By: Regina Bonolo, Marketing Success Coach.  718.465.0865.  Regina@AspireHigher.biz.  AspireHigher.biz

From millionaires to neophytes, they all admit that the most effective way to get new clients is through the power of referrals.

How often do you pass up the opportunity to request one from a devoted client, colleague, friend or family member?

The best types of referrals are ones where you get personally introduced from your mutual acquaintance. In our hypervelocity society, the challenge is to have someone make a phone call on your behalf letting them know you will be connecting.  Today, an email virtual introduction is more common and it can still produce the result you want.

Over the last few months, I have been introduced to several professionals with virtual introductions where both of us were copied with our contact info. I reached out by email to set up a phone appointment. Every time I did, 100% success ratio. Request this simple method when you are looking to be referred. This email validation provides you with instant credibility. Now, when you do reach out, they will be more receptive since they expect you to communicate.

Referrals are best cultivated from your rich database, or is it your goldmine? Better yet, they are diamonds in your backyard. We often overlook what is right in front of us. We get so distracted with so much incoming information. What we need to focus on is reaching out to those trusted relationships.

In order to get quality referrals, get ready to describe your ideal contacts in great detail.  Create a profile of who you really want to work with.

1.    What is their title, role or position?
2.    Do they belong to a specific vertical market, industry or niche business sector?
3.    Do you have a wish list of people or companies you want to work with?
4.    Maybe your ideal referral is a progressive joint venture, partner or alliance.

For example, one ideal referral for Aspire Higher is the Owner of an eco-friendly company with at least 10 employees. They need to supercharge their marketing for business growth, get their staff trained to be superstar sales executives and deliver stellar customer service to their clients.

Do you know anyone that fits my criteria? If you do, email me or post on this blog. Also share your ideal client profiles so I can refer you more easily and make virtual introductions. My database is waiting to be accessed to make connections and build bridges.

There really are few “small decisions” we get to make. Yes, chocolate or vanilla may seem to fall into the “small” category, but hmmm, chocolate brownie or an apple? Look at the scale after a few months and tell me how many “small decisions” do you see?

You might be able to skip brushing your teeth one night before bed – but I bet your dentist will love you if you make that same decision over and over again! Call a client now or later? Join a networking group or not?  Write the thank-you note, or not? Ask for a referral, or not? What’s your bottom line looking like? I’ve noticed that my numbers are up when my car mileage is up.

To smile or not to smile is even a decision. Try, for one day, to give a smile first, a real one, to everyone you meet. You don’t have to look like a loon, but at a red light, as you make eye contact – smile.  Notice the impact of your decision.

Choosing to join an MLM (direct sales) business, now that’s a decision! It can be big or small; your goals will help you decide. I can choose to show my manicurist Arbonne’s amazing hand cream – or not.  I can ask for what I want… well you know the rest.  I have built a thriving and growing Arbonne business.  It’s a direct sales business but really, my “secret” to making it a success is that I treat it as a business.  So many times I’ve heard “I tried it, but it didn’t work for me”.  That’s because they’ve got it Backwards; you work for it! It’s a decision you have to make every day, over and over again.

We all face similar challenges - kids, cranky husbands, floods, tears, flu, in-laws, birthdays, renovations, holidays, dogs, car accidents…  I’m blessed that I have my sight and all my limbs.  I choose to be inspired by what challenges I DON’T have – and work around and/or through the ones I do have.

How hard am I going to work TODAY?  Decide!

Sandra Sena, Executive Regional Vice President at Arbonne International, 718-224-2873, ssena@verizon.net, www.reality.myarbonne.com

We continue to gather to discuss our challenges and best practices.  Here are some of them:

Challenges:
1.    Balancing family and business; when kids are sick.  Staying on track.
2.    Getting people to pay on time?  Getting the client to cooperate with projects?
3.    Understanding the “referral” concept
4.    To keep name flow, constantly have people to call for my practice (financial advisor).
5.    What product would be of value to business owners?

Best Practices:
1.    Educating people on how money works.
2.    Mailing letters when payment past due, produces results.
3.    Picking up the phone, use e-mail to schedule phone appointments.

Continue the discussion by posting your responses to the challenges and best practices in the comments section.  Join us again on September 30th.

There will be no roundtable discussion in July or August.  But we will have other events.

July 14th is the Mompreneur Playdate, networking with your kids, no need to look for a sitter.  Topic is: Schedule management, making time for everything you need.  Bring your questions and concerns and get them solved.

August 18th, you might be on vacation or away, but wherever you may be, join us for a webinar.  Leading the webinar is Sarah Leah Gootnick, efficiency expert, will tell you about all the latest tools to help you be more productive and efficient.

So I decided to reschedule the event and notified all those that registered.  Then, after 3pm on the day of the event, which was scheduled for 6:30pm, I started getting calls  Then, I heard that there were people who simply showed up to the event.

I got upset.  I began to shake and cry, as I realized that I scheduled an event, send out notices, people showed up, (without registering), and all this time, I was home thinking, “I can’t believe my event didn’t work out.”

