Check out our March newsletter!
March 2026
HANSON HEADLINES
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A ST. PATRICK’S GUIDE TO PEACEFUL TAX PREP LUCKY MONEY
The better you plan, the luckier you’ll be.
Since St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, I’d like to share a few words about luck as it relates to taxes. How much good fortune are you anticipating when Tax Day arrives next month? If you’ve already gotten ahead of your taxes and have a positive answer to that question, you’re among the lucky few who have contacted me early to get everything in order. If you still haven’t contacted me by the time this newsletter is in your hands, your luck may be running out soon! Holiday puns aside, prioritizing your taxes well ahead of the deadline is always the best thing you can do for your finances and your peace of mind. The more time we have to work together, the more time we have to get everything organized and identify issues that may affect your return. It’s better to ease into the process than make a mad dash to my office when you only have a few short days left. If you plan accordingly and stay up to speed with your obligations, filing your taxes is one area of life that can consistently provide a sense of relief and calm … but only if you allow yourself, and me, enough time to guarantee that comfort. Of course, there’s more to successful tax planning than getting here before April 14! In reality, Tax Day should really be thought of as Tax Year , as you should be planning over the entire 12 months. This practice is critical if you’ve encountered unanticipated circumstances with your most recent filing and need to address them so they don’t happen again. If your latest round of taxes has (or will soon) hit you with bad news, make addressing it a priority by the end of this year to ensure a smoother ride in 2027.
as possible, especially if you’re a business owner. I’m a tax professional, but there’s only so much I can do to help you if your tax worksheets and other documents aren’t kept in a place you can easily access. For example, can you track down your federal ID number at a moment’s notice if you don’t have it memorized? It’s easier for you to have this information than to call me in a panic because you can’t locate it. And if you need to contact me every year for that number or something else that you should already have … well, March isn’t too late to make another New Year’s resolution. As you can hopefully tell, I’m writing this article with my tongue firmly in my cheek, and I don’t mean to be overly critical of anyone. That said, it’s essential to be mindful of the calendar and not let something as important as your finances take a back seat for too long. I always prefer to help you build a plan for success rather than help you recover from a
disaster. If you’re reading this newsletter and still haven’t scheduled a time to do your taxes with me, please do so now. You still have time to add a little more luck to your bottom line. –Craig Hanson
As you gear up for St. Patrick’s Day, I ask that you help improve my luck this year by keeping your paperwork as organized
HAVE TAX PROBLEMS? UNSURE WHAT TO DO? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com 1 CraigHansonCPA.com Published by Newsletter Pro | NewsletterPro.com
Turn Conversations Into Commitments THE CLOSING PLAYBOOK EVERY HIGH PERFORMER SWEARS BY
In sales, the close isn’t just the last step in a deal. It’s the moment that proves whether you’re a contender or just another voice in the inbox. Pros know closing isn’t luck, charm, or timing. It’s strategy. It’s the ability to steer a conversation toward a confident “yes” without hesitation. If you want to shorten your sales cycle and increase conversions without losing momentum at the finish line, these proven closing methods will become your greatest competitive edge. The Assumptive Close This technique thrives on sheer confidence and keeping the conversation moving forward. You behave as though the decision is already made, which naturally encourages the prospect to match your energy. Weave future-oriented questions into the conversation. Ask about start dates, delivery preferences, onboarding logistics, and anything that subtly affirms the path forward. Done well, it eliminates awkward pauses and keeps your momentum going. The Summary Close Think of this as the highlight reel that reminds buyers of every reason they were excited in the first place. Instead of letting details fade, you gather the most compelling benefits and features into a single, clear, and memorable final summary. This closing technique is powerful with busy decision- makers who need clarity fast. By packaging the value into a tight narrative about how the product saves time, reduces risk, increases revenue, or simplifies operations, you help them mentally visualize the payoff. The clearer the benefit stack, the easier it is to say “yes.” The Something-for-Nothing Close
should be relevant and genuine, signaling that you’re invested in their success. When done correctly, this builds goodwill, trust, and urgency simultaneously. The Ben Franklin Close Some buyers need logic, not pressure. For them, laying out the advantages and drawbacks in a structured, transparent way helps neutralize anxiety and create clarity. This approach works best when the buyer stalls in “analysis mode.” Together, you review every point and discuss real-world impact, ultimately demonstrating that the benefits outweigh the uncertainties. The collaborative nature of the exercise builds trust and reinforces that you’re advising, not selling. The Columbo Close Inspired by the famous TV detective Columbo, this technique gives you a final strategic opening when the buyer isn’t ready to commit. As the conversation wraps and you’re just about to walk away, you pause, turn back, and ask a simple question: “Just one more thing … what would make you say ‘yes’ to my offer?” Often, prospects are caught off guard and share insights they hadn’t previously voiced, such as budget constraints, timing issues, internal politics, confusion, or misalignment. This gives you one last chance to address the issue directly and reopen the path to agreement. The Puppy Dog Close Giving prospects a hands-on opportunity to test, explore, or preview your solution builds familiarity and comfort. Whether it’s a pilot program, product sample, limited trial, or temporary access, this method replaces theory with proof. Once prospects use the
solution and envision it integrated into their daily workflow, the decision to move forward becomes far easier. Whether you lean on urgency, reciprocity, logic, or the simple power of assuming the win, each technique gives you another way to move prospects from interest to action. The more intentionally you practice these approaches, the faster you’ll shorten your sales cycle, strengthen relationships, and close deals with consistency, not coincidence.
