AprilNewsletter2021

S o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a B l a c k C h a m b e r s o f C o m m e r c e


The Competitive Edge News



Hollywood Cities: Long Beach San Gabriel Valley: Pomona Valley: Inland
Cities West: Inland Cities East: Inland Valley: Riverside Cities: Palm Springs
Cities: Moreno Valley: High Desert: Barstow: International Chapter

From the Desert to the Sea April 2021









































































1

THE COMPETITIVE EDGE

PUBLISHER Seven gripes that kill
Richard Wallace sales morale
EDITOR
Nikisha Bond

Dee Goins
Lue Dowdy
Try to avoid or remedy these top sources of sales
PRODUCTION people’s stress:
Levi Williams
Southern California Black Chambers of Commerce
President Fear of job loss.
Richard Wallace Paperwork that consumes time but seems

Ambassadors to the Chamber
unnecessary.
Sherrie Curry
Catherine Francis Sales managers who won’t listen.
Meetings that waste time
Willie Ellison
Vice President of Membership
Anissa Gaston. Rumors that are destructive and
Information Officer/ Secretary unconfirmable.
La Trici Thomas Goals that are fuzzy or unrealistic.
Director of Media Bosses who use voice – or email as defensive
screen.
KeJohnna Owens
Robert Geason
Here’s a checklist to help you protect your sales
San Gabriel Valley BCC team from these pitfalls:
Kimberly Perry

Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, El Monte, Arcadia,
Glendora, West Covina, Azusa
Don’t be negative. Never tell salespeople
Inland Cities BCC
Dee Goins what they did wrong – teach them how to do
Fontana, Colton, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, San Bernardino it right.

Inland Cities East BCC Don’t cover up mistakes. Encourage your
Marvin Williams team to tell you when they mess up. That
Rialto, Highland, San Bernardino, Redlands,
way, everyone can learn from their errors.
Loma Linda Beaumont, Big Bear, Arrowhead
Moreno Valley BCC Don’t make unfair comparisons.
Janie Williams
Compare each salespersons performance
Pomona Valley BCC with his own previous record, not with an-
Maurice Autrey
other salespersons.
Pomona, Diamond Bar, Montclair, Chino, Upland, San Dimas, La Verne

Riverside City BCC Don’t suffer from your pride. Learn to
Russell Ward listen as well as to give advice.
Corona, Norco, Jurupa Valley, Mead Valley, Good Hope,
Don’t manage without a plan of
Palm Spring BCC
Julia Moody action. For optimal results, your plan
Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, LaQuinta, Indio should include goals, clear communication,
Long Beach BCC
Sharifah Hardie accountability and follow- up.
Lakewood, Cerritos, Bellflower, Carson,
Torrance, Downey, Lynwood, Norwalk

Hollywood BCC
Linda Lewis
Hollywood, North Hollywood, Culver City, Inglewood, Baldwin Hills
Inland Valley BCC
Nikisha Bond
Temecula, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Murrieta, Perris, Menifee, Canyon Lake
High Desert BCC
Terrance Stone
Barstow BCC
DeShawn Phillips
International BCC
Jeff McCoy




2

Beat prospects’ skepticism and doubt



Prospects may reject your product or service for one of these reasons:

Skepticism-they're not convinced that your product or service can deliver the benefits you claim.
Strategy: offer a proof statement. Cite a reference or piece of information that proves the benefit in
Isabel Wilkerson
question.
Your tactics might include explanations, testimonials, statistics, others’ success stories, data from
research studies, magazine articles and professional journals, or brochures and other print materials.

Begin your proof statement by saying something like “Mr. Prospect, I can understand why you'd be
interested in….” “Let me further explain how we….” “We've done some research on the subject of….” or
“You may be interested in hearing what we've done with….”

Indifference-they don't see any need for your product or service. That can be awkward and difficult to
handle.
Strategy: Keep the conversation alive-but be careful about seeming “pushy.” Key phrases include: “I
see; it might be of no interest….” “I understand; you don't need….” and “OK; that doesn't seem to be an
important area for you.”

Then follow up with the general benefit statement: “On the other hand, several of the cost-saving features
of the program might be worth a second glance. Can we talk about some alternatives?
Misunderstandings- they don't have all the information they need to make a positive buying
decision.

Strategy: First, probe to confirm needs. Then make a supportive statement that acknowledges those
needs and introduces the appropriate benefits to satisfy them.

Example: “What you're saying, then, is that saving
time is important to you and that you need a quick
response when problems arise.”

When the prospect confirms your probe, reply
“That's understandable. Many of our customers feel
the same. That's why we set up a mobile response
unit so we can get a team out to your facility within
two hours-even at night or on weekends.

Contemporary Sales Force Management,
Tony Carter,
The Haworth Press,





















3

Mission
About the Black Chamber
The Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce (SCBCC) is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) business
organization dedicated to improving the economic environment for the minority business
community, and fostering business development and prosperity. The SCBCC focuses its efforts on
four major areas:
 Economic Development
 Community Development
 Public Policy and
 Membership Services
The SCBCC invests financial and other resources to implement relevant programs for members and
which affect the orderly growth and development of the community. It is the catalytic agency that
brings together all of the forces, public and private, through which common goals can be
resolved. The fundamental mission of the SCBCC is to create and promote a climate where
minority businesses can operate in a productive and profitable manner. The SCBCC has served
member businesses since 1993, and they are enabling them to prosper through mutual cooperation
and support.
Financial Strength and Stability

As in any business a sound financial base is essential for a Chamber of Commerce to perform its
mission. A portion of the SCBCC’s finances are received on a voluntary basis from chamber mem-
bership, through an annual dues investment. The amount a member pays to the chamber may be
based on a fee formula, business classification, special negotiation or averaging. Increasingly over
the last 10 years, dues make up a smaller percentage of chamber budgets, with the average being
about 50 percent. The remaining portion of the budget is dependent upon income received through
the sales of publications, charges for services, special projects and foundations. A well developed
product and services program is the current trend for successful chambers of today.

Structure

The SCBCC is governed by Officers and a Board of Directors. The President of the Board
appoints Committee Chairs to meet the needs of the Chamber. The staff is headed by the Executive
Director.
Programs

The SCBCC’s primary programs are created to provide the maximum benefit to business owners and
professionals in Southern California. These programs include:
 Contacts to Contracts – The SCBCC actively engages in facilitating government and corporate
contracts for minority businesses.
 Business Development and Training – Minority business owners, operators and their staff are
provided a range of workshops, one-on-one training, peer mentoring, resources and referrals.
 Networking and Professional Development – The SCBCC provides local and regional
networking for all who wish to participate. Monthly mixers, local business conferences, seminars
and workshops are provided for the purpose of unifying and connecting minority businesses with
the resources, contacts and training needed to grow their businesses.





4

Sidewalks for Muscoy Project to Become

Reality as Assembly Majority Leader Eloise

Reyes and County of San Bernardino
Marvin Williams
President
Inland Cities East San Bernardino – Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes

and the County of San Bernardino announce that the California
Transportation Commission has voted to approve funding for the

Muscoy Area Safe Routes to School Pedestrian Improvements
Project. This funding will come from the state’s Active

Transportation Program (ATP) Cycle 5 and will provide the project
Lue Dowdy Vice
President Inland with a $