nawbo california winter 2011 newsletter

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF WOMEN BUSINESS OWNERS � CALIFORNIA � WINTER 2011

Throughout my years as a sales coach, one of the questions that my clientssometimes ask is, “Why didn’t I get the sale?” I say, “sometimes” becauseno one really wants to talk about lost sales. We don’t even like to admit

that we didn’t get the sale. But I want to tell you that sometimes not getting thesale isn’t a bad thing. And, there are things you can do to reduce the amount ofsales you don’t get. The reality is you aren’t going to get every sale. Nor wouldyou want to. It is important to remember, though, that selling begins in yourmind. When I wrote Selling with Intention, my primary goal was to teach salesprofessionals and entrepreneurs that they had a lot more control over selling then

WHY DIDN’T I GET THE SALE?HERE ARE FOUR REASONS WHYby ursula mentjes, m.a., acc

TODAY'S POLITICS, TOMORROW'S ECONOMIC IMPACT ON BUSINESS! 10th Annual NAWBO-California Public Policy Summit

March 7th & 8th Sheraton Grand Hotel, Sacramento

With the continuing emphasis in the news on higher taxes and workcomp rates, healthcare transformation and possible cost increases,it's more important than ever to become better educated on the

issues that impact business here in California and engage with yourelected officials. Join fellow women business-owners in our statecapital for a Public Policy training and educational Summit.

IN THIS ISSUE

(continued on page 9)


Owners of California Business. Power. Influence.™

Why Didn’t I Get The Sale? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

NAWBO-CA Public Policy Summit . . . . .1

President’s Message . . . . .2

Members In The News . . .3

Stellar Solutions CEOInducted To EngineeringHall of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Invent Your FutureEnterprises . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

SBA AnnouncesContracting Program . . . .4

Meet The California Chapter Presidents . . . . . .4

California FTB Taxpayers’Rights Advocate . . . . . . . . .5

Q&AWith Kathy Dawson . .6

NAWBO CaliforniaCorporate Partners . . . . . .7

NAWBO-CA ChapterSpotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Meet The CaliforniaExecutive Board . . . . . . . . .8

Futurallia Conference . . .10

NAWBO-CaliforniaNational Association ofWomen Business Owners

714-832-5012www.nawbo-ca.org

“If you aren’t involved in public policy, thenyou are letting politicians run your business.”

Cecelia McCloy, President, Integrated Science Solutions and NAWBO CA Public Policy Co-Chair

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NAWBO means business. Get involved.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGECarla Cobb Davis, President, NAWBO-California

BizBox Technology LLC, www.bizboxtechnology.com

The year 2011 has rung in with more promise than2010. We remain cautiously optimistic and itappears that a number of companies are hiring

again, which is a good sign that the economy is slightlyimproving. We’re getting close to achieving the following NAWBO

California targeted goals for 2011: • Provide more NAWBO CA chapter member visibility

opportunities:a) New website—launching this month, to include

three new directories:1) CA chapter member business directory2) CA chapter member directory of certified

women-owned businesses3) CA chapter member international business

directoryb) Publish e-newsletter that includes (among other

features):1) CA chapter member awards2) CA chapter book launchings—accomplished3) CA chapter members “In the News”

• Provide an even stronger and more vibrant 2011 PublicPolicy Summit on March 7 and 8 in Sacramento:a) Two-day summit to combine board training and

public policy trainingb) More involvement of the general NAWBO CA

chapter membership c) Networking with members throughout NAWBO

CA • Provide leadership and board educational opportuni-

ties to our chapter leaders and their members: a) Access to leadership webinars by “Invent Your

Future Enterprises” for NAWBO CA chaptermembers—test run accomplished

b) First board training for chapter leaders, led byRachel Owens, Orange County chapter andNAWBO CA Vice President of Education—scheduled for the Public Policy Summit

