NJAWBO Welcomes Our New State Executive Board for … · Member News ... NJAWBO Welcomes Our New...

E M P O W E R • E N G A G E • E N E R G I Z E

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THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IN NEW JERSEY Issue 3 - 11

Feel The Teal ...............................................................................3

New Members .............................................................................4

Certification and Supplier Diversity ............................................5

Member News .............................................................................5

NJAWBO Welcomes Our New Executive Board 2011-12 .......6

Building a Communication Plan for a CRM Implementation ....9

Utilizing All Resources for a Multi-Channel Marketing Approach . 10

Keep Your Website Up-To-Date Hassle Free ..........................13

NJAWBO Partners ....................................................................14

NJAWBO State and Chapter Contacts....................................15

WHAT’S INSIDE

NJAWBO Welcomes Our New State Executive Board for 2011-2012

Left, Annette St. John/Central Region President, Lesley Weiner/Northern Region President, Jennifer Nevins/VP of Corporate Rela-tions, Judi Frank/VP of Finance, Tammy Smith/VP of Public Policy, Mary Adelman/President-Elect, Willa Edgerton-Chisler/Immediate Past President, and Holly Jerome/President.Photo taken by Diane J. Lizza, Maplecroft Studio, 908 362-9546


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cont

ent NJAWBO is the oldest statewide women business owners

organization in the United States. Its primary objective is to support and encourage business ownership by women. Since 1978, NJAWBO has helped women achieve their business visions by providing them with the tools to develop and grow their enterprises.

Networking, partnering, leadership, education and politi-cal advocacy are the hallmarks of the NJAWBO experience. As of today, NJAWBO is aiming for a thousand members, organized in fourteen chapters and three regional groupings, with members serving as officers at the chapter, regional and state levels. Together, we are a diverse, dynamic and powerful group of women business owners.

With the slowly increasing opportunities for women, ups and downs of the economy, fast-paced changes in technology and unique challenges women business owners face today, our mis-sion to encourage women’s economic independence through business ownership is more important than ever before.

Designated Emails for the Bottom LineThere are many ways to connect with the Bottom Line and

be heard. Whether you want to express a view to the editor, get more information on something you read, or submit an article for print, we want to hear from you. Be sure to check the editorial calendar for submission deadlines. Send your submission as follows:Letters to the Editor: [email protected] Submission: [email protected] Advertise: [email protected] News: [email protected] Column: [email protected]™ Column: [email protected]’ve Got Questions? NJAWBO has Answers: [email protected]

The Bottom Line is the official publication of the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners, Inc. (NJAWBO). It is published four times a year and has a readership of more than 1,500.

NJAWBOWindsor Business Park, Bldg. 4B186 Princeton Hightstown RoadWest Windsor, NJ 08550609-799-5101 / Fax: 609-799-5141e-mail: [email protected]: www.NJAWBO.org

MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING MANAGERLinda AbedrabboCreativEnergy134 Greenwood Road Morganville, NJ 07751732-591-2954 / Fax: 732-591-0969e-mail: [email protected]

ASSOCIATE EDITORSusan Amdur-Coburn Mountain View Office Services, LLC2 Kiel Avenue, Unit #275 Kinnelon, NJ 07405973-838-4006 / Fax: 973-838-4006e-mail: [email protected]

PROOFREADERMelissa NorcrossAMBLER Growth Strategy Consultants, Inc.3432 Reading AvenueHammonton, NJ 08037609-567-9669 / Fax: 609-567-3810e-mail: [email protected]

NJAWBO would like to thank Paula Gould,

Recently retired NJAWBO Executive Director and

Ellen Silverman, Associate Editor,

for their contributionstowards the production of the

NJAWBO Bottom Line publication.

NJAWBO NEEDS YOU

Calling all public relations profession-als, copywriters and editors. NJAWBO needs your help on our marketing com-mittees! This is a great opportunity to support NJAWBO events and the growth of women businesses, while increasing visibility for your own business.

Please contact Linda Abedrabbo at [email protected] with your interest.


3feel th

e tea

lPresidential Reflections

Holly Jerome, NJAWBO State President 2011 -2012

Continued on page 13

I am honored and excited to be taking on the role of NJAWBO State President this year. My intention is to follow in the footsteps of our recent presidents who have introduced some key fundamentals for the organization. We will be building on these fundamentals, starting with Feel the Teal. The recent Feel the Teal contest helped to illustrate the value that NJAWBO has brought to its members – and will continue to deliver, not only this year, but long into the future.

Additionally, we will continue to deliver on our goal to ENGAGE, EMPOWER and ENLIGHTEN our mem-bers and their businesses. To gain insight on what that means to you and what you are looking for NJAWBO to provide, we recently sent a survey to our members. The results were concentrated in four areas.

