Fleming Financial Solutions Inc.

Tag: Marketing

  • Year End Marketing! Time to Get It in Gear!

    Year End Marketing! Time to Get It In Gear!

    Get Your Marketing In Gear for the Last Third of the Year. You see, who’s gonna buy if you don’t tell them what and why.  So work to get your customers in line cause its your time to shine!

    Here are 18 Opportunities to Market Your Business Between Now and the New Year!

    • September Birthdays
    • Labor Day
    • Back to School
    • End of Summer
    • Beginning of Fall
    • October Birthdays
    • Columbus Day (Discover Your ?)
    • Halloween (Have a Scary Good  ?)
    • November Birthdays
    • Veteran’s Day
    • Thanksgiving
    • Black Friday (Day after Thanksgiving Sales)
    • December Birthdays
    • End of Fall
    • Beginning of Winter
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s
    • Holiday Season (Thanksgiving through New Year Year’s)

    What's HotIf you need help developing marketing ideas or products around some these ideas, give me a call at 240-356-5050.   If I can’t personally help you, then I have several product specialists, website designers and printing specialists who can.

    Here’s to your financial health!

  • 4 I’s and Can’t C!

    Hello, this is James Fleming, Fleming Financial Solutions with a message that hopefully doesn’t bring back painful memories for anybody…else!)

    As I was growing up and going to elementary school and junior high, there were not a lot of kids who wore eyeglasses. At least that’s the way it seemed to me because I felt I was the only one or one of few being picked on.

    In school, being different in any way brought on unwanted or undeserved attention. There were attempts to take my eyeglasses; there were requests to try the glasses on, there was name calling (and some fighting).

    Probably the worse though was a phrase that stuck with me a long time…4 eyes and can’t see! That one really bothered me for some reason. It meant that even with my own eyes and a pair of glasses, I still couldn’t see. Boy that bothered me!

    Well, fast forward a few years and as a business owner and marketer, that phrase – 4 eyes and can’t C – has taken on a new meaning.

    The four (4) i’s are –

    Invisible – incapable of being seen.

    Intangible – not touchable or touching

    Immaterial – of no substantial consequence: unimportant

    Inconsequential – lacking weight, position, or influence

    If your business is suffering from these 4 I’s then you definitely can’t C – can’t get a customer or client.

    Let’s see if we can make this clearer.

    • Invisible – are you not being seen? Are you present in your community, industry or market? When was the last time you attended a networking meeting or community event. If you haven’t recently, then its quite possible you are invisible.
    • Intangible – who have you touched or been touched by lately. Are you reaching out and making contacts with both current and potential clients; with potential joint venture and business partners. If you haven’t recently, then its quite possible you are intangible.
    • Immaterial – are you a positive influence or any influence in the market place? Are you important – a thought leader. Do people seek you out for your opinion? If not, then its quite possible you’ve become immaterial.
    • Inconsequential – are you helping clients and prospects? are you educating the market and provding solutions? Are you being a positive force for change in people’s lives. If not, then its quite possible you’ve become inconsequential.

    If you’ve found yourself in this situation, then you definitely can’t C. You can’t get a customer or client. You’re not earning any money for your family, your employees or your business. If you are going to survive in business, you’ve got to turn this around – NOW!

    So get out there in the market place and be visible – go meet some people; be tangible – go touch some people where they live; be material – let it be known that you have an opinion or voice that’s worth listening to and lastly, be consequential – make a difference in people’s lives, be a problem solver. Do all this and you’ll not only get customers and clients, you’ll get another C – that’s Confidence!

    This is James Fleming, Fleming Financial Solutions. If I can be of service to you, please feel free to give me a call at 240-356-5050 or email me at james@flemingfinancialsolutions.com.

    I look forward to hearing from you.

  • Why Sales People Fail!

    Why Do Sales People Fail?

    I was once asked this question while during a training on “How to condition your mind to Master Sales” ‘……. Why sales people fail”? I was able to answer this question in a few little words  – “Lack of Persistence”.

