I remember when I got a gig writing a column for PC Week. A wonderful mentor of mine introduced me to the top brass there, and I offered to help de-mystify new technologies for their corporate audience. I wrote up 5 sample columns for free to show them how I might be of service to their readers. I brought benefits, not demands, to the table – and I got the job!

Because of my articles, I started getting hundreds of letters each month. I’d read every word and respond to them as a show of thanks to the editor for hiring me to write those columns. So what’s my point?

While it’s easy to get carried away by the heady feeling of a magazine profile, a favorable mention of your company, or a microphone stuck under your nose, remember that the media isn’t there to serve you. You’re there to serve them.

Think of the media as an extension of your network. In fact, they will be one of your best resources if you treat the relationship wisely. Find ways to serve them and they may become some of your best friends. So this week, ask yourself these questions:

–How can I be a connector?
–Can I put journalists in touch with helpful sources?
–Can I put business people in touch with one another?
–Is there an information gap that I can plug?

And remember–the key here is not to have a Rolodex you can “work”. After all, do you really want to be one of those insincere types who pull up their Outlook contact notes to ask how somebody’s spouse (fill-in-the-name) is doing when you don’t really care? That’s not what you want. You want REAL relationships formed over GREAT experiences.

(Now my plug! If you’re building a 7 Figure Business, the BEST place to find those like-minded people is my 7 Figure Business Building Summit. The early bird special price ends in less than two weeks, so click through now – and don’t forget, you can still bring a friend for half price! That’s TWO of you for $1,497 – unbelievable.) http://www.7FigureBusinessSummit.com  

To your success and your winning relationships!

Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author

PS: This is the ONE event you must be at this year (if you’re REALLY ready to rock your business and rock your life:
http://www.7FigureBusinessSummit.com

Part 1 of 8 – Christine Comaford presents at the Entrepreneur & Small Business Academy on February 3rd, 2010. Her topic was “The 3 BIGGEST Mistakes Entrepreneurs Make that Block them from Building 7-Figure Businesses” and she did a great job!

If ur seriously on the road to your 7 Figure Success and ready to learn from The 7 Figure Business Builder, Christine Comaford, in person, be sure to get your seat at 7 Figure Business Summit is in April. Seats are going fast http://www.bit.ly/5dHdCp and the Early-Bird pricing ends in 20 days!

The Number One Rule of Sales:  The Inner Game of Sales = Perseverance

Step Six:  Last but not least, HANG WITH THE WINNERS, people.  You will be MUCH more likely to find mentors, inspiring friends and yes, even clients when you’re with the BEST of the best.  If you’re seriously on the road to your 7 Figure Success and ready to FIND those winners (and learn from ME, in person), then you MUST be at my 7 Figure Business Summit is in April.  Seats are going fast http://www.bit.ly/5dHdCp and the early bird pricing ends in just a few DAYS.  AND, if you hurry, you can still bring a friend for half price.  (Yes, that’s two of you for $1,499.)

PS:  Here’s the link again to the 7 Figure Business Summit:  http://www.bit.ly/5dHdCp

Way too often, we’ll go rushing in to sell our product or service BEFORE we’ve done our three-step check.  BEFORE You Ask for the Deal:#1 Be SURE you have identified your prospect’s needs. If you’re NOT sure, ASK them. Sometimes the simple approach is the best approach.

#2 Be SURE you have presented a solution to your potential client’s needs.

#3 Feel confident!  You have earned the right to ask them to buy your recommended solution or service … So ASK for the deal! This is where a lot of companies and service providers blow it.  They wait for the prospect to ask THEM. People, we’re not in a bar waiting for an invite to dinner. You’re the one who does the asking here.

A PERFECT example of this three-step check is my 7 Figure Business System CD.

Number one, I identified the PAIN (um, can we say agony) that business builders go through (often, it’s systemization and almost ALWAYS it’s no mentor – or worse, the WRONG mentor).

Number two, I gathered up the 45 “must have” business documents, procedures, templates tutorials and worksheets that I insist my OWN mentees use AND I put them into a free CD for you guys (you pay only the shipping).  THEN, I put together a killer video mentoring project – and with the free CD, you get 2 weeks for FREE to try this mentoring program. Finally I made the program REALLY affordable – no kidding – solving the mentoring CRISIS that many of you go through. (After your two-week trial, unless you notify us, you will be automatically enrolled |in this $97 a month Exclusive Training Program.)

Number three, I put the offer out there!  (You can grab your copy now and ROCK the two-week trial. Supplies are limited and I have no plans to create more. http://bit.ly/97KnyV)  Be sure to get YOUR offers out there in a way that your clients see them.  Whether it be one-on-one in a killer sales meeting, or over the web to your friends, fans and followers.

ROCK your business people!  It’s TIME. 

Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author

PS: Grab your copy now and ROCK the two-week trial. Supplies are limited and I have no plans to create more. http://bit.ly/97KnyV

What’s the MOST important part of what your company does? If you answered accountability or responsiveness or even quality control, you’re wrong.  The MOST important thing, every day is: Close the Deal. After all, EVERYTHING stops if you can’t do this.

Remember these four vital ingredients:

#1.  Closing is about confidence. You have to KNOW that you kick butt and know that the rest of your formula (i.e., accountability, responsiveness, QC, etc.) is solidly in place.

#2. Also, if your prospect feels you have confidence in your solution, THEY will have confidence in your solution.

#3. Remember, confidence comes from preparation + a quality product you believe in + using the Confident Stance (if nervous, focus on something you are great at: parenting, a hobby, being a terrific friend, etc. Feel that energy in your body and posture – then have at it). You are holding a solution they NEED, they are in PAIN.  It’s a great match – so no reason to be nervous at all.

#4. If you are nervous – or even if you’re not – role play your final presentation in advance and prepare answers to objections.  There’s NO reason not to be prepared.  This is how you HELP your prospect to work through their process and see your solutions.

For only the cost of shipping and handling ($4.95) I’d love to give you my 7 Figure Business Systems (which includes over 45 “must have” business documents, procedures, templates tutorials and worksheets). AND you’ll get 2 weeks FREE trial to my 7 Figure Business Formula Video Mentoring Program. After your FREE trial, unless you notify us, you will be automatically enrolled in this $97 a month Exclusive Training Program.  Business acceleration is no joke, gang, and finding a rockin’ mentor is a huge part of it.  I’m here and I’ve done this over 100 times. 

trial. Supplies are limited and I have no plans to create more. http://bit.ly/97KnyV

1.  “Tune your Radio to WIIFM” (WIIFM – “What’s In It For Me?”)

• This is the favorite and only station your prospect listens to
• Know why they are buying: 3 reasons – make money, save money, eliminate/reduce frustration or pain
• Remind them why they are buying
• Only talk to them about how this deal will help them!

2.  Ask for the Deal

• You have identified your prospect’s needs
• You have presented a solution to their needs
• You have earned the right to ask them to buy your recommended solution…So ASK!

3.  Stop Selling

• Your prospects know what they want
• They asked you to provide it and you did
• The more you talk, the more they think you are not done providing the solution
• Stop talking and let them decide to decide

4.  Close the Deal  

• Closing is about confidence
• If your prospect feels you have confidence in your solution, they will have confidence in your solution
• Confidence comes from preparation + a quality product you believe in + using the Confident Stance (if nervous, focus on something you are great at: parenting, a hobby, being a terrific friend, etc. Feel that energy in your body and posture.)
• Role play your final presentation in advance and prepare answers to objections

If you want these things for yourself too, then I have a gift for you. This is a gift that is going to rock your world, it is a gesture solely with YOUR success in mind.

==> http://bit.ly/97KnyV

For only the cost of shipping and handling ($4.95) I’d love to give you my 7 Figure Business Systems (which includes over 45 “must have” business documents, procedures, templates tutorials and worksheets). AND you’ll get 2 weeks FREE trial to my 7 Figure Business Formula Video Mentoring Program. After your FREE trial, unless you notify us, you will be automatically enrolled |in this $97 a month Exclusive Training Program. 

Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author

PS: Grab your copy now and ROCK the two-week trial. Supplies are limited and I have no plans to create more. http://bit.ly/97KnyV

#1. Networking = Sometimes, fewer leads of higher quality.  The most important thing you need to focus on here is “palm up networking.” Remembber, palm up networking is the spirit of giving first, getting later. It’s one of the best ways to form a connection with others. Find out what they care about, and help them get it. You’ll get yours in time. 

#2. Higher quality leads = Pre-qualified leads. If your sales leads are introduced to you from a current client, or from a sales prospect, you immediately have gained the lead’s trust (at least initially) due to your association with the person who introduced you (translated: referrals, referrals, referrals).

#3. Get your networking “tools” together: Plaxo.com, LinkedIn.com, Meetup.com, BNI.com, etc.

#4. Build emotional equity! Energy = Equity, Equity = Access, Access = Influence

If you want these things for yourself too, then I have a gift for you. This is a gift that is going to rock your world, it is a gesture solely with YOUR success in mind.

 ==> http://bit.ly/97KnyV

For only the cost of shipping and handling ($4.95) I’d love to give you my 7 Figure Business Systems (which includes over 45 “must have” business documents, procedures, templates tutorials and worksheets). AND you’ll get 2 weeks FREE trial to my 7 Figure Business Formula Video Mentoring Program. After your FREE trial, unless you notify us, you will be automatically enrolled |in this $97 a month Exclusive Training Program. 

Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author
 

PS: Grab your copy now and ROCK the two-week trial. Supplies are limited and I have no plans to create more. http://bit.ly/97KnyV

Hi gang, THIS is Alyson Hoag’s amazing success story. Alyson is the CEO of Authentic Beauty, one of the rockin’ clients I mentor through my Business Growth Blueprint program.  Aly’s letter was so powerful that I decided not to change a word of it.  I know it’s longer than my usual blogs, but stick with it guys, it’s totally worth the four minutes.  To learn more about my BGB program, go to: http://bit.ly/7gZW41

Christine, I know you haven’t heard from me lately but I am still out here listening and engaging and rocking! I have been implementing my plan and I think this month is the month I deserve to be your success story.  I know this isn’t going to be in the format you’d like. I would be here writing all day if you wanted me to name the hurdles I have had to overcome. There are too many to name. In the story below the major ones are mentioned. As for the most important module – it was Business Essentials. I have hung onto my end game throughout all of this.

I want to back up to when we first met. It was at Guerilla Business School, March of 2007. If you don’t remember I ran after you delivered your presentation to introduce myself. I didn’t have enough money to pay for your course but I called my mother and said, “If you believe in me, you’ll lend me the money. I have to work with this woman”. 
I think I was your first round of Groundbreakers and that time was invaluable to me. It was in the “formulation” days when the idea was being born into reality. I hung onto every word you said and I listened to the replays over and over.  And then the rubber hit the road. The week I sent out my investor packages the market disintegrated and key people I knew lost millions. The following month we found out the building we leased wasn’t going to be permitted and then slowly one by one all the people who were part of my team disappeared. It looked as though I was going to crash and burn.  And through it all I kept listening to everything you had to say over and over. I was really scared. I didn’t know how I was going to make it. I had two kids to take care of.  I knew somehow I was going to get out of this. Despite the creditors calling I just kept moving forward.

When you sent the email and said just get here in June 08 for your Summit in CA, I begged for a buddy pass from my ex-husband, my sister took my kids and I got on the plane. It was the best thing I could have ever done. I left refocused, recharged and taking action.

Miracles began happening.  One after another.

A big part of my business model is to create mobile events inside of hair salons. Well, since I didn’t have a “home”, I decided to put the model to the test and I spent 9 months in 3 different salons, building the model on my own and learning. The most important thing I kept looking for was what I was going to learn from each situation.

In the meantime I had several key breaks. I became the lead makeup team for a local magazine and they did a story on me and I had a radio personality name me as “the brow guru of Atlanta”.

It turned out that one of those salons I was working with asked me if I wanted to take the front of his space. The owner wanted to downsize and if I didn’t want to take it he said he would shut the doors. At this point I had NO money. I worked it out with the salon owner and I went for it. It also just happens to be in one of the most central locations in Atlanta.

We opened the doors late November 2008. I was actually interviewed on tv by our local Fox affiliate about opening during a down turned economy. However, I believed in the lipstick effect. If you don’t know, in a bad economy makeup sales go up. Leonard Lauder coined the phrase.

We opened the doors and last month marked our one year anniversary. (We had a BIG party and nearly 100 people showed up to show their support.)

So what we accomplished this past year:

• We grossed nearly $160k this year ending with a 20k month in December!!!!!! 
• Hired our first employee.
• We have 10 freelancers
• We have over 850 active clients
• Authentic Beauty was written up in our local Fashion Mag as What’s Hot this year for 2009
• I write my own monthly beauty column in a local magazine.
• Have developed relationships with several PR companies who use me regularly in their promotions of other companies in which I benefit.
• Developed relationships with all local tv affiliates and this week had my first in studio appearance with the CBS Atlanta affiliate for their morning show.
• Developed relationship with the most popular morning radio show in Atlanta and do the makeup for a video weekly for one of the DJ’s AND as a result she featured me the week of Christmas as one of her favorite things.
• Authentic Beauty was written up in at least 7 magazines and our work was featured in at least 10 publications with at least 4 covers.
• We have been told by Jean Chatzky’s people that in the next week or 2 I will be featured as one of their entrepreneurs of the week on her blog
• I was featured as one of the top 100 entreprenness’ in the CRAVE Atlanta book
• We are in the middle of developing a new mobile tester unit that I will be able to resell to the artist community
• We are developing our own makeup line (I finally stopped resisting) and the plan is to get it on QVC and fund the whole business with it.
• We  just closed 2 deals with 2 MAJOR plastic surgeons who are going to carry my makeup line and bring our makeup artists in.
• I have a meeting on January 15^th with the hottest salon in the Atlanta area to bring our artists in and do events
• We have an investor presentation on January 14^th with someone who is VERY interested in what we are up to. He is coming to Atlanta to see us.
• I am fully in the REVENUE, REVENUE, REVENUE mode. This month was a huge breakthrough. We doubled our sales from what we started out with in January, reaching the over 20k mark in December. The goal is 40k per month and I am clear it won’t take that long. All the seeds are planted.