• Connections• Visibility• Education• BusinessDevelopmentAt the recent NJAWBO annual meeting, we held breakout sessions to better understand what the

members expected in these areas. This input will be the roadmap for the Leadership Team and me to identify what we need to do and how to deliver on these expectations.

Although the fundamentals will remain consistent, this will also be a year of CHANGE. I realize that this makes many people uncomfortable. Nevertheless, change is necessary for growth. Last year, in listening to you, our members, we took a serious look at where NJAWBO is currently and where we need to be to meet the challenges of the next 34 years. We listened when the members said we needed an outside pair of eyes to give us direction, and have hired VMC to help us identify the areas of opportunity and provide concrete suggestions on what other organizations are doing and what we need to do to solidify NJAWBO’s future. A transition team has also been put in place to move the suggestions to reality.

Another change we are facing is that our Executive Director for the last eight years, Paula Gould, decided to retire. We will miss her but wish her all the best – and hope to see her at meetings in the future. With the help of VMC and the transition team, we are currently seeking her replacement and aim to have the new Executive Director on board by the end of September. Another pressing initiative that we are working through with VMC’s help is to identify and develop a website that we can ALL use – thus reducing the costs that the Chapters have to bear and allowing greater visibility of NJAWBO as a whole for all of our members. This is but a taste of things to come!


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New Members

*NJAWBO member/members that encouraged membership.

Atlantic-Cape May Marlee Hartline Marlee Contractors LLC

Bergen Julie Cohen The Worth Collection, Ltd. *Diane McGuireMichele Holzer Atlantic Land Services *Joanne ClarkLucia Job Prominent Interiors *Maria Elena GrantCarol Kaufman CareBinders, LLC *Amy FuchsTracey Lane The Lane Group, LLC *Ellen McDermott Amy Morrison On Time Office Supply Co Inc Ayelet (Ally) Nathaniel Playful Kitchen *Marian H. GordonAlina Okun Expense Reduction Analysts Allison Reiter Abbott & Caserta Realty Jill Rodriguez Mary Kay *Mary Jane MuellerIlana Stimmel Atlantic Land Services*Joanne ClarkeLeslie StraussLS Interiors*Amy Fuchs

Essex Diane Butts Imperial Cleaning Professionals, LLC *Patricia Carley

Eve Cantor Shop Your Closet *Heather TzallRobin Kantor Newark Trade Digital Graphics Jephthahlyn Lawson Alex Killian, LLC Lauren Markon Career Connections Rhonda Peters The Peters Financial Group, Inc. Nicole Plath Fortune Title Agency, Inc. Tessa Schultz Law Offices of Tessa L. Schultz Philomena Servodio Medicaid Pros, LLC *Judy Bennett,*Cecile SutherlandNakiesha Smith Human Resources Services Enhanced *Ellen SilvermanMargaret Wood Wolff & Samson

Hudson Gwen Green Ms. Bo Dangles Millinery & Accessories *Wendy OliverasCynthia Hankerson Cup Cake Salon, LLC *Wendy OliverasCorrine Statia Absolute Events by Corrine *Wendy Oliveras

Hunterdon Debbie Dusylovitch Debbie’s Mobile Kitchen

Mercer Shailaja Dudi Sunwise Solutions

JoAnne Farace David Lerner Associates Diane Guididas Interiors by Diane, LLC *Nancy MunnLinda Madani Madani Interior Design Gordana Sirota Gordana Travel LLC *Nancy Munn*MaryLou Spang

Middlesex-Somerset Sherry Braun Keylngo Translations of Princeton Robyn Odegaard Champion Performance Development *Holly Jerome*Danielle Adams

Monmouth-Ocean Sharon Green Metro PA Renee Snyder SRM Group LLC Cathy Vaccarella Seasons Matter, Inc.

Morris Lorraine Becka Centrum Financial Group Genevieve Castelino Merchant Chakra Media Group *Deborah OlivioNancy Cohen Speedpro Imaging Hulya Egin USA Store Online Lori Enright Enright Enterprises *Renee Grasso

Laura Keel Mane Enhancements *Susana FonticobaStacey Murphy Beacon Consulting *Faith ZimmermanFatma Tat USA Store Online

Passaic Kathleen Blake Healing Touch Chiropractic, LLC *Joyce HardwickChristine Brady Commander Imaging Products, Inc. Debra Fadil Debra E Fadil Consulting LLC Joyce Hardwick Internet Marketing *Laure ScottSaeeda Shams PNC Bank *Debra CourtrightMichele Zaccone Emerald Financial Resources

Sussex-Warren Regina McShane lia sophia Linda Swift Swift Print Solutions, LLC *Ann Blaine

Union Kelly Grignard Grignard Company, LLC Danielle Linares Hale Danielle Linares Graphic Design d


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mem

bers Member

News


Certification and Supplier DiversityA Great Business

PartnershipBy Heather Tzall

Consumers have a plethora of choices when selecting a service or product provider, so a differentiated marketing strategy is a key to business success. One vital way to differentiate your-self from the pack is by certifying your woman, minority or LGBT owned company as a business that meets the exact criteria of several key certifying organizations. You can reap many rewards through this certification by contracting or partnering on projects with other certified businesses and by becoming a potential bidder on corporate and public agency contracts.