    A good definition of persistence is found on dictionary.com

    1) Persistence is refusing to give up or let go,
    2) To hold firm and steady to a purpose, state or understanding.

    To be persistent is the core ingredient to success; the lack of persistence is the only ingredient needed to fail.

    We as adults are challenged daily to hold firm on our direction to never give up. In the midst of difficulty, it is easier for us to find excuses to fail rather then the determination to succeed.

    As children we do not recognize Lack of Persistence. In trials of difficulties,  we find reasons to push forward, to not let go, to never accept No!

    I often ask sales people to convert their thinking back to when they were a child. Can you think of 3 examples of when as a child you demonstrated the will to persist?

    1)_____________________, 2)______________________, 3)______________________

    I can remember my 3 examples….

    1) When I first learn how to ride a bike,
    2) When I learned how to walk
    3) Getting what I wanted for Christmas.

    Each one of these examples is a statement of refusing to  give up or to let go. We do not recognize as children words like, Impossible, Improvable, not able, or I can not do it. Why is this? The answer is simple. To persist, to succeed is a natural part of who we are and how we are built from the grace of God. We are contaminated with failure as we grow into adulthood which brings on excuses for lack of persistence in our daily lives.

    To succeed as a sales person, all we need is to condition our minds to convert back to who we were as children. Unchain yourself from the word “No”, don’t be afraid to stumble and fall, just brush yourself off and start over again.

    Last but not least when you find that your day was not as productive as it could have been, remember the 5 Ps in sales “Proper Planning Prevent Poor Performance”.

    So stay on your course, never give up and hold firm on your Goal. And with that I want you to “Persist until you succeed”

    By Micheal McGee Director of Sales, Training and Development For Mountain Climbers Sales and Consulting Firm www.mcsalesconsulting.com

    Author of the book “The Re-Birth of the Blackman….Re-Building a Generation”.

  • An Accountant Doing A Marketing Workshop? Why?

    Several people have asked me, “Why is an accountant presenting a marketing workshop?”.   I thought about it, said to myself, “self, that’s a good question” and decided to give an answer.   So here we go…..

    I’ve seen too many small businesses fail.

    Many times failing not for accounting or tax issues but for lack of marketing efforts or sales training.

    Many times relying way too much on “word of mouth”.  Failure then happens when people either stop talking about you or begin to say “not so good” things about you.  In other words, you can’t rely on just one method of marketing.

    Most of my accounting career has been working for or with small businesses. The majority of my current clients are small business owners.  I’ve worked with every level from the Owner to the janitor and I’ve seen how many of them prosper or fail.

    Having a great vision, product or service is fine but it fails if there is no marketing or sales skills to move your vision, product or service from your hands to the marketplace.

    Here are several reasons I’ve seen for business failure –

    • Trying to be everything to everybody as opposed to finding a target market.
    • No real system for tracking your outstanding sales opportunities.
    • No consistent marketing effort.
    • Always looking for new clients to the exclusion of offering more to existing clients.
    • Owner must do everything as opposed to delegating to employees, partners or interns
    • An accounting system does not exist (“I must be okay…I’ve got a little money in the bank.”
    • Lack of capital or other financial resources
    • Lack of a follow up system

    Being a small business owner myself, I personally know and understand the effort it takes to keep a business running.   I’m always looking for a way to be more efficient, effective and profitable.

    Over the last 19 years, I’ve studied more maketing and sales books (Zig Ziglar, Jay Abraham, Dan Kennedy, Chet Holmes, Loral Langemeier, etc.)  than my wife cares to think about and taken several sales courses as well.  (The Sandler Sales System is highly recommended.)  For any small business owner, business development officer, sales or marketing manager (they may all be you), I believe this type of study is a must or you will be left behind.

    The Visions into Action Marketing Workshop is my way of giving back to my clients and potential clients.  For selfish reasons, I want to see you succeed (if you make a lot of money, you’re going to need me even more).