The NAWBO California Executive Committee is posi-tioning itself for the next five years to brand, expand andexecute these goals. We have a line of excellent prospectiveleaders who believe in our mission and are willing to lendtheir expertise for the continuance of our strategic plan.I have five months remaining in my term as President

and have a lot to accomplish before leaving office in July.Almost all of the above goals are becoming a reality soon,all due to the excellent work of our Executive Committeeand Tammie Fletcher, our NAWBO CA administrator. APresident is only as good as the board she leads, and Ihave nothing but praise and high fives for this board ofdedicated leaders who will continue to lead NAWBO CAin the future. Regretfully, Tammie Fletcher, will be leaving us in March

to accept another position that provides her with an out-standing opportunity for business growth. Tammie hasbeen with NAWBO CA for approximately eight years andwe’ll miss the history that only she can provide for us. Wewish the best for Tammie and also congratulate her on hernew business venture. I leave you with the wise words of Pearl Buck (with a little

personalization from me): “All things are possible until theyare proved impossible—and even the impossible may onlybe so, as of now, but we NAWBO women make it possiblebecause we find a way to make the impossible happen!” For 2011, I wish you all a year of prosperity and good

health and may the Gods shower us with wisdom, love,life, lots of money, and few HR problems. •

NAWBO CA Business Leaders:

“For what is done or learned by one class of women becomes, by virtue of their common womanhood, the property of all women.”

Elizabeth Blackwell

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Stellar Solutions CEOInducted Into SiliconValley Engineering Hall of Fame

Celeste Volz Ford, CEO and Founder of StellarSolutions, Inc., and NAWBO Silicon Valley mem-ber was selected for induction into the Silicon

Valley Engineering Hall of Fame. The distinction isbestowed on engineers and technical leaders in SiliconValley who have demonstrated outstanding professionalachievement and have made significant contributions tothe field. Ms. Ford joins the high-caliber ranks of previousinductees, including Dr. Douglas Engelbart, inventor of thecomputer mouse; Dr. John L. Hennessy, President of StanfordUniversity; Dr. Robert N. Noyce and Dr. Gordon E. Moore,co-founders of Intel; and Dr. William R. Hewlett and Dr.David Packard, co-founders of Hewlett-Packard. TheSilicon Valley Engineering Council is an umbrella organiza-tion of over 40 member and affiliate professional societiesrepresenting 60,000 engineers, scientists and technologistsin the high-tech Silicon Valley region. Inductees are select-ed on the basis of their professional achievement, service tothe profession and contributions to the community.Since founding Stellar Solutions in 1995 as a small

woman-owned business, Ms. Ford has led the firm to itscurrent position as a recognized leader in providing highimpact engineering services to critical government andcommercial aerospace-related programs, both national andinternational. Ms. Ford oversees the stellar constellation ofcompanies, which includes Stellar Solutions, Inc. (engi-neering services), Stellar Solutions Aerospace Ltd. (UK-based affiliate), QuakeFinder (humanitarian R&D divisionof Stellar Solutions) and the Stellar Solutions Foundation.Ms. Ford is a widely respected personality in the industryand has won multiple awards throughout her career. Sheserves on the board of numerous organizations and active-ly works in community and charity outreach.Stellar Solutions is a global provider of system engineer-

ing expertise that distinguishes itself by satisfying cus-tomers’ critical needs on diverse defense and intelligencerelated projects, international and commercial satelliteprograms, and NASA’s science missions. Stellar has officesin all the major space development and operational hubs:California, Colorado and the Washington, DC area, andalso in London through an affiliate, Stellar SolutionsAerospace Ltd., a global aerospace engineering servicescompany. For additional information about Ms. Ford andStellar Solutions, visit www.stellarsolutions.com. •

NAWBO-SV Member Joanne Taylor And Provista Software International Featured In Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal

NAWBO Silicon Valley member and Provista CEO

Joanne Taylor was profiled in a recent issue of the

Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Her company,

Provista Software International Inc., has developed

software called PR*VIDE that is used by public safety

agencies and government offices to monitor and track

equipment, supplies and evidence. She has now has

plans to go international, following up on interest from

the United Kingdom and Israel.