When you said to me on the last call I was on, “You need to come up with revenue generating ideas,” I went for it! That’s why you haven’t heard from me. I took a step back, looked at what needed to happen and I think I haven’t come up for air since. LOL

I am planning in all the structures to make sure I am taken care of…In fact a huge breakthrough is that I got sick this week and I had a whole team to cover for me. I couldn’t be there on New Year’s Eve and they handled it all!!!

My goals for this year are to clean up all the messes left from the first go round, get myself financially stable, get the salon/mobile model implemented, build our wedding work, develop the makeup line, QVC launch of our eco, gel based 3in 1 foundations, get the website revamped and get all the social media working in synch, begin the national PR campaign which includes MORE MAGAZINE and get my makeup artists booked solid, Have Project Authentic Beauty (our non-profit initiative) fully structured. AND TAKE AN UNBELIEVABLE VACATION WITH MY FAMILY.

I want to say thank you for all your support, encouragement and guidelines. I am far from being perfect but I launched!  I have taken everything you have said (or nearly everything) and have but it into practice. I am certainly not at the mastering level YET but I am moving in that direction!

I am grateful for your commitment to others and to me. Thank you for everything! Without you the beauty industry would have had to wait for someone else to come along to transform it.

I look forward to being one of your million dollar companies. I don’t think it will be long now! 

With All the Love in the World, Ayson Hoag
CEO, Authentic Beauty

 Note from Christine: Aly, it’s NO surprise to me that you’ve turned my Business Growth Blueprint formula and teachings into a REAL success story.  You definitely had the chops AND the know how to implement implement implement!  I totally enjoy working with you and look forward to your amazing 7 Figure Business Success. 

Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures
NY Times Best Selling Author

PS:  To learn more about my BGB program, go to: http://bit.ly/7gZW41

When you’re building your 7 Figure Success Story, this is one of the toughest things for some of us to master, but it’s VITAL.  If you have trouble with this, you might want to attend my personal mentoring weekend and get my personal attention AND the attention of 19 other rockin’ CEOs.  Because NOT having this step at work in your life and business will be a dead end to your success.  http://www.MightyVentures.com/bai 

#3. Equalize Yourself with Others. I believe we all have one unit of worth, no more, no less. No one can add to it, no one can take it away. We’re all equal. Just because someone is powerful, rich, or famous doesn’t mean they are better than you. Practice equalizing yourself with others—this will enable you to more comfortably interact with others, and to reach out to people of all walks of life.

I’ve met many billionaires, Presidents, celebrities. Initially I’d be intimidated, until I remembered we’re all made of the same stuff. When I met Andy Grove of Intel I decided to equalize from the get-go. The result is he has always treated me respectfully, even asked my opinion on matters once or twice. As a result he’s one of the billionaires I choose to model. The more wealthy and powerful he becomes, the more gracious he treats others. Wow.

To your amazing and IMMEDIATE success,
Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author

PS:  IF you are 100% ready to move into 7 Figure Success, my private mentoring weekend is the end of this month. Join 19 other CEOs (and me) to be mentored by me personally. Each of you will get a hotseat to present your business model and get my feedback and mentoring.  Strongly affordable at $1,997. 
http://www.MightyVentures.com/bai  

Here’s another tool for Networking Basics. Remember, there’s no wiggle room on these if you want to create REAL relationships and REAL results now.  Being The 7 Figure Business Builder is full throttle, believe me, but I STILL make time to practice these principals of networking everyday.  So rock on CEOs and entrepreneurs! 

#2. Do Daily Appreciation. Show your appreciation for at least one person each day. Sometimes I do this via e-mail so I can be thorough (and fast). Often, to my delight, the recipient will tell me that they are saving the message for when they need a pick-me-up. You can also express appreciation over the phone or in person. Simply tell someone how much you appreciate who they are, what they do, or whatever it is about them moves you. They’ll be flattered and you’ll feel great.

Appreciate the barista at your local coffee shop by telling them how much you enjoy the perfect cappuccino they make. Tell your spouse how much you appreciate what they do each day. Tell your staff how you value them for being accountable, creative, committed. Spread the good energy around. The result will be a happier you and a friendlier world.

To your amazing and IMMEDIATE success,
Christine Comaford, The 7 Figure Business Builder
CEO of Mighty Ventures, Inc.
NY Times Best Selling Author

IF you are 100% ready to move into 7 Figure Success, my private mentoring weekend is the end of this month. Join 19 other CEOs (and me) to be mentored by me personally. Each of you will get a hotseat to present your business model and get my feedback and mentoring.  Strongly affordable at $1,997. 
http://www.MightyVentures.com/bai