience, whether it’s negative or positive, and find a way to better myself or learn from it. Being aware of who you are, your personality, and what your idiosyncrasies are gives you an advantage when you want to change something in your life or make your life easier to navigate. For instance, I know it takes me an hour to get ready in the morning because I have to make the bed, empty the trash, and wash the dishes before I leave the house, so I’m aware to factor that time in my morning so I can be out the door on time. Maybe I was born a certain way, but my life experiences, good and bad, have helped me change and grow into being more of the person I want to be.
It’s a new year and a great time to look inward and get to know yourself better. Take a moment and ask yourself — what are my beliefs, and why do I think that way? Did something in particular happen in my life that led me to believe that way? Without writing out the typical New Year’s resolution list of to-do’s that fall by the wayside in a few weeks, maybe tap into who you are and ask yourself what part of you do you want to be more of? Making a conscious effort is a good first step to a better mindset and better year ahead. What we do with life experiences can either propel us to our best selves, keep us paralyzed with fear, or maybe just make us a little more cautious.
And while you’re thinking about the year ahead and all its possibilities, be sure your front door is locked. I don’t care if you live in a safe neighborhood or not. –Roslyn Rozbruch
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PRACTICE CORNER FROM THE How to Create Your Lead Generation Magnet in 3 Easy Steps
For those of you that don’t know, a lead generation magnet (also called a “special report”) is a marketing term for a free item or service that is given away for the purpose of gathering contact information. The No. 1 thing your lead generation magnet must do is appeal to your prospect’s emotions and help them solve a problem. People are rarely motivated to search for information on how to prevent something. Instead, people are searching for answers to problems they already have. For example, tax resolution practitioners solve at least three problems for clients: 1. The desire to keep whatever income and assets they have 2. To live a life free of the fear and immense pain inflicted upon them by the IRS 3. The desire to settle with the IRS once and for all When creating your own lead generation magnet, you want to give information that has real value, not just “perceived value.” I have a specific method I use when creating lead generation magnets that always achieves great results. Below is my easy three-step process for creating a print and MP3 lead generation magnet. 1. Write down the top 10 questions your prospective customer has regarding your product or service. The answers to some of these questions should give actionable tips your prospect can use to get immediate results; other answers you provide should overcome objections the prospect might have in their mind. 2. Have someone ask you the 10 questions as if you were being interviewed on a radio show and record the interview. This is a huge secret! Not only is the interview format far more interesting for the listener, but it is also easier for you to do it this way. Be sure to include an intro and an outro. The intro should be information about who you are and why you are the best person to solve the listener’s problem, and the outro should be a call to action you want your
prospect to take. For example: Call my office, visit my webpage, read this letter, etc. 3. After the interview, have it transcribed and edit both the transcription and recording. Once you receive the transcription back, clean it up by removing any miscellaneous words, and format it so it looks professional. Once that’s done, you can turn it into a PDF. For the recording, you should have it edited and you can post it on your website. Once you create your lead generation magnets (which are now your recording and transcript), you can use them to capture leads. One of the ways you can use the recording is to post it on your website. Make sure to have the prospect give you their name and email address before they have access to the information, and do the same if someone would like to download the information. The purpose for having lead generation magnets is for you to give valuable information to someone who wants it in exchange for their contact information. Once you have their contact information, you can follow up with them and turn a lead into a client!
–Michael Rozbruch
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Sharon A. Lewis, EA Mastermind Member Spotlight
Sharon Lewis took on her first IRS problem case years before she ever even considered tax resolution as a profession. Her first client was her mother. “She was a stay-at-home mom, and when my dad died, she didn’t know anything about taxes.” Sharon shared that her mom paid someone to do her taxes, but they did them wrong. Sharon recalls, “I was in my mom’s kitchen and opened the cupboard where she kept the
procedure. “So, the other day, I actually sat down and did the steps. I told my client, ‘I’m just not sure we’re the right firm for you, but let’s go through some questions and see if this is actually going to work.’ And when I gave the guy the price, he was like, ‘Yeah, I could do that.’ I just sat there thinking, ‘Why have I been so resistant to doing things Michael’s way?’ I had been selling myself short.”
measuring cups and mixing bowls, and out poured all this mail, including notices from the IRS. My mom said, ‘I owe this money, I can’t pay it, and they’ve frozen my bank account.’” Sharon researched the options and helped her mom get into “currently not collectible” status until the statute of limitations ran out. Not bad for someone who was just getting started on a degree in accounting! After Sharon received her
Sharon has also used the Audit Protection add- on to good advantage, bringing in an additional $6,000–$8,000 in revenue. “Last year, we were not very consistent,” she admits, “but we’re going to be more consistent this year.” And when she attended the last Roz Strategies Success Summit this past August, she signed up for Michael’s mastermind group, saying she wasn’t going to let another year pass her by watching other people from the mastermind get up on stage and say what they accomplished
bachelor’s in accounting, she went the “regular tax route,” but every once in a while, her tax prep clients would come in with unfiled returns and tax problems. And just like she did for her mother, Sharon would research options. “I had no clue what I was doing,” Sharon says, adding she was never afraid to figure it out. Soon after, she studied to take the enrolled agent’s exam. “More cases came in, and I was stumbling my way through tax resolution like a blind person in a maze. When I ran into Michael’s materials, I was excited!” She bought Michael’s Tax Resolution Domination System & Toolkit at his initial launch, and she’s never looked back. “Here was somebody with an idea of what’s going on in tax resolution. I didn’t have to figure it all out for myself anymore.”