    Furthermore, if the US Economy is to be changed for the better, its going to be on the backs of small business owners.   Small business owners drive innovations, sales, capital and employment and I want to help that effort.

    So there you have it.  This is why an accountant is presenting a marketing workshop.   If you haven’t registered yet, CLICK HERE, and do so as soon as possible.  We only have room for 30 people and we are filling up quickly.  (Also you need time to do the homework I’m going to send you – remember this is a workshop!)

    I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, July 7, 2012.

    Feel free to comment and share.

    If you’d like to contact me regarding this or other tax planning or business ideas, please give me a call at  240-356-5050 .

    To Your Financial Health.

     

  • You Need RICE to Build Your Business or Ministry!

    From Wikipedia:

    Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa (Asian rice) or Oryza glaberrima (African rice). As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world’s human population, especially in Asia and the West Indies. It is the grain with the second-highest worldwide production, after maize (corn), according to data for 2010.[1]

    Since a large portion of maize crops are grown for purposes other than human consumption, rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species.[2]

    There are many varieties of rice and culinary preferences tend to vary regionally. For example in India, there is a saying that “grains of rice should be like two brothers, close but not stuck together”[citation needed], while in the Far East there is a preference for softer, stickier varieties. Because of its importance as a staple food, rice has considerable cultural importance. For example, rice is first mentioned in the Yajur Veda and then is frequently referred to in Sanskrit texts.[citation needed] Rice is often directly associated with prosperity and fertility, therefore there is the custom of throwing rice at weddings.[3]

    Okay, you ask, what does this have to do with my business or ministry?  Fair question.  The key phrase is the excerpt is “associated with prosperity and fertility.”

    All businesses and ministries want to be prosperous and fertile.  In order to fulfill your vision and mission, you must have both finances and resources and these will only come through how well you interact with your marketplace.

    Assuming you have a  product or service that is needed and wanted by your marketplace, here is how RICE can help you:

    R is for Relationships – you must plant, cultivate, maintain and harvest as many influential relationships as possible.  Everything you want or desire will come through relationships with other people.  You must reach out, travel out into your marketplace to build these relationships.   You may first have to go to them before they will come to you.

    I is for Information – you must get the information out.  Don’t hide your light under a basket.   You may be the very best at what you do but if no one knows, no one benefits. Don’t be afraid to tell people what you do and how you can help.  Always have a card and a brief “elevator pitch” ready.   You never know when someone will need what you offer.

    C is for Communications – you must communicate your message over and over again.  You can’t tell your marketplace just once and expect them to remember you.   McDonald’s is recognized all over the world and yet they still are the “egg mcmuffin” of marketing.  Tell your story and how you can help again and again in different ways and means and in different places.

    E is for Education – you must educate your market on why your service or product is different or better and how they will benefit from its use.    We all learn differently.  You must educate through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell in order to reach as many people as possible to tell your story.   Education is an ongoing process and you must become a great teacher.

    So to keep your own “rice bowl” full, give RICE to your marketplace and they and you will both be  prosperous and fertile.

    Hopefully, you find this helpful and useful.  Feel free to comment and share.

    If you’d like to contact me regarding this or other tax planning or business ideas, please give me a call at 240-356-5050.

    To Your Financial Health.

  • Funding Your Non-Profit

    What is the major overriding issue facing all non-profits?  Fundraising!  How do you raise the needed funds to meet the stated objectives of your organization?

    A few months ago, I attended an event sponsored by The Center for Non-Profit Advancement.

    One of the several excellent presentations was “Diversifying Your Funding Sources”. The main argument was that non-profits depend upon only 1 or 2 sources for the majority of their income and that other sources should be identified or created.