Many of the Fortune 500 (and Fortune 1000) companies, through their supplier diversity initiatives, have annual diversity spend goals. These goals serve to promote the inclusion of diverse suppliers (that’s you!) into their supply chain. This fosters a mutu-ally positive relationship between the corporations and Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) businesses. The Fortune companies benefit greatly from utilizing diverse suppliers, and the suppliers grow their businesses through lucrative new contracts. These M/WBE businesses are often more cost-effective and offer an expanded customer base and market share for the corpora-tions who contract with them. Diversity-owned businesses tend to have greater access to emerging markets in urban and global arenas, and make outstanding contributions to the economic viability of the communities in which they are located.

State agencies also have diversity initiatives they must satisfy by contracting out to M/WBEs. These certified suppliers bid on jobs in construction and related trades, janitorial services and sup-plies, landscape management services, subscriptions, internet technology and data management, and so many more.

Being a certified diversity supplier proffers a competitive advantage because these large organizations can only count their diversity spending with certified suppliers. Therefore, actively seeking out the appropriate certification for your business is a key to winning these contracts. Certification Organizations and How They Work

The three primary organizations that offer third-party certifica-

Morris Faith Zimmerman, an 18-year

member of NJAWBO and the chapter’s new Vice President of Programming, was honored along with her twin sister, Hope, as Den-ville Volunteers of the Year by the Denville Chamber of Commerce. The sisters have volunteered with the Denville Bike Committee, the Shade Tree Commission, Denville Chamber holiday events, blood drives, Rid Litter Day, and more. The sisters also recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of their busi-ness together.

Cathy Coloff, managing member of IT Radix, has an-nounced that IT Radix and Blue-bird Technologies have joined together under the name IT Radix, LLC, to provide better IT services to their clients, small- to medium-sized New Jersey busi-nesses. “We’ll have a larger team of technicians, more extensive technical expertise and deeper logistical and administrative sup-port,” Coloff said.

Diahann W. Lassus, CFP®, CPA/PFS and President of Las-sus Wherley, has been named as one of the 3rd Annual 50 Top Women in Wealth by AdvisorOne, the leading online destination for independent advisors, wealth managers and financial planners. The annual list recognizes the 50 most influential, powerful and inspiring women in and around wealth management. d


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Holly Jerome / PresidentPrior to entrepreneurship, Holly spent over sixteen years in the pharmaceutical industry in a variety of key executive posi-

tions including project management, marketing, sales and corporate communication. As an ActionCOACH, she focuses on helping businesses to grow by guiding owners in identifying and achieving their personal goals and visions.

Her broad based corporate experience in strategic planning prepared her to unearth problems, identify solutions and, perhaps most important of all, bring about constructive changes and lasting success. She is looking forward to tapping into her experience as NJAWBO prepares for a sustainable future.

A member of NJAWBO since 2005, Holly served as State President Elect from 2010 – 2011, State VP of Member Services from 2009-2010 and the President of the Middlesex-Somerset Chapter from 2008-2009.

Willa Edgerton-Chisler / Immediate Past President Life’s a symphony. Orchestrate it. It all begins with One Note! is the mantra of Willa Edgerton-Chisler, CEO (Chief Em-

powerment Officer) and founder of Symphony Coaching. It is also the philosophy Willa continues to bring to NJAWBO.Our immediate past State President is a speaker, trainer, workshop facilitator and author. Willa has recently been

recognized as Garden State Woman of the Year 2011-Diversity and was selected as a Leading Woman Entrepreneur and Business Owner of New Jersey 2011 by Own It Ventures (formerly Entrepreneur Exposé). She was the 2008 SBA Region II & NJ Minority Business Champion, and was recognized by the State of NJ Senate and General Assembly Joint Legislative

Resolution for her body of work and contributions.Willa is a professionally trained and certified professional coach, and is a member of the International Coach Federation, as well as SHRM. She

holds additional certifications in HR, leadership, emotional intelligence and diversity from Rutgers University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, NTL and

NJAWBO Welcomes Our New State Executive Board

for 2011-2012

Left, Willa Edgerton-Chisler/Immediate Past President, Mary Adelman/President-Elect, Annette St. John/Central Region President, Tammy Smith/ VP of Public Policy, Judi Frank/VP of Finance, Jennifer Nevins/VP of Corporate Relations, Holly Jerome/President. Missing: Lesley Weiner/Northern Region President and Bea Chaiklin, VP of Member Services.Photo taken by Diane J. Lizza, Maplecroft Studio, 908 362-9546


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American University. She did her undergraduate work in psychology at Upsala College and is working towards her master’s degree in Human Resources. A contributing author of “Discover Your Inner Strength”, she shares her journey from corporate citizen to entrepreneur.