You can read the article in it’s entirety at: http://www.

bizjournals.com/sanjose/print-edition/2010/12/17/pro-

vista-helps-government-manage-assets.html

NAWBO-LA Member Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire LaunchesTrufflepig Search, Capitalizes onRecruiting Social Media Execs

Hiring strategic communications

professionals who know how to uti-

lize social media for business is one

of the greatest challenges faced by

companies today. A new search firm

called Trufflepig Search has been

launched by NAWBO-LA member

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire’s parent company

Berkhemer Clayton Executive Search, to help client

corporations find business-savvy public relations and

marketing professionals in the U.S. and Asia.

Focused on recruiting “business-savvy” social media

communicators who can drive corporate reputation

and brand strategy, Trufflepig Search serves client cor-

porations and marketing/PR agencies that want strate-

gic social media engagement with their target audi-

ences, customers, employees and stakeholders.

For more information, visit: www.trufflepigsearch.com.

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS www.nawbo-ca.org

meet the californiachapterpresidents

Christina S. Loza, Esq.

Loza & Loza, LLP

Patent, Trademark, and

Internet Law Firm

Business Owner for 5 years

Madelyn Alfano

Maria's Italian Kitchen

Privately-Owned Italian

Restaurant Chain


Kathy Dawson

Dawson & Dawson

National Search &

Staffing

Boutique National

Search & Staffing Firm


Paula Lee

National Analytical

Laboratories, Inc.

Environmental

Consulting & Testing

for Hazardous Materials


INLAND EMPIRE LOS ANGELES ORANGE COUNTY SACRAMENTO

MEMBER BENEFIT FOR ALL NAWBO CA CHAPTERS

Invent Your Future Enterprises Is New Affiliate Partner to NAWBO CA

4

We are pleased to announce a NAWBO CA

Member discount for all programs in Invent Your

Future Enterprises’ 2011 Webinar Series!

These high-quality educational programs are designed for

entrepreneurs and business women and feature top-level speak-

ers. Sessions are timely, conducive to learning, inspirational and

will help provide small business owners with the skills needed to

build their businesses. The webinars offer a high-value educa-

tional program at a very low cost. We invite NAWBO CA mem-

bers to plan a lunch-and-learn session for their employees.

Tailored for women in all functional areas: marketing,

finance, consulting, engineering, sales, technology, customer

support and more.

Dynamic learning environment: arrange follow-up sessions

with your team to discuss key takeaways and strategize on

applying the tips and techniques to drive business results.

The webinars focus on building critical skills in areas such

as leadership development, communication and negotiation.

The next topic planned for the 2011 year’s series:

• Work + Life: Finding the Fit That’s Right for You

Wednesday, March 16, 2011, noon PST

Creating and maintaining work/life balance while advancing

your career (from multiple viewpoints: single mother, those

dealing with eldercare issues, sole breadwinner in family, etc.)

To register, visit www.inventyourfuture.com and click on

the Association Partner button where you can register for

the 60 minute sessions for a reduced NAWBO rate of ($20).

Please identify yourself as a NAWBO member from the pull

down menu. If you miss the live event you may purchase a

recording after the event.

If you need a direct link to the reg page please use

http://regdesk.com/IYF/indexNP.htm •

SBA Announces Contracting Program For Women-Owned Small Businesses First Contracts Expected to be Awarded through WOSB

Program By Critical Fourth Quarter of Fiscal Year 2011

Women-owned small businesses can begin tak-ing steps to participate in a new federal con-tracting program on Friday, Feb. 4, the U.S.

Small Business Administration has announced. The newWomen-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal ContractProgram will be fully implemented over the next several

months, with the first contracts expected to be awarded bythe fourth quarter of fiscal year 2011.

The WOSB Federal Contract Program will providegreater access to federal contracting opportunities forWOSBs and economically-disadvantaged women-ownedsmall businesses (EDWOSBs). The Program allows con-tracting officers, for the first time, to set aside specific con-tracts for certified WOSBs and EDWOSBs and will help


California FTB Taxpayers’Rights Advocate

The Franchise Tax Board held its annual Taxpayers’ Bill of

Rights hearing on December 2, 2010. This meeting is a great

venue to address important tax policy recommendations to

the three-member Franchise Tax Board and the FTB’s

Taxpayers’ Rights Advocate and staff. Suggestions can also

be submitted at any time of the year to the FTB’s Taxpayers’

Rights Advocate, Steve Sims. He can be reached at

916.845.7565.