Giving something meaningful (early access, added support, or an extra feature) activates a strong psychological trigger. Buyers naturally want to reciprocate when they feel
they’ve been given something of real value. This works exceptionally well with prospects who have shown interest but haven’t crossed that final psychological gap. Your added value
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strategic. Humor lowered defenses. It simplified a complex market. It made a functional product feel like a movement. And behind the apparent looseness was a tightly orchestrated plan: a refined script, a comedy-trained founder on camera, and a director who knew how to turn chaotic fun into sharp messaging. The final product looked scrappy on purpose, but underneath was world-class storytelling discipline. The Power Move Every Business Can Learn From At its core, this story is a masterclass in using narrative as a competitive advantage. Dubin didn’t have deep pockets,
“Do you like spending $20 a month on brand-name razors? $19 goes to Roger Federer … and do you really think your razor needs a vibrating handle, a flashlight, a back scratcher, and 10 blades?” He didn’t rely on polished Hollywood gloss. He leaned into authenticity with quirky moments, blunt one-liners, and a confident tone that called out the absurdity of 10-blade gizmos and gimmicks. The Viral Shockwave No One Saw Coming Once the video hit the internet, the reaction was immediate and explosive. Viewers didn’t just laugh, they clicked “buy.” Within hours, the website buckled under demand. Thousands of subscriptions poured in while Dubin and a handful of friends literally stuffed boxes themselves to keep up. By positioning the company as the sharp-tongued underdog, he resonated with everyday buyers tired of big- brand theatrics. The result was millions of loyal members, a $1 billion sale to Unilever, and one of the most iconic direct- to-consumer success stories ever written. Why Humor Became the Greatest Sales Weapon Plenty of videos go viral. Very few turn into billion-dollar exits. This one did because it did more than entertain; it persuaded. The punchlines weren’t random. They were
global distribution, or a massive agency behind him. What he did have was clarity: clarity about the frustration customers felt, clarity about how to position himself as a relatable alternative, and clarity about how to make people feel something. Dollar Shave Club didn’t win because it talked about razors. It won because it talked like a real person. In a marketplace crowded with sameness, that was the sharpest edge of all.
HAVE A Laugh DRESSES FROM THE SKY Parachutes Turned Into Wedding Gowns
Most wedding dresses come from boutiques or closets. In the 1940s, some came from the sky. During and after World War II, many brides were married in gowns made from parachutes. Fabric was rationed, and parachutes offered yards of strong, clean material. For some couples, though, the appeal was the story behind the chute. Major Claude Hensinger parachuted from a burning bomber. When he proposed to his girlfriend, Ruth, he suggested
she use that same parachute for her gown. Carolyn Martin made her own parachute dress from the one her fiancé, Chuck, used to survive a training flight crash. Another parachute dress came from a displaced persons camp in Germany, where Holocaust survivors Ludwig Friedman and Lilly Lax married in 1946. It’s preserved at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
Parachute nylon was never meant to be heirloom fabric, but in a time of shortages and uncertainty, that’s what it became.
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
905 James Ave. NE • Jamestown, ND 58401 (701) 252-6190 • CraigHansonCPA.com Inside This EDITION
Have tax problems? Unsure what to do? Our Free video reveals what you should and should NOT do when you receive the dreaded letter from the IRS. CraigHansonCPATaxResolution.com
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Plan Early, Prosper Later
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Close Deals Faster With Proven Sales Psychology 3. Brides Who Wore Parachutes 4. Dollar Shave Club’s Humor Hit Harder Than Any Ad Budget
When Real Talk Outperforms Big-Brand Advertising
How Dollar Shave Club Turned $4,500 Into a Billion-Dollar Buzzstorm
Every now and then, a business wins not because it outspends the competition, but because it outsmarts them. That’s precisely what happened when a marketing-savvy creative named Michael Dubin spotted an opening in one of the most stagnant consumer categories on the planet. This is the story of how Dubin founded the Dollar Shave Club with a few thousand dollars and then sold it for $1 billion. When a Chance Conversation Becomes a Business Avalanche
From that moment forward, the wheels started turning. Why not offer something cleaner, simpler, and more convenient than anything sold in stores? Better yet, why not build a personality-driven brand that actually sounds human? A Brand Born From Wit, Nerve, and a Shoestring Budget Dubin wasn’t just a marketer. He’d spent years sharpening his comedic instincts, performing improv, and writing sketches. And he understood one thing better than most founders: Humor cuts through noise faster than any price point ever will. So, he put that knowledge to work. With just $4,500 and help from a friend back from his improv days, Lucia Aniello (who just so happened to be a director), he shot a low-budget, high-impact video that took aim at the entire grooming industry. It was sharp, irreverent, and totally unlike anything traditional razor companies would dare attempt.
What started as small talk at a party quickly turned into the spark for a massive disruption. A friend, Mark Levine, mentioned he was sitting on a warehouse full of cheap twin razors: 250,000 of them. Instead of shrugging, Dubin saw an opportunity. He chatted more with Mark, and both concluded there was a glaring flaw in the men’s personal-care market: People were paying premium prices for overhyped features and annoying retail experiences.
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