I made a decision on past experiences.  A year ago I would do events and people wouldn’t show up.  But this year when I do events, there is interest.  I’ve actually grown, I’ve learned to market what I do and get people’s interest.  Somehow, I didn’t see that.  When people pointed out my accomplishments, I wouldn’t believe them, thinking, “they are just saying that.”  I was blind to my success, living in the “last year.”  I canceled the event, when people were making it happen for me, even in the last minute.
Certainly, I can defend myself and say that, I didn’t have enough people registered, people should have registered in advance.  But at this point, no excuse will fix the past.  Just like my five-year-old son told me this morning, “so if you didn’t do it right, think about it and fix it.”

YOUR  BONUS:
To all those that showed up, I’d like to extend you a FREE TICKET.
To all those coming to our event for the FIRST TIME, GET 50% OFF.

This offer is valid for our upcoming event on June 24th Round-table Discussion of Challenges & Best Practices, and July 14th Mompreneur Playdate.  These events have been successfully running for five consecutive months now.

Join us, Wed evening on June 24th at 6pm.  Location: TD Bank in Fresh Meadows.

Join us, Tuesday afternoon on July 14th, at 4:30pm.  Location: My Gym in Fresh Meadows.

I’d also like to share with you the LESSON LEARNED from this experience:
1.    Take time to celebrate success, see it, feel it, enjoy it.  It tells you what you are doing right and what you should keep doing.
2.    Your words have power.  When you tell people to do something, they do it.  I kept telling everyone, “don’t think about, just come, join us.”  They came.  Coca Cola, put up a sign saying, “Have a Coke.”  People had a coke.
3.    Focus on the positive.  I spend too much time thinking about those that are not coming and wondering why, when I should have solely focused on those that are coming and continued to please them.  Thank you to all our loyal participants.  We love you and appreciate you.
4.    Quit doubting yourself.  Believe.  You are a powerful being.  If you put your mind to it, you really can do it.  These words make more sense to me now, than ever before.
5.    Preparing a back up plan is just as important as preparing for the plan.  (this lesson is relevant to event planning).

Thank you for reading!  Special thanks to everyone that listened to me and helped me get through this.
Feel free to share your thoughts!

Finally, I accepted the help of a professional organizer and decluttered.  Oh, it feels so good to get rid of junk, and create space.  And no, I don’t need another desk or more space.  I got plenty.  I am amazed.

Here are the photos to amaze you too.  After my home office was organized, I organized other rooms in the house too.  It’s just lovely.

Some tips that I kept in mind as I organized using the help of Jordana Jaffe, founder of Live Organized.
1.    Ask yourself, what do I do here, (at this particular space)?  Does what I do here reflect that.  What belongs and what doesn’t?
2.    Don’t be afraid to get rid of items that create clutter, or serve no purpose.  Throw it out.  You can also donate it or have a yard sale.
3.    Use boxes and labels to keep things organized.  You won’t remember where everything goes.  Start labeling.  Keeping many loose items together in a box is wonderful.
4.    You don’t need to buy desk organizers, holders and other accessories from Staples or wherever else.  Paper cups and labels will do.  See photos below.

Happy Organizing!!!

First, we discussed the current events and resources available to help you increase your sales and profit.

A.    Making the most of networking events:
1.    Stay focused.  Why did you come?  What are you promoting?  Don’t promote all 10 of your businesses, people get lost and confused.  Based on the audience, pick one product or service to promote and stick to it.
2.    When introducing yourself, work on your pitch, keep it under 30 seconds.  More then that, you will lose people and they will not know how they can help you.
3.    Share your challenges, do not be afraid to speak.  Sharing a challenge does not make you look incompetent.  It makes you look, driven and determined.
4.    Share your best practices, take a minute to brag about your accomplishments, someone here may need that service, you are here to generate business.

B.    Now some additional trends and moneymaking opportunities: (While the news reports that the economy is sill suffering, we still got to stay focused on our goals and examine the current trends).
1.    Services for children are always the last to go.  Crain’s reports that Camps are always needed.
2.    One thing we don’t want to do to is put our business at risk and get in trouble with the law.  Entrepreneur Mag, explains how to “Keep Lawsuits Off Your Back.”
•    Use your company as a shield
•    Update your insurance
•    Disclaim legal liability in your contracts
•    Transfer Assets
•    Get Rid of High Risk Customers.  We talk about this all the time.  Don’t run after everyone.  It’s ok to fire clients.
3.    Lesson Learned from start up entrepreneurs:
•    Conduct more regular financial analysis of the business early on to understand which types of services and clients were most profitable and to make more informed decisions.
•    Reach out to organizations like Count Me In for women’s economic independence a lot sooner.  They help build networks on a national level and given access to mentorship, marketing opportunities and business resources.

That brings me to share two upcoming events with you:
1.    Wed June 3rd, Tap into CUNY, networking event at Baruch College.
2.    June 9th, make sense of the stimulus package for small business owners.  Offered through Chamber of commerce in the morning.  Go to Queenschamber.com for more details.