An NJAWBO member since 2006, Willa was VP of Corporate Relations and Diversity Advocacy Chair for the Essex Chapter, and the first State VP of Diversity, where she created and launched NJAWBO in Your Neighborhood.

Mary AdelmanPresident-Elect

Mary Adelman, owner and founder of Green Star Services, LLC, a virtual assistant business, is the Assistant Director at NJSBDC of Northwest Jersey, one of eleven Small Business Development Centers in New Jersey. Mary uses her manage-

ment consulting, small business, and financial services experience to assist SBDC clients. In addition, through this affiliation, she teaches business courses at Sussex County College and County College of Morris.

Green Star Services provides services in building strong business foundations to help support other businesses and organizations. Mary works from her own office, using the Internet, e-mail, phone, fax, and mail to reach her world-wide client base. The Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce recognized Mary as the 2010 Business Leader of the Year. The Garden State Council-SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) presented her with a Certificate of Appreciation for her work with their Workforce Readiness program, Mission Career Success. This program, which supports veterans in employment transition as part of the work of the Tip of the Arrow Foundation, was honored by SHRM at their national conference with the 2009 Pinnacle Award, one of only nine given in the US.

Mary is very involved with NJAWBO. She is the 2011-2012 President-Elect, previously serving at the state level as Secretary, Vice President of Public Policy, and Vice President of Membership. For the Sussex-Warren NJAWBO chapter, she has served as President, Secretary, and Boot Camp Co-Chair. Mary also serves on the Advisory Council of NORW-ESCAP, a career and life transition center, is on the Advisory Board of ISBOG (Informal Business Owners Group), chairs the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce Community & Economic Development Commit-tee, is a Board member of the Morris County Economic Development Authority and sits on the Advisory Council for the Entrepreneur Exposé. In addition to her business activities, Mary has served on the Board of Gentle Passages Care, Inc., where she was chairperson of the Board. Mary has an AAS in Business Management from the County College of Morris, Randolph, New Jersey. Continued on next page

Jennifer NevinsVP of Corporate Relations

Jennifer Nevins is the President of DW Smith Associates, LLC, a professional services firm which has proudly been in business since 1965. After graduating from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree, she joined the com-

pany more than 24 years ago. Since then, Jennifer has continued her education and professional development, focusing on client satisfaction and the overall operations, management, and business development of the firm. She has been an owner since 2001 and, in 2008, gained majority ownership, establishing the company as a Woman Business Enterprise (WBE).

DW Smith Associates is a Certified W/S/DBE professional services firm providing consulting services in project management, civil engineer-ing, land planning, land surveying, environmental services, landscape design, GIS and IT. The firm has enjoyed significant industry distinction, including being ranked in the Top 100 Design Firms in the Tri-State Area by New York Construction News and the Top 100 Women-Owned Busi-nesses in the State of NJ (2008, 2009 and 2010) by DiversityBusiness.com. Jennifer has also been independently awarded the prestigious NJBIZ Top 50 Women in Business Award (2010), the NJAWBO 2010 Outstanding Woman in a Nontraditional Role-Construction Award (2010), Garden State Woman’s Woman of the Year Award-Environmental 2011 and Own It Venture’s Top New Jersey Leading Women Entrepreneur & Business Owner (2011).

Jennifer serves in an advisory capacity on various industry and women business-related boards and has recently been selected to serve on the NJ Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) Supplier Diversity Development Council (SDDC) Board. She also serves on NJAWBO’s State Board in the Vice President of Corporate Relations position. Jen-nifer has been a proud member of NJAWBO since 2008.

Tammeisha (Tammy) SmithVP of Public Policy

As Vice President and Partner at the Alamo Insurance Group, Inc., Tammy Smith is respon-sible for driving the growth and expansion of the company, helping to propel Alamo to its current position as the leading certified, minority-owned,

full service insurance brokerage firm in the country. With more than 15 years experience in the insurance industry,

Tammy is an expert in the areas of designing, developing and implement-ing policies for business lines, as well as planning and directing business


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analysis, risk modeling and insurance contract negotiations. In addition, Tammy manages the firm’s community outreach programs, which part-ners with communities and organizations throughout the country to bring affordable medical and prescription services to underprivileged areas.

Prior to joining Alamo Insurance Group, Tammy was an Ac-count Vice President and later the Vice President of Operations for the human resources outsourcing division at Brown & Brown, the seventh largest insurance brokerage firm in the world. Prior to her tenure at Brown & Brown, she held several positions in sales/marketing and operations for Aetna, Inc., one of the nation’s leaders in health care insurance, do-mestically and abroad. In her previous capacities, she managed sales and business development functions including new product rollouts, customer relationship development and contract negotiations.