One of the proposals presented by Gina Rodriguez, EA, of

Spidell Publishing, was to review the feasibility of allowing

business entities to file their Statement of Information (cur-

rently filed with the Secretary of State) with the FTB at the

time the annual informational return is filed. This would

reduce the rate by which business entities, including non-

profits, are suspended due to its failure to file the biennial

State of Information with the Secretary of State. When the

Secretary of State notifies the FTB of an organization’s fail-

ure to file, the FTB will assess a $50 failure-to-file penalty. It

is $250 for for-profit business entities.

When the nonprofit fails to pay the $50 penalty imposed

by the FTB, the FTB suspends the nonprofit. To revive, the

nonprofit must file a current statement of information with

the Secretary of State and must pay the $50 penalty and

file a revivor request form with the FTB.•

www.nawbo-ca.orgPUBLIC POLICY SUMMIT

Christine McDannell

Social Starfish

Social Media

Marketing Firm


Barbara Mark, Ph.D.

Full Circle Institute

Leadership

Development and

Executive Coaching


Maeda Palius

Palius + O'Kelley

Certified Public

Accountants


Deborah Shea

Hellbent Marketing

Marketing, Website

Design, Packaging, and

Branding Firm


Colleen King

Colleen King Insurance

Personal Shopper

for Insurance


SAN DIEGO SAN FRANCISCO SANTA BARBARA SILICON VALLEY VENTURA COUNTY

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(continued from page 1)

Summit topics include:

� Meet and hear Senator Curren Price, andAssemblymember Steve Bradford talk about small business benefits and contractingwith State of California, still the mecca forentrepreneurship.

� How will the new Health Care Legislationaffect business owners' physical and financialhealth?

� Is Workers Comp going up? Does small busi-ness have any other option then State Fund?

� State budget crisis: How can we help?

� Is increased tax laws in California a new reality?

� Public policy training: How to impact legislation.

And Much More! To Register or Gather More Information, visit:

www.nawbo-ca.org

Q&A With Kathy Dawson

NAWBO Orange County President

President

Dawson & Dawson, Inc.

Headquarters: Mission Viejo, CA

Offices: Irvine, Newport Beach, Orange

Business: Boutique Placement Firm—Direct Hire &

Temporary Staffing

Certified Woman Owned Business—WBENC

[email protected]

ON BUSINESS: What are the reasons you started your business, Dawsonand Dawson?

After having been in the search and staffing industry for24 years I saw a hole in the national presence. I opened tofill the void of a lack of superior service that only a bou-tique firm can fill. Our ability to be fluid in how we runour business, as well as take on every search from entrylevel to executive level, allows us to be a one stop shop forour clients. What is the biggest challenge in leading your company?

Finding the time and high quality staff to do everythingthat needs to be done as an entrepreneur. In my past life Ihad 120 employees that helped me get things done.What and who are your sources of support in a businesscrisis?

My mentors are industry experts and fellow NAWBOleaders.What is the smartest move you made to grow your business?

Hiring THE best talent and giving them autonomy todo what they need to do to get a quality job done.Where do you want your business to be in five years?

I will continue to grow nationally with multiple satelliteoffices. Do you think CA businesses will have better opportuni-ties for higher revenues in 2011 than 2010?

Definitely. I am seeing more hiring taking place whichis a great economic indicator. My client survey says that80 percent of the companies that we work with will behiring in 2011.What is your favorite business book?

Good to Great by Jim Collins. It speaks about how someare good and some are great. Hiring the right people and

putting them on the right seat on the bus is the key to thegreat company’s success. This is a must read for any busi-ness owner. What do you think it takes to be a successful business-woman?

