Turning Tax Insights into Year-Round Strategies

Introduction: Don’t Let Tax Season Be the End of the Conversation

For many business owners, tax season is the only time they talk to their accountant or advisor. They walk in with a folder full of documents, get the job done, sign the return, and walk out until next year.

That might be fine for compliance, but if you’re here to build a real advisory practice, tax season should be the beginning of the conversation, not the end.

Tax returns are more than a snapshot of the past. They’re full of indicators, patterns, and insights you can use to help clients make smarter decisions all year long.

So how do you take what you’re already doing and turn it into a full-year revenue-generating advisory model? Let’s dig in.

Step 1: Mine the Tax Return for Strategic Clues

A tax return isn’t just paperwork. It’s a roadmap to what’s working and what’s broken in the business. And most business owners don’t know how to read that map, so that’s where you come in.

Here’s what to look for:

🔍 Profitability Trends

• Compare year-over-year gross profit and net profit.
• Is the client’s profit margin improving or shrinking?
• Are they making more sales but keeping less?

🔍 Expense Behavior

• Look at deduction categories, what’s going up, and is it justified?
• Are expenses aligned with gross profit, or is spending getting out of control?

🔍 Debt & Financing Patterns

• Interest deductions can tell you how much debt the business is carrying.
• Is it high-cost, short-term debt, or structured long-term financing?

🔍 Missed Deductions or Cash Flow Traps

• Are they under-leveraging depreciation or Section 179?
• Are they keeping too much money tied up in inventory or receivables?

📌 Your role: Use the return to connect the dots between what happened and what’s possible and offer strategies to improve outcomes.

Step 2: Use The 7-Minute Conversation to Set the Stage

Now that you’ve found insights in the tax return, how do you bring it up without sounding like you’re upselling?

You use Mike’s 7-Minute Conversation framework.

🎯 Start with these prompts:

• “Now that we’ve filed your return, can I show you three areas that might help you keep more of your money this year?”
• “We noticed some trends in your operating expenses that could be worth exploring. Would you be open to a 30-minute review?”
• “There may be hidden cash in your business that we uncovered in the tax process. Want to take a look?”

💡 Pro Tip from Cash Flow Mike:

“Clients don’t need more data. They need direction. The 7-Minute Conversation gives them clarity and gives you a path to deeper engagement.”

Step 3: Create a Post-Tax Season Strategy Session

This is where the real magic happens. Once the tax return is filed, you’ve got a natural reason to schedule a strategy session. This is your opportunity to turn insights into action.

📌 What to include in a post-tax season review:

• A walkthrough of three financial trends from the return
• A look at cash flow efficiency using tools like the Home Run Financial System
• A short-term action plan to fix one or two immediate financial leaks
• An invitation to join your advisory program or monthly review plan

This doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s just a structured conversation that helps clients win.

Step 4: Build a Year-Round Engagement Plan

Tax season gives you a solid foundation. Now you build on it.

Here’s how to turn that seasonal momentum into a year-round client relationship:

🔄 Quarterly Check-ins

Set recurring meetings to review:

• Cash flow trends
• Expense control
• Pricing & margin adjustments
• Growth planning

📈 Offer Financial Forecasting

Use the data from the return to build realistic projections and show clients how to hit their goals instead of just hoping they get there.

📊 Implement Clear Path to Cash Tools

Introduce Mike’s tools like:

• The Home Run Lineup
• The Fast Money Formula
• The Clear Path to Cash Blueprint

These give you structure, your clients clarity, and your advisory offering real value.

Step 5: Invite Them to the Next Level

Once you’ve built trust and shown them the possibilities, invite them to deepen the relationship.

🎟️ Cash Flow Mike’s All Access Event is where you and your clients can take everything you’ve started and turn it into a full strategic game plan.

This isn’t just theory. It’s real-world cash flow mastery. If your clients want to:

• Pay themselves more
• Make better business decisions
• Build transferable value

👉 This is the next step. And yes—you should be going too.

✅ Learn more or register here.

Conclusion: Tax Season is the Beginning, Not the End

If you’re treating tax season as a one-and-done event, you’re leaving massive value on the table. The return itself is just the starting point for a deeper, more profitable relationship.

Advisors who act on those insights who offer strategy, clarity, and connection are the ones who thrive.

📌 Here’s how to take the next step:

• 📅 Schedule a call to talk about building year-round client strategy:
• 🚀 Register now for the All Access Event