Tammy attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and completed her studies at Trinity College and University of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She resides in Warren County, New Jersey with her two children.

Bea ChaiklinVP of Member Services

Bea Chaiklin is a licensed mortgage profes-sional with NJ Lenders Corp for over 15 years. She helps clients improve their lives through home ownership. Her goal is to make sure that her clients get the best possible mortgage for their life situa-

tion. With a degree in education and superior personalized service, she brings added value to the process of educating clients in understanding the loan process and analyzing a broad range of loan products no matter what the credit of the borrower.

Bea served as Northern Region President from 2008-2010 and as Essex Chapter President from 2004-2006.

Annette St. JohnCentral Region President

In 2002, Annette launched her own company, Annette St. John, LLC, specializing in marketing and advertising, specifically, strategic planning, business development and communications implementation. Some of her clients past and

present include UBS, Showtime, Coldwell Banker, Unisys and AT&T Wireless, as well as several media industry and small business startups. During this time, she has delivered on a variety of projects, includ-ing organization redevelopment and training, multicultural marketing strategy, direct response campaigns and media plans, marketing skills assessment and evaluation, marketing and sales plans, and website

development, management and launch. Annette is a senior marketing and advertising professional with over

25 years of experience in all levels and channels of marketing, from business and product development and strategic planning to media planning, marketing communications, event management and program implementation. She has honed these skills as an account manager at such advertising agencies as McCann, Y&R and DDB Needham, working with a variety of clients, products and services such as AT&T, MasterCard, Time Inc., RJ Reynolds, Amtrak and Pitney Bowes. In addition to her ad agency experience, she was also Global Marketing Director at AT&T and VP of Marketing for Getty Images.

Annette holds an MA in Media Studies from the New School University, and is an active board member of several non-profit organizations including NJAWBO. She has been a member of NJAWBO since 2005, first serving as the Union County Chapter Board President and is currently serving as the Central Region President on the State Board. d

Sanofi-aventis U.S., the U.S. affiliate of sanofi-aventis,is a leading global pharmaceutical company that

discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions to help improve the lives of patients and their families.

In addition to scientific pursuits, for more than 30 years sanofi-aventis has been committed to helping

children around the world.

© sanofi-aventis174, Avenue de France 75635 Paris, France

sanofi-aventis U.S.www.sanofi-aventis.us

Lesley WeinerNorthern

Region President

Judi Frank VP of Finance


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Building a Communication Planfor a CRM Implementation

By Kendra Von Achen

When a company takes on a task like implementing a CRM system, it affects many, if not all, departments and people within the company. However, only a small group of people are involved in the everyday planning and implementation work. That’s why a communication plan is so important to the success of the implementation.

A communication plan can be simple to create, but must be done strategically to make sure all parties are kept in the loop throughout the process. The plan goes back to the basics – who, what, where, when, why, and how.

Who / Who is responsible for communicating to the company? Select someone who is an integral member of the implementation team, or who can be kept in the loop throughout the process. The responsible party should preferably be someone in the marketing/communications department, as the company should already be used to receiving notices from them.

And who is receiving the messages? Does the entire company need to be made aware of everything, or only certain people or departments? Break down the company by department or role, and determine who needs to receive the communications. All future users of the system need to be on this list, as well as anyone who will be indirectly impacted by the system.

What / Lay out what you would like to communicate to your audi-ence. For starters, you will need to make everyone that will be using the new CRM system aware that this process is going to happen. You will also want to let them know how the system will impact their day-to-day work, when to expect the system to be available, what kind of support will be available for them, etc.

Make sure to keep the communications short and simple but to the point. Let them know what effects it will have on them, otherwise you will lose their attention immediately.

Add ‘fun’ to the communications if possible – create a contest for the employees based on the CRM system, or use countdowns to major milestones in the project – anything to get them engaged.

Most important is making sure the employees are engaged in the process, not just through the communications, but also by including their feedback and input into the implementation. Make sure every depart-ment and every level is included to ensure the system will get used and appreciated by all.

Where / If your company has an intranet, post the communica-tions on the home page or on the company news section. Send out the communications via email. If you have a company newsletter that gets

printed and distributed, make sure the communications get included in the newsletter. Post them in your lunchroom for employees to read on their lunch break. Post them in the bathroom stalls (hey, why not!) if your company has its own bathroom.

When / Your communication plan should include the frequency in which the information gets distributed. Make sure you are keeping everyone in the loop as the implementation progresses. Do not send out messages too often, as you will dilute the message and lose your audience.