Passion, integrity, commitment, goal oriented, hardwork-ing, resourceful, driven to succeed and results oriented.From what you have learned during your years of busi-ness; what is the best business advice you could sharewith your NAWBO colleagues?

There are 3 things that make a business successful.1.) You must have a good product or service; 2.) You musthave the funding to take your product/service to marketand last but not least; 3.) You must hire the right people tohelp you “make it happen.” Make sure you have all threeareas in line prior to risking your reputation in opening abusiness venture.

What is one good business reason that you feel you havegained from being a NAWBO member?

My NAWBO sisters have helped me keep my prioritiesstrait. I have enjoyed NAWBO because of the successfulbusiness women I have met. They have years of owningtheir own business and passionately running them suc-cessfully. I admire and respect those that have graciouslyoffered to be a role model for me.

ON LEADERSHIP: How do you define leadership?

Being a true leader is to be able to motivate others to betheir best and allowing them to see what they can be ifthey are willing to make the necessary commitments tosee results beyond their expectations.What is your leadership style?

Authentic, open, strategic and results oriented.What are the traits of a great leader?

A real leader is someone who is authentic to them-selves, realistic about their goals and passionate.Can those traits be taught?

Yes, with the exception of passion. You need to be able

6

KNOW YOUR CALIFORNIACHAPTER PRESIDENTS

“A real leader is someone who is authentic to themselves,realistic about their goals and passionate.”

7

NAWBO CALIFORNIACHAPTER SPOTLIGHT

to be passionate about life in general and then your pas-sion will follow in business.What was your biggest leadership learning experience todate?

It would have to be patience and assume the best ineveryone. Even when things are in the heat of themoment, you must understand that life is not perfect. How do you show up as a leader?

As a leader you need to be passionate, an expert and avisionary for your group with information to support thegroup. Do women leaders show up differently than men leaders?

Yes. Men tend to be all about the statistics/informationverses women who have statistics/passion/feelings to exe-cute their vision.What do you think you bring to your company thatmakes people want to be a part of it and stay with it?

The mutual respect and a sincere desire to see themsucceed. What leader inspires you to this day?

Oprah, Maria Shriver & Elizabeth Edwards.As the President of NAWBO Orange County, what hasbeen your favorite experience?

Hosting our signature event, Remarkable Women 2010.It was so rewarding to see these 3 women be recognizedfor their truly amazing contributions. •

NAWBO Ventura CountyApproximately 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles

Business demographics of the chapter area: Diverse—

some larger businesses, many smaller companies in the

10–100 employee range, a fair amount of agriculture in the

west part of the county.

Mission: NAWBO Ventura County is committed to educa-

tion and encouragement for the growth of women busi-

ness owners and creating an awareness of our presence

through a single voice in our community.

Two Goals to achieve this year: Grow membership and grow

membership (we’re down from our high of a few years back).

Member dynamics: Very mixed. Predominantly small and

solo businesses.

Name and date of annual event: The Bravo Awards, a din-

ner meeting this year, May 19th.

One “Best Practice” that has worked for the chapter:

PowerPoint display that runs via computer prior to meetings

which features information about the chapter and our mem-

bers.

Members that serve on the Board of Directors: Colleen

King, president; Sandy Allan, immediate past president;

Karen Smith, secretary; Jerri Hemsworth, treasurer; Elaine

Hollifield, program director; Carmina McGee, membership

director; Christa Nonnemaker, publicity director; Maura

Raffensperger, corporate partner director; Debbie Gregory,

public policy director.

Best lesson and experience learned from leading this

NAWBO Chapter: You can only do what you can do—no

one is superhuman. A good board and support is crucial.

I’ve learned personally a bit more about the benefit of del-

egation; you can survive it!

