Find and sell it
Where to look, what to listen for, and how to pitch it.
Find it
Five places to look. Click one to see what to listen for.
Client meetings
Clients mention new states, new channels and state letters in passing. Train yourself and your team to catch them in the moment. (Ping does this for you 😉)
SIGNALS "We got a letter from the Department of Revenue." Urgent
"We just hired a rep in Massachusetts." High
"We're opening a warehouse in Texas." High
"We just started selling online." High
"A customer asked why we don't charge sales tax." High
"We're thinking about selling on a marketplace." Worth a check
Your books
The numbers show nexus before the client does. A quick look at revenue by state tells you a lot.
SIGNALS Over $100K shipped into one state High
200+ orders into one state High
Payroll in a new state High
Sales tax payable only for the home state High
Marketplace payouts with no tax line Worth a check
A big jump in out-of-state revenue Worth a check
Year-end planning
You're already talking about next year. Add a few questions about where they sell and where they're growing.
SIGNALS "We're doing about $150K in Florida now." High
"We only file in our home state." High
"Next year we're expanding into three new states." High
"We moved inventory to a fulfillment center." High
"We're not sure if we need to collect." Worth a check
New client intake
The easiest moment to ask. Add one question to onboarding and it never gets missed.
SIGNALS "We sell online, all over the US." High
"Our inventory sits in a warehouse in another state." High
"Our last firm never mentioned sales tax." High
"We have remote employees in five states." High
"We sell software subscriptions." Worth a check
A one-time sweep
Go through your client list once. An afternoon of filtering usually turns up a handful of clients.
SIGNALS Ecommerce or online-first clients High
Product companies with out-of-state customers High
Clients with remote staff or reps in other states High
Software companies selling nationwide Worth a check
Clients never registered outside their home state Worth a check
When you find one
- 1 Follow up within 48 hours Send the trigger follow-up while it is fresh.
- 2 Run a nexus check Connect their sales data and see where they owe.
- 3 Walk them through it A 20-minute call on the results.
- 4 Send the proposal See Proposal and engagement.
How to pitch it
A 2-minute talk track. Use it in the meeting, or right after you hear a signal.
- 1 Name what you heard "You mentioned you just hired a rep in Massachusetts." Tie it to something they said. It shows you were listening, not selling.
- 2 Explain the risk in one breath "Once you pass a certain level of sales in a state, or have people or inventory there, that state expects you to collect and file. Penalties stack up quietly." Plain words. No statute numbers.
- 3 Make it easy to say yes "We can run a quick nexus check and show you exactly where you stand. Takes about a week." Offer a small first step, not the full service.
- 4 Set the next step "I'll send over a short note today. Can we look at results together next Thursday?" Put a date on it before you hang up.
"We've never had a problem." Most businesses don't, until a state notices. The lookback can go years, and it's cheaper to fix early.
"Isn't this what our software does?" Software calculates tax once you're registered. Someone still has to know where to register and file.
"How much will this cost?" The check is a flat fee. If they owe nowhere, that's the end of it.
"We're too small for this." Thresholds are about sales into each state, not company size. Online sellers cross them early.
Subject: A quick sales tax check on your expansion
Hi [Client first name],
You mentioned [trigger] on our last call. That kind of change can create a sales tax obligation in new states, and states expect you to register and file once it happens, whether or not you collected the tax.
We can run a quick check across every state you sell into and show you where you stand. It takes about 20 minutes to connect your sales data.
Would [day] or [day] work for a short call?
[Your name]
1. Which states did you sell into last year, and roughly how much in each?
2. Where are your employees, contractors, inventory and offices?
3. Which platforms do you sell through?
4. Are you registered to collect sales tax outside your home state?
5. Do you sell to businesses that give you resale or exemption certificates?
6. Have you heard from a state tax agency in the last two years?
Subject: We now handle multi-state sales tax
Hi [Client first name],
More of our clients are selling across state lines, and every state has its own sales tax rules. Starting [month], [Firm name] will handle sales tax registration and filing for you.
If you sell into more than one state, reply and we'll check where you stand.
[Your name]
Subject: Introduction: [Client company] and [Partner]
Hi [Client first name],
As we discussed, I'd like to introduce you to [Partner], the sales tax platform we trust for this. They'll look at where you have obligations today and handle registrations and filings from there. I'll stay in the loop.
[Partner contact], meet [Client name] from [Client company].
[Your name]
Playbooks are educational and not tax or legal advice.