Since a typical CRM implementation project can take anywhere from three to twelve months (depending on the size of the company), a communication can be sent out on a monthly basis, and any major milestones that are achieved or warrant communications should be sent out as special bulletins. Make sure that training dates are included in the communications as soon as they are identified. All employees that will use the CRM system should be available for training, so get it on their calendars early!

Once the implementation is complete, the communications should not stop there. This gives you the opportunity to make sure employees are using the system and to help them in using it. Send out “Tips and Tricks” on features of the system that are beyond the basics, that either they will



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Utilizing All Resources for a Multi-Channel

Marketing ApproachBy Amanda Puppo, MarketReach, Inc.

LAYB_ACCTG_AD_3.875x4_bnw.pdf 1 10/29/10 10:08 AM

Once you’ve reached your prospect by telephone, there are multiple ways you can, and should, connect with him. Email, fax, voice mail, and good old, reliable snail mail should all be a part of your multi-channel marketing approach.

When you’ve hung up the telephone after speaking with your pros-pects, you want to make sure that you and your product and services stay in their memory, preferably in a favorable way. Sending a visual reminder such as an email or a brochure gives them a way to see and remember the details of your offering.

Email Follow-UpOne of the easiest and quickest ways to reconnect with your prospect

is to send an email recap of the conversation. You can make this easy to accomplish by setting up a template, then personalizing it by adding specific details for each prospect you speak with.

There are two types of emails that you can use in your prospecting efforts: (1) the pre-conversation, teaser email, and (2) the recap email which puts in writing all of the details of your conversation. The teaser email is not meant to give details or pricing–rather, it will lay out benefits and features in a succinct way. Keep the teaser email simple; you want to give your prospect just enough information to be curious about your offering and want to take your phone call. Don’t try to sell the farm to a person you’ve never spoken with.

The recap email is what you might send to the prospect when you have had the chance to share all details, including cost, to the prospect. This email can also be considered the proposal. Send an email recap after every phone call you have with a prospect. Use the same wording in the subject line of each email; for example, “Recap of appointment setting program, from Amanda.” Using the same subject line has a two-fold purpose: first, it will tell your prospect what to look for in the email, and, second, it will help you to easily retrieve your filed emails every few months, review your progress with a prospect, and follow-up again if necessary with another phone call or by resending the recap with an additional message attached.

Make it EasySome people would rather connect strictly by email, while others

prefer to talk on the phone. Make it easy for your prospects to contact you in the way that makes them the most comfortable. Make sure that your

contact details, including your phone number, are always at the bottom of the signature line of your email. You can also try leaving a voice mail message. Be mindful to use voice mail sparingly, knowing full well they may not call you back! If you tend to leave lengthy voice mails, leave your number at the beginning as well as the end of the message.

Send a FaxYou should have a one-page, faxable ‘sell sheet,’ describing your

offer, ready to send if a client asks for it. While the phrase “send me something in the mail (or by fax)”, can often be just a way for a prospect to dismiss your call, it can also be a legitimate request for more information. Some people are visual learners; they prefer to hold something in their hand and read it before making a decision (even for an appointment). A fax is the quickest way to get them what they need. It can also give you a good reason for a follow-up phone call.

Hold your prospect accountable for reading what you send. Try using a phrase such as: “I’ll be faxing you the information you asked for as soon as we finish this call; then I’ll call you back next week to see what


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Certification from page 5

tions to minority-owned businesses are: • Women’sBusinessEnterpriseNationalCouncil(WBENC)–WBENC

issues a Gold Standard national certification to women-owned busi-nesses to ensure a qualified database of WBENC certified Women Business Enterprises (WBEs).

• NationalMinoritySupplierDevelopmentCouncil(NMSDC)–NMSDC’srigorous certification process is considered to be the superior avenue for certifying minority-owned businesses by corporate America.

• NationalGayandLesbianChamberofCommerce (NGLCC)–NGLCC, while new to the diversity certification world, is making a great impact through its certification of GLBT-owned businesses. M/WBE’s are encouraged to complete the application process for

all of the organizations that relate to them. Regardless of the organiza-tion, the application process is arduous, time-consuming…and very worthwhile to undergo. It ensures that the M/WBE that presents itself to a corporate buyer is truly minority-owned, controlled and operated. Standards have an importance in everything that we do; diversity cer-tification is no exception. The Application Process

Each organization has an online application to complete and a list of required documents to submit. Once the paperwork has been received by your regional office, its staff completes a desk audit of the application, which is then submitted to the Certification Committee to determine if the application is eligible for a site visit. After this determination, the applica-tion is returned to the Certification Committee for approval or denial.