    Below is a list of potential sources that were discussed:

    • Individuals – Have you identified key individuals who can support the organization annually?
    • Local Businesses – What businesses benefit or could benefit from the services that your organization provides?
    • Government (Federal, State, County, City) – Have you built a relationship with key officials and let them know how you can help their constituents?
    • Foundation Support – Have you identified Foundations that provide grants to organizations like yours?
    • Memberships – Have you or can you offer a monthly or annual membership to create on-going revenue for your organization?
    • Products/Publishing – Can your organization create and offer books, tapes, CD’s, DVD’s, workshops or courses to raise funds?
    • Licensing Fees – Does your organization have or can it create a product or service that can be licensed to other organization in exchange for a recurring fee.
    • Fees for Service – Does your organization have or can it create a seminar or workshop that can be sold to other organizations?
    • Special Events – Does your organization have a Calendar of Special Events to invite the community to and to raise funds with?
    • Grant Writer Services – Do you have a access to a Grant Writer or a grant writer on staff who can research and write grant responses?
    • Partnerships – Are there partnerships that you can develop with other non-profits to respond to larger grants that may be available?

    Hopefully this information helps you and your organization develop new funding sources.

    If I can help you with any of these ideas, give me a call at 240-356-5050.  I’d love to talk with you.

  • Business As Golf – Part 5: Take the Shot!

    We’ve been talking about the golf concept of the Pre-Shot Routine. The Pre-Shot Routine is a 4-step process that good golfers follow at each hole. The 4 Steps are:

    1. Analyze Your Shot.
    2. Visualize Your Shot.
    3. Get into Alignment.
    4. Take the Shot.

    The 4th and final Step, Take the Shot, is for the money. It’s all up to you now. Only you can ruin the shot (See Video above.)

    Follow these 3 simple steps about the golf swing and improve instantly.

    Backswing – The backswing should be equally focused on the body rotation and club and arm extension. The backswing is a fluid and one-piece motion with a straight front elbow, although this can be hard to do in the beginning. The back elbow should be bent at around 90 degrees if possible. If you do all these things then your backswing will be smooth and consistent.

    (In business, as Dan Kennedy teaches, are you approaching the right market?)

    Downswing – A lot of golfers make the mistake to think the downswing begins with the arms. It should actually start with your legs. You should move your knees, then thighs and hips forward to transfer your weight from back to front. By doing this, you will increase the distance you hit the ball. Remember, this movement is supposed to be smooth and fast, just like a snake when it uncoils.

    (Again, from Dan Kennedy, are you sending the right message?)

    Impact and follow-through – Now this is the action part, which is the impact with the ball. Your club shaft has to form a straight line with the left, which is the forward arm. Your weight needs to be on your forward heel to the outside and on the inside of the back foot. Your hands and wrist should turn so that the grip of the club points at the target where you want to hit the ball. Then the wrists should rotate over and elbows bend, with the head of the club behind you. This will give you the distance and control you desire in your golf swing.

    (Finally, as Dan teaches, are you using the right medium – email, direct mail, post cards, flyers- to get your message out?)

    The ball is now in flight. If you’ve done everything right, you’ve got your game (and business) on track. Sometimes, however, even when you’ve done everything right, the weather (market) may not be the best at the moment. However, keep doing the right things – the right Pre-Shot routine and you’ll soon succeed.

    Guess what your next step will be after you’ve taken the shot. Yes, that’s right. Use the Pre-Shot Routine to plan your next shot. The game is never over.

    (Thanks to Staffan Morritz for his article – 3 Steps to Swing a Golf Club like a Pro.)

    Looking to improve your golf game? – check out the following links Swing Man Golf and Breakthrough Putting Secrets Revealed.

    Looking to improve your business? – Give me a call. Let’s talk about your Tax Planning and Business Planning.

  • Business as Golf – Part 4: Get into Alignment

    In June, I introduced the golf concept of the Pre-Shot Routine. The Pre-Shot Routine is a 4-step process that good golfers follow at each hole. The 4 Steps are:

    1. Analyze Your Shot.
    2. Visualize Your Shot.
    3. Get into Alignment.
    4. Take the Shot.

    The 3rd Step, Get into Alignment sets you up to get the maximum return on your swing. Getting into alignment sets the final stage before the swing.

