These Million Dollar Women Know (and they’re telling)

Today’s eWomen Network meeting in Columbus was packed with some awesome tips from three powerful million-dollar women business owners – Kathy Eshelman from Grade A Notes, Catherine Lang-Cline from Portfolio Creative Staffing, and Sally Hughes from Caster Connection.

All very different businesses, but common threads in how they have created their success. I took so many notes, I’m now trying to organize them all! (Quick disclaimer: I was furiously scribbling notes, so I think I’ve attributed them to the right person – if there are any mistakes here, they’re all mine.)

Here were some of the big themes and takeaways I learned.

Personal strengths in building a successful business:

• Friendliness. Genuine friendliness serves you – in networking, in meetings, in relationship building. Never underestimate how being truly friendly can make the difference.

• Persistence. No matter how ridiculous something seems – if you believe in it and want to make it happen, you have to be willing to do what it takes. Sally spoke of losing business to a competitor in China. Instead of sitting back, she hopped on a plane to China and figured out how to make her product better and more competitive.

Actions that made the difference in going to the next level of their businesses:

• Learn the business/industry, and then play big! Sally spoke of taking about 6 months to really learn what she needed. And then who did she call on first? She went straight to GM. No messing around there!

• Tell people what you need. You can’t just think in your mind about what you need and expect to get it. You have to verbalize it. For example, Kathy wanted to build her visibility in the Columbus region, and voiced that to a colleague at the Ohio Chamber. The result? That chamber colleague learned of an opportunity to be profiled in the Columbus Dispatch, called Kathy, and she landed on the front page.

• The sooner you learn to delegate, the better. I’ve heard this one many times, but it bears repeating – and women entrepreneurs still struggle with this. All three women talked about the need to let go, and find trusted resources for support.

• Keep your head up. Pay attention to your competition, your clients, and your resources. Stay informed about what’s going on – in your company and your industry. Be prepared to take action.

• Learn to sell. There’s a difference between marketing and selling. Catherine described how she and her business partner are great marketers – they created lots of awareness and buzz for their company, but they needed to turn that awareness into revenue – by asking for the business. Many people stop at awareness, and don’t ask for the sale. What if that prospect doesn’t  have a need at that time? The next question is “Who do you know that may need our services?” Another tip? This one from Kathy – when you ask for the sale, be quiet and listen for the answer. So many times we keep talking, and then talk that person right out of saying yes. It’s awkward at first, but you’ll get used to it. :-)

There you have it ladies. Some million-dollar advice . . . I hope these tips made you feel like you were there!