While this appears to be simple, the actual packaging of the ap-plication is rigorous and extremely detailed; the information sought by these agencies can also feel intrusive to some business owners. This is not the type of material to hand over to an assistant. Tax returns, W2s, revenues, and start-up information are only part of the long list, and many business owners find that the time and energy it takes to run a successful business leaves them little bandwidth for a meticulous ap-plication that demands absolute accuracy. Some business owners hire consultants who specialize in expediting all the necessary paperwork and manage the certification process for them so they are not distracted from their businesses. Benefits of Becoming Certified

Certified businesses are able to position themselves for opportuni-ties in corporate supply chains. Although certification is no guarantee of getting the business, it does increase your chances and enables you to compete for these contracts. Many companies’ supplier diversity people are true advocates for M/WBEs; WBENC/NMSDC certification can help solidify the connection, assuring that those firms get requests for proposals and have their opportunity to shine.

These firms will also gain access to a current list of supplier diversity and procurement executives at hundreds of major U.S. corporations, as well as federal, state and local government entities. They receive national recognition and opportunities to pursue business deals with corporations as well as with other M/WBEs. These benefits should not be overlooked, especially when competition is tougher than ever.

Partnership opportunities are another huge benefit. Quite often a W/MBE may be able to fulfill most of what an RFP asks for, but cannot do the entire project alone due to its size or capabilities. By partnering with another certified M/WBE, the corporation still gets the full value of its expenditure and two M/WBEs have business...a win-win scenario.

It is important to be patient after attaining certification, as it normally takes a minimum of two years to see results. However, those results can be compelling. One company reports that, in the past five months, they have been introduced to eight Fortune 1000 companies and is in conversation with them. Prior to becoming certified, they could not get any of them on the phone!Doing Business with the Federal Government

Majority women-owned businesses are not required to obtain third-party certification to do business with the federal government, and there is no federal certification process as with WBENC, NMSDC or NGLCC. They can self-certify in the Central Contractor Registration at www.ccr.gov.

Each state provides its own WBE or MBE certification, and WBENC covers all 50 states (some state agencies will accept the WBENC



13

Utilizing All Resources for a Multi-Channel Marketing Approach from page 10

you thought about it, okay?” This makes it clear to your prospect that you will be calling back.

Sending a fax is not appropriate for all industries. For example, if you are a graphic artist who depends on visual appeal to sell your product, you may not want to use this method. The fax, however, does have its place, particularly when you want to quickly send additional information to your prospect.

Snail MailNot everyone likes the term ‘snail mail’, but it is an easy way to

describe various delivery methods. Whether you use the Post Office, UPS, Fed Ex or some other service, snail mail can sometimes be the most effective and reliable way to send additional materials to your prospect. You may have too large a volume of material to easily send by fax or email, and some people just don’t like email. In some professions, particularly where people are not near a desk during the workday, email just doesn’t work.

Some people are more likely to open a package or letter they receive in the mail than to open an email. While mail may be the slowest way to make a follow-up contact, don’t rule it out; in the right situation, it is a very effective way to follow-up with a client.

Remember, using several different methods to follow-up with a prospective client ensures that they will get your message. d

As the 2004 award winner for New Jersey’s SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year and NJAWBO Mercer Chapter President, Amanda Puppo is the CEO of Hightstown, New Jersey-based MarketReach, Inc. (www.marketreach.biz), providing solutions in telephone marketing. She can be reached at [email protected] or (609) 448-6364.

The 2011-2012 Leadership Team and I are committed to meeting the needs of our ever-changing and diverse members. This is a TEAM effort and we will continually need your commitment, involvement, and ideas to assist us in strengthening our organization and remaining the quintessential organization for women business owners in New Jersey. Please share your ideas with any board member or send your comments to [email protected].

Thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to working with you all. d

CHANGE IS GOOD, Holly Jerome, State President 2011-2012

Presidential Reflections from page 3

have forgotten about since training or were not covered during training.Why / Here are a few key reasons why communicating about the

CRM implementation is so important:• Makingsureeveryoneisonthesamepage.• Keepingemployeesinformedandaware.• Keepingemployeesengagedandpartoftheprocess.• KeepingtheCRMimplementationteamontrackandaccountable.• Makingthetransitiontothenewsystemasseamlessaspossible.• Eliminatingallofthebasicquestionsemployeesmayhaveupfront.How / How to communicate to your employees is really the same

as where. How will you communicate the message to everyone? Will it be an email, a newsletter, a post on the intranet, a memo or notices hung throughout the office? Or, will it be a combination of methods to make sure the message is read?

Now that you have the key components necessary in a communication plan, you can begin crafting one for your company’s CRM implementation. d

Kendra Von Achen is President of DB Pros, a database and business consulting company based in New Jersey. For more information on this and other CRM-related topics, contact her at [email protected], or visit their website at www.dbprosconsulting.com.

