A calculator request is unusual among leads: the client has already done the discovery. They’ve told you their income or balance or profit, what they’re worried about, and that they want help. What happens next decides whether that becomes an engagement. This is a follow-up workflow from calculator lead to engagement letter.
Step 1: Triage in two minutes
Each request arrives with inputs and results. Sort it by three questions:
| Question | Look at | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Calculator topic and figures | Within your services? |
| Size | Income, balance, profit | Likely fee range |
| Urgency | Deadlines (RMD, estimates, 1031) | Reply priority |
Tag the request in your CRM with the calculator and the triage result. Webhooks can do the tagging automatically; see integrations.
Step 2: The first reply, same day
A strong first reply has four parts:
- Their numbers, repeated. “You estimated a 2026 RMD of about $25,100 on a $640,000 IRA.”
- One thing the calculator didn’t cover. “Do you have other IRAs? The total can be taken from any of them.”
- A next step. “A 30-minute call would let us set the source account and withholding.”
- A fee range and two times. Clarity converts.
Keep advice general at this stage. Under Circular 230 §10.37, written advice should rest on the relevant facts, and you don’t have them all yet.
Step 3: Scope before the call
Use the request to draft scope before you talk:
- What the client asked (from the calculator topic and message).
- What else is likely involved (from their numbers).
- What you’ll need from them (documents, statements).
Send the document list ahead. The call then confirms scope instead of discovering it.
Step 4: The fee conversation
Because you’ve scoped from real numbers, you can quote with confidence. Offer a fixed fee where you can; clients who came through a self-service tool tend to like clarity. If the engagement is ongoing, explain what’s included each month or quarter.
Step 5: The engagement letter
Your engagement letter governs the relationship, as always: scope, responsibilities, fees, limitations, and for preparers any consents needed under IRC §7216 to use return information for other services. Reference the client’s question and the services you’ll provide; don’t incorporate the calculator result as a fact.
Step 6: Close the loop
When the work is done, note the outcome against the original request. Over a season this shows which calculators produce engagements, which is how you decide what to feature next year. Our lead value explainer helps you put numbers on it.
A reply template you can adapt
Thanks for sending your [calculator] results. You estimated [result] based on [key inputs]. One thing the calculator doesn’t include is [gap]; we’d want to check that before you act. We can handle this as [service] for [fee range]. Would [time 1] or [time 2] work for a 30-minute call? Please have [documents] handy.
It takes a minute to personalize and turns a warm request into a booked conversation.