by being in the group. Sharon says she’s looking for some accountability. “I’m going to go find the successful people, and I’m going to walk in their steps.” Sharon has this advice for colleagues: “Don’t be afraid to do what Michael tells you to do. Just suck it up, go through this year, and do what Michael tells you to do. You have to go through it. You can’t go around it. You have to go through it to get results.” Sharon and her husband of 30 years have a 13-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter. The busy household also includes two rescue dogs, a chiweenie (Chihuahua/ dachshund mix) and a poodle. Sharon says she would like to read, if she had time! Instead, her hobbies seem to consist of being the baseball/softball mom and going to her kids’ games.
But knowing and doing are two different things. Sharon admits she has been slow to follow Michael’s intake
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SAVE THE DATE FOR 2020
Thursday, Aug. 27— Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020
DATES:
WHERE: To Be Determined
Join over 200 of your peers, plus incredible guest speakers and industry vendors, and receive 2 1/2 days of hardcore implementation and demonstration on how to get more tax resolution prospects to retain you. By the time you leave the conference on Saturday, you’ll have an actionable marketing plan that fits your individual circumstances so you can start reaping results Monday morning!
MORE INFO TO FOLLOW … SUPERCHARGE YOUR PROFITS!
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S H O U T
The 2020 Audit Protection Network plaques have been mailed out! Roslyn updated the look and design of the plaque for 2020. Be sure to display your plaque on your desk or in your reception area. It’s also a great referral tool! Having it on display is a great way for your clients to ask about your Audit Protection Plan and be excited to have you offer it! If you would like extra plaques at our cost, plus shipping, contact Becky in our office at Becky@RozStrategies.com
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O U T S !
Congratulations to Robert Forte for letting us know that you received a couple of high-dollar referrals from your recent letter mailing to a list of PTIN names, including a case that will generate about $6,500! And even better, for the great response you received from some of the people on the list where one person said you “were an answer to her prayers,” and another that said they were looking for a tax resolution professional for “years”! May you continue receiving referrals from these professionals and others. Kudos to Jeff Johnson for creating a personalized card to send to your list! Not only does it look like you personally wrote the card, it also looks great! Wishing you great success with your mailing. Congratulations to the following for mailing out your referral letters, brochure,s and follow-up letters: Anne P. Francis, Ramon Ortega, Thorpe L. Petersen, and Guy Finocchiaro . Do you have a story or picture to share with us on something you’ve implemented, a client you’ve helped with a tax problem, or anything else you’d like to share? If you do, email it to us at info@ RozStrategies.com, or mail us, and we will give a Shout Out to you!
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11271 Ventura Blvd. #612 Studio City, CA 91604 Inside This Issue pg 1 ∙ Look Who’s Talking pg 2 ∙ Food for Thought pg 3 ∙ pg 4 ∙ Member Spotlight pg 5 ∙
From the Practice Corner
Tax Resolution Success Summit 2020
Shout Outs!
pg 7 ∙ pg 8 ∙
IRS Terror Tale of the Month
In 1990, Tate Claude George became known for making a miraculous last-second shot during an NCAA basketball game, claiming victory for the University of Connecticut. Unfortunately for George, it seems like his status peaked in college. Today, the former NBA player is best known for missing shots, especially when it comes to finances, investing, and taxes. After a brief career with the NBA, George went on to found The George Group, a real estate development firm in New Jersey. George was able to attract business thanks to his reputation as a basketball player and, according to the Department of Justice, proceeded to steal $2 million from his investors. In September of 2013, George was accused of fraud and operating a Ponzi IRS Terror Tale of the Month Ex-NBA Player Misses His Shot
distribution of $208,111 from the NBA. Because George didn’t file his taxes, the IRS took it upon themselves to file the return for him. The IRS determined that George had an unpaid tax balance of $28,696 and owed almost $9,000 in additional fees. After seeing the IRS’s calculations, George appealed. He claimed that due to his incarceration, he was unable to collect the documentation that would have shown he was entitled to itemized deductions that would have been more than the $6,100 standard deduction the IRS gave him. However, the tax court records noted that George did not state what those deductions might have been. Judge James Halpern wasn’t persuaded by George’s claims and ruled against the ex-NBA player in fall of 2019. Halpern wrote that “the mere fact that [George] was incarcerated when his return was due is not reasonable cause for his failure to file timely.” Being in the big house doesn’t excuse citizens of their responsibility to file their tax returns, and failing to file your taxes essentially waives your right to itemize deductions. The NBA has not confirmed whether or not George is still receiving pension, as player pension information is confidential. But if he is, we hope George remembers to file his taxes on time this year.
scheme. He surrendered to authorities and was ultimately sentenced to nine years in prison. The story doesn’t end there, because while incarcerated, George failed to file a 2013 tax return. In 2013, George received a pension
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