    Getting into Alignment has 4 steps –

    Set a sight line – Set a short range goal or sight line from the ball to your target. Look for a short range goal that lines up directly with your long range goal. This helps put you on course for your goal. (If I call 10 prospects, I should get at least 3 appointments….)

    Tee Up the Ball – How high or low do you set your tee and the golf ball in order to hit it properly? This could be the total number of prospects your targeting for a mailing.

    Choose the Right Club – Which club will you use to send the ball on its way? Are you using the right medium – direct mail, email, newspaper, radio, etc. to “drive” your message home?

    Align Your Body and the Ball – Are all the pieces in place? You’ve analyzed and visualized the shot. You’ve got your sight line and picked the right club. Are you now ready to make the committment? Body and mind are in order to make that final swing!

    To improve your game (business or golf), you’ve got to know what you want to accomplish and why. Once you’ve analyzed your shot, you must see it clearly and get your final preparations done. Now you’re ready to take the shot.

    Looking to improve your golf game? – check out the following links Swing Man Golf and Master Your Putt!

  • Business as Golf – Part 3: Visualize Your Shot

    Last blog, I introduced the golf concept of the Pre-Shot Routine. The Pre-Shot Routine is a 4-step process that good golfers follow at each hole. The 4 Steps are:

    1. Analyze Your Shot.
    2. Visualize Your Shot.
    3. Get into Alignment.
    4. Take the Shot.

    The 2nd Step, Visualize Your Shot is critical to your success and is also the least used in the goal setting process. Most people underestimate the value and power of visualization.

    Visualization crystallizes the goal. You are able to see and feel the reaching of your goal.

    Visualization has 3 steps –

    See Where you want the shot to go – Many times a great golfer makes an unbelievable shot. When asked about the shot and the pressure, they say they’ve made that shot a 1000 times in their mind, so making it in a game was just a matter of repeating what they had visualized.

    Be Specific – the more specific you are the better you will be in visualizing your goal. See the color, the texture, the smell related to your goal. The story goes that golfer Ben Hogan was trying to visualize his next shot. His caddy, who knew the golf course well, suggested “shoot for the trees”. Hogan replies, “Which tree?”

    Be Positive – the mind will give you what you focus on positively or negatively. Focus only on positive results. Author and speaker Brian Tracy, in his book “Focal Point”, says “Once you have a clear vision, put an X on the specific image of yourself that you most like……Hold that image in your mind until you become that person in reality.”

    To improve your game (business or golf), you’ve got to know what you want to accomplish and why. Once you’ve analyzed your shot, you must see it clearly and then begin to ask how you can make it realty.

    Looking to improve your golf game? – check out the following links Swing Man Golf and Master Your Putt!

  • Business as Golf – Part 2: Your Pre-Shot Routine!

    As a business owner, I’m always looking for unique ways to present business ideas and concepts.

    Recently, Phil Hawes, the owner of East Coast Golf in Bethesda, Maryland and the host of the radio program, Better Golf, shared a great golf concept with me that I want to share with you.

    Mr Hawes stated that the more successful golfers have a ritual or routine before every shot. He called it the “Pre-Shot Routine”.

    The Pre-Shot Routine consists for 4 steps –

      1. Analyze Your Shot
      2. Visualize Your Shot
      3. Get into Alignment
      4. Take the Shot

    In business terms, this routine would be your goal setting process for your business or a business project.

    The 1st Step – Analyze Your Shot could be called “Begin with End in Mind” (See Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People).

    What are you trying to accomplish?

    Where does your next shot have to go?

    Where are you now?

    How far do you have to go?

    Is the shot left, right, uphill or downhill?

    To improve your game (business or golf), you’ve got to know what you want to accomplish and why. Once you’ve analyzed your shot you, you must then commit to move forward. Goals focus you, guide you and keep you on track.

    As the saying goes, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will take you”.

    Looking to improve your golf game – check out the following links Swing Man Golf and Master Your Putt!