Get Referrals From Attorneys

Attorneys often need business valuations on behalf of clients who have died, are doing estate planning, or perhaps are getting divorced. While they have the names of a few appraisers in their Rolodexes, in our experience many (possibly most) attorneys are angry with whomever did their last appraisal. Their appraiser took too long, or did a poor job, or charged too much. Attorneys almost always want more choices for future jobs.

Advisors can get some excellent referrals by letting attorneys in your area know you are an authorized distributor for SPARDATA. Hot buttons for attorneys include the $6,000 purchase price (which compares very favorably to prices charged by other appraisers), the quick turnaround of as little as three weeks, SPARDATA's experience (having valued 27,000 businesses) and probably most important, our credibility (especially the fact that the IRS itself uses SPARDATA, since even though the client writes the check, ultimately it is an IRS examiner who must sign off on the valuation).

An industry buzzword is Family Limited Partnerships or FLPs. FLPs have become extremely popular estate planning devices. In addition to our skills valuing regular operating businesses, SPARDATA is also an expert appraiser of FLPs and values hundreds each year. That experience, plus the fact that the IRS is a SPARDATA customer, is very attractive to attorneys.

Your objective is to encourage the attorney to give you a call the next time one of his or her clients needs a valuation.

To implement this marketing idea we suggest you use the above link to the FindLaw website to make a list of all the attorneys in your community. Attorneys practicing in the trust and estate, estate planning and divorce areas often need valuations; they are particularly good prospects. Using the letter or phone script posted nearby, introduce yourself as an authorized distributor for SPARDATA and try to set up a three-way teleconference including the attorney, you and a SPARDATA sales representative. Then watch the referrals start rolling in!

This is a true win-win. The business owner gets a superb valuation, delivered promptly and for a reasonable price. The attorney addresses the client's need. You the advisor enjoy a productive source of referrals (the attorney) and an affluent new client (the business owner).