Building a Communiction Plan from page 9


14

2011 NJAWBO

LEGACY PARTNERS PSEG Partner of the Year 2000

Enterprise Rent-A-Car Partner of the Year 2006 & 2004

BRONZE sanofi-aventis U.S. Partner of the Year 2010

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Partner of the Year 2008

Affinity Federal Credit Union

Spirit of Inclusion Award 2010

Comcast Business Class

REGIONAL PARTNERS Pepco Holdings

MEDIA PARTNERS Garden State Woman Magazine Partner of the Year 2005

Mercer County Woman Paper

NJBIZ

Silk Purse Women Magazine

The County Woman - Atlantic, Monmouth, Ocean

CORPORATE MENTORING INITIATIVE PARTNERS Affinity Federal Credit Union

Comcast Business Class

Enterprise Rent-A-Car

NJ Transit

Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation

PSEG

sanofi-aventis, U.S.

Sun National Bank

FRIEND OF NJAWBO Elsa Reinhardt Enterprises

certification in lieu of a state certification). If your business is already WBENC-certified, in some cases, you can fast track your state certification. Go here for more information: http://www.wpeo.us/certification/public_sector_certification.html.

The SBA’s Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Federal Contract Program, enacted in February 2011, will provide greater, more equal access to federal contract-ing opportunities for WOSBs and economically-disadvantaged, women-owned small businesses—if the contract deliverables fall within selected NAICS codes that repre-sent industries in which woman-owned businesses are under-represented or severely under-represented in federal government contracting. You can read full details about this important legislation at http://www.sba.gov/content/contracting-opportunities-women-owned-small-businesses.

Long story short: certifying your business creates a partnership with supplier diversity departments and a powerful path to building revenues, expanding your customer base and improving your bottom line. d

Heather Tzall is the co-founder of Certify My Company, which provides comprehen-sive administration of all certification paperwork and needs for woman-, minority- and LGBT-owned businesses. For more information call (973) 272-4159, or go to www.certifymycompany.org.

2011-2012Corporate Partners

Certification from page 12


15

CHAPTER HOTLINE #

Atlantic-Cape May .........................

Bergen ................... 201-444-8773

Cumberland-Salem ............... (CIF)

Essex ..................... 973-746-4404

Hudson ........................................

Hunterdon .....................................

Mercer ..........................................

Middlesex-Somerset .........................

Monmouth-Ocean .........................

Morris ...........................................

Passaic .........................................

Sussex-Warren .............................

Tri-County .....................................

Union ............................................

Chapter ContactsMEETING CONTACT

Pending ....................................................................

Joanne Clark [email protected]

Pending ....................................................................

Laurel Bernstein .................... [email protected]

Kim M. Whyatt................................ [email protected]

Katherine Klicko ....................... [email protected]

Nancy Munn .............................. [email protected]

Pending ....................................................................

Colleen Ucal ....................................... [email protected]

Barbara Huston ...................... [email protected]

Elsa Reinhardt [email protected]

Lisa Dunn ........................................ [email protected]

Kathy Kittle [email protected]

Maria LaMorte-Wright [email protected]

State Executive Committee & Board of Trustees 2011/2012

Chapters and Chapters-In-Formation: Keep your contact information up-to-date. Send new chapter hotline and chapter information, telephone numbers, meeting contact information and your chapter’s new president and telephone number to Joyce Vogel, Membership Coordinator, at [email protected].

PRESIDENTHolly Jerome ................... [email protected]

PRESIDENT ELECTMary Adelman ................... [email protected]

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENTWilla A. Edgerton-Chisler .. [email protected]

VP FINANCEJudi Frank ........................ [email protected]

VP MARKETING Newsletter Managing Editor/Advertising Linda Abedrabbo ........ 732-970-7385 [email protected]

VP MEMBER SERVICESBea Chaiklin .................... [email protected] Award Chair Jackie Berman ................................... [email protected]

VP CORPORATE RELATIONSJennifer Nevins ..................732-363-5850 [email protected]

VP PUBLIC POLICYTammeisha Smith ........... [email protected]

PRESIDENTS

Pending .....................................

Caryn Starr-Gates ......201-791-4694

Pending .....................................

Judy Bennett .............973-226-4430

Wendy Oliveras ....201-947-6662

Nicole Voigt ..................908-713-1862

Cheryl Patnick ..........609-466-2477

Pending .....................................

Sue Fitzpatrick .....732-946-0795

Susana Fonticoba .973-952-0053

Debra Courtright ..973-618-9288

Eileen Seiler .............908-637-8736

Claudia Sparacio .......856-866-0729

Lori Bierman .............973-761-7146

REGION PRESIDENTS

NorthernLesley Weiner ................. [email protected]

CentralAnnette St. John ...................732-713-0368 [email protected]

NJAWBO BookkeeperElsa Reinhardt ................. 201-807-1157 [email protected]

THE NJAWBO OFFICE STAFF

Membership Coordinator: Joyce Vogel - 609-799-5101 .......... [email protected]

Website & Technology Coordinator: Caryn Chrissafis - 609-799-5101 ................................ [email protected]


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