Challenges Shared:

1.    How do I get help for my administrative work?  A virtual assistant service from, www.secretaryinisrael.com or an intern can help.
2.    How do I create a viral message?  Doing something unconventional, interesting and remarkable, of course!  Coach JoAnn Behal, helps people get unstuck so they could take charge of their lives, asks this question.  Solution offered:  she is going to use a product WD-40 to explain what she does and create a lasting image.  Just like WD-40 cleans and removes adhesives, Coach JoAnne will help people clean and remove whatever that is holding them back and help them move forward.
3.    How do I get clients?  The key to this is to identify your ideal client, and based on that, create a marketing plan, determine your business model, set up pricing and start talking about what you do with passion.  Don’t worry if you have to change it a couple of times.
4.    How do I create brand awareness for my business?  Do a community/charity event.  Identify the cause of the event and get the community involved and excited about it.  Reach out to the local press, they need stories.
5.    I need resources for getting started.  Local colleges offer classes, such as York College.  Also, check out Queens Economic Development Corp and continue to attend our networking events with your questions to help you get answers.

Best Practices Shared:
1.    Rijuta Tooker shared her amazingly inspirational blog on www.braveheartwomen.com.
2.    Lana, Sales Director of MaryKay Cosmetics shared how MaryKay helped her make friends, earn an income and change how women look and feel about themselves.
3.    Monica Santana shared how she finally saw the significance of having life insurance.  Now she is more passionate then ever about offering that to people along with other financial services.
4.    Betty Steinman and JoAnn Behal proudly help people with whatever situations that hold them back and keep them moving forward.
5.    Tracy Lee inspired us with her stories.  Even though she was sometimes late to meetings, she was “on time” to meet the right people.  Believe and it’s out there for you.
6.    Sandra Sena, is amazed at the opportunity Arbonne has given her and what she has been able to give back to others.
7.    Kim Croft is also grateful to the opportunity that Arbonne provides.

Thank you for another fabulous meeting.  We look forward to seeing you again on June 24th.

I am keeping our weekly newsletter, light and short this week. Our Newsletter usually goes out on Monday, however, due to the holiday it did not. Because Women Can Have it All is about celebrating ambitious moms, we wanted to respect the time off and make the most of it with our family.

Did you set specific rules and values for your business? Please share.

Since he has been an entrepreneur for over 10 years and built many successful businesses within the past decade, he must know a few things, right? Would you trust this person’s opinion? I did.

He said that right now is the best time for entrepreneurs. Labor and real estate are cheap today. It is our market. Employees are cheap. Really they are, aren’t they? And you can negotiate space, barter and really work things out in your favor.

So if you have been thinking about starting a business or growing your existing one, go for it. Don’t delay another day. As you proceed, join our networking events! Really, if you are a women entrepreneur in Queens NY or surrounding area, it is worth your time and money.By investing a couple of hours and $25-40 dollars you save yourself hundreds of dollars by sharing your challenges. You also gain hundreds of dollars by sharing your best practices to generate leads.

Just see what this women entrepreneur, who has been trying to get her business to the next level after running it for 2.5 years, had to say: “I enjoyed the networking discussion! Although I know the value and have experienced success from past networking events, I have not been to networking meetings since I opened my business 2.5 years ago. But thanks to Women Can Have It All, I am back in the game. Since the meeting 2 weeks ago, I have made several contacts but the most important one was that of acquiring the resources to implement an intern into my business so I can now achieve taking my business “to the next level”. The day after the networking event, I was already on my way to moving closer to that next level. The forum is so relaxed and the women are so insightful, I hope not to miss another event! Thanks Vera.” Maria L. Borrero, Owner, My Gym Fresh Meadows

Register for our Networking Events.

So if you have been following my blog, you know that when I quit my job, in October 2008, something I carefully planned for three years, I started a business of my own. Although many people didn’t believe me when I said that I quit. They sort of felt bad for me and expressed their pity. Please do not! I am building a business all of my own, doing something that truly matters to me.

In any event, I have made a promise to myself that 2009 will be the year my business, Women Can Have It All, will generate revenue. I made many toasts in the New Year, saying just that.

We are now at almost midyear, and I can proudly, oh the hell with it, I can really f*cking proudly say that I f*cking did it!!! To all the skeptics out there, to everyone who laughed at me and thought that I was unreal and stupid for quitting a comfortable job an all—I did it and continue to grow!

All it takes is dedication, focus, planning, re-strategizing, rethinking and keep moving forward. Most importantly believe in yourself! Even if the public uses their most effective methods to pull you, down. F*ck them and make yourself f*cking happy!!!

The fact is, women are known for having their instincts lead them to the right direction.  Many books I have read on finance and investments, also recommend that women should invest by trusting their instincts and that they will win.

Do you follow your instinct or does excessive reasoning and measurements take over?  If you do follow your instinct, what decision has it helped you make, of which you are proud?