In the best of all worlds, how would you like NAWBO

Ventura County to be seen in the eyes of the business

world? A resource for business owners, the place to be if

you’re a woman business owner. A place for support of

your peers. •

Thank you to the NAWBO-California Corporate Partners

8

NAWBO CA President

Carla Cobb Davis

BizBox Technology LLC

www.bizboxtechnology.com

Business Training/Promotion

Through Technology


NAWBO CA President-Elect

May Pon

M. Butterfield-Brown &

Associates, Ltd.

www.bbatax.com

Tax Preparation & Planning


NAWBO CA

Immediate Past President

Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire

Berkhemer Clayton, Inc.

www.berkhemerclayton.com

Retained Executive Search


meet the californiaexecutiveboard

VP of Technology

Sandy Allan

Technology & Operational

Solutions

www.tops-us.com

Call Center, Product

Fulfillment/Administration


VP of Education

Rachel Owens

Succession Strategies

www.succession-strategies.com

Business Training and

Promotion Through

Technology

Business Owner for over 16 years

NAWBO CA Newsletter

Jerri Hemsworth

Newman Grace Inc.

www.newmangrace.com

Marketing and Brand

Specialists


State Administrator

Tammie Fletcher

Associate Management &

Event Solutions

Non-Profit Organization

Management


Secretary/PR

Adrienne Moch

Adrienne Moch

Writing & Editing

www.adriennemoch.com

Business Writer and Editor


Treasurer

Jennifer Dizon

Hood & Strong LLP

www.hoodstrong.com

Full-Service Regional Public

Accounting Firm


VP of Public Policy

Mary Griffin

Griffin & Associates

www.mjgriffin.com

Legislative & Governmental

Advocacy

Business Owner for over 30 years

VP of Corp. & Econ Dev

Ursula C. Mentjes

Sales Coach Now

www.salescoachnow.com

Sales Training and Coaching

for Entrepreneurs


NAWBO California is a Consortium of Nine NAWBO Chapters Located in California

Inland Empire

Los Angeles

Orange County

Sacramento

San Diego

San Francisco

Santa Barbara

Silicon Valley

Ventura County

NAWBO means business. Get involved.

they thought. And that was the key—more than theythought. Selling begins in your mind, and when you “getthat” at a deep level, selling can become effortless.Think back to the last time you didn’t get a sale. How

did the interaction begin? How did it end? My guess isthat it was one of the reasons I am going to share with youbelow. After each reason, I am going to share a key strate-gy with you that you can implement next time to makesure you get it (as long as you want it)!

YOU DIDN’T ASK. Let’s face it. Sometimes you can have a phenomenal conver-sation with your prospect, and it feels like everything isgoing perfectly until the end of your time together. You canfeel the time creeping up on you, the hour is almost over,but you haven’t asked for the sale yet. Fear creeps up, stran-gling your vocal cords, and before you ask for the sale youfind yourself scurrying out to your car, trying to get yourkey into the ignition as quickly as possible. Looking backyou know you could have had the sale, but you didn’t ask.Strategy: Next time you are wrapping up a great appoint-ment with a prospect, save time at the end to take a breathand then simply offer at two to three solutions for them tochoose from. You will probably be surprised to find out thatby simply offering choices, you WILL get more sales. Or, letthem know that you will be writing a proposal, then set thenext appointment when you will be delivering it. Alwayshave the next step set before you leave.

YOU DIDN’T SET YOUR INTENTION.Not setting your intention is a lot like not asking for thesale. If you aren’t expecting the sale, you probably aren’tgoing to get it. Strategy: I always encourage my clients toset their intention ahead of time and actually visualize thesales process from start to finish. Being intentional aboutselling is like “assuming the sale”—or expecting that youare going to get it. Notice how you feel when you “expect”something to happen versus just “thinking” or “hoping”you are getting it. I recommend that you expect the saleonly when you are working with your Target Clients.Otherwise you will feel like you are just forcing the situa-tion rather than letting it unfold. Set your intention andexpect to get the sale.

YOU DIDN’T REALLY WANT IT.Deep down, at a gut level, you KNOW when a prospectwho is sitting in front of you isn’t a target prospect. A targetprospect is a prospect that fits your ideal client profile andneeds and or wants (or both) what you are selling. One of

the main reasons you set an appointment with a prospect isfor you to get to know them and for them to get to knowyou. During the process of assessing their wants and needs,you will figure out whether or not you really CAN solvetheir problem or help them with your products or services.Strategy: Maybe the last time you didn’t get the sale wasbecause you didn’t really want it. You recognized that forwhatever reason, this prospect wasn’t a good fit. And that’sokay. In fact, it’s better than okay because you did what wasin the best interest of the prospect. When you can’t help aclient, refer them to someone who can.

YOU DIDN’T BUILD RAPPORT.People buy from sales professionals they LIKE, KNOW andTRUST. It takes a different amount of time to build rapportdepending on personality types. Laura Bruno, owner ofSouthern California’s Referral Institute, teaches a great classcalled Room Full of Referrals. This class teaches you thedifferent personality types and how to sell to each one.One of the reasons you might not have gotten the sale isbecause you didn’t take the time to build rapport with yourprospect. You can tell whether or not you have built rap-port because they will either seem completely disconnectedfrom what you are talking about, or they will be engaged.Strategy: Taking time to build rapport can often be the dif-ference between gaining a new client, or shaking your headand walking away wondering what just happened. Askquestions, have open body language, make eye contact andget to know your client and their challenges so you candetermine whether or not you can help them.

Action Item: Think back to the last time you didn’t get thesale. Which reason above most accurately describes it? Whatcould you do differently next time? Can you think of a clientthat you think might have said yes if you had asked for thesale? Make a commitment to yourself to call that client andset another appointment. And then ask for the sale.Not getting the sale often makes room for the next “big

client” that is trying to get to you. The next time you don’tget a client, and you know it was because they weren’t afit, just be grateful. I can almost guarantee you that thenext one is right around the corner! •Ursula Mentjes, M.S., ACC is the founder of Sales CoachNow and the author of Selling with Intention and OneGreat Goal. She currently serves as the NAWBO-CA VicePresident of Corporate Partners and Economic Development,is Past President NAWBO-Inland Empire and Past Presidentof NAWBO-U (Inland Empire). You can visit her web-site atwww.salescoachnow.com.

9

WHY DIDN’T I GET THE SALE?(continued from page 1)

federal agencies achieve the existing statutory goal of fivepercent of federal contracting dollars being awarded toWOSBs.On Feb. 4, SBA will release instructions on how to par-

ticipate in the program, as well as launch the secure,online data repository for WOSBs to upload required doc-uments, on its website: www.sba.gov/wosb. SBA will alsorelease an application to become an SBA-approved thirdparty certifier for this program on that date. During theramp-up period over the next several months, SBA isencouraging small business owners to review program

requirements and ensure their required documents areuploaded to the repository. WOSBs also will need toupdate their status in the Central Contractor Registration(CCR) and the Online Representation and CertificationApplication (ORCA) to indicate to contracting officersthat they are eligible to participate. The General ServicesAdministration is currently updating these systems andthey are expected to be completed in April 2011.For more information on the Women-Owned Small

Business Program or to access the instructions, applica-tions or database, please visit www.sba.gov/wosb. •

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NAWBO means business. Get involved.SBA CONTRACTING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES (continued from page 4)

SAVE THE DATE!

FUTURALLIA 2011May 18-20 in Kansas City, USA

The International Business Matchmaking Futurallia Conference

partners with NAWBO for their

first U.S. appearance

of the largest gathering of global-minded entrepreneurs in the world.

Futurallia will be connecting small- and mid-sized businesses from 30 represented countries worldwide.

NAWBO Chairman of the Board, Kelly Scanlon, skillfully negotiated partnership through her KansasCity contacts. This demonstrates the business power of NAWBO women.

Join NAWBO-CA leaders at Futurallia!For additional details,

please contact local Futurallia delegate and NAWBO-CA President, Carla Cobb Davis,

at [email protected] or [email protected]

or [email protected] or [email protected]

or call 1-408-899-5965

nawbo california winter 2011 newsletter

Documents

nawboca chapterspotlight7meet

nawboca public policy

owners of california

california chapter presidents

impact business

fellow women businessowners

public policy training

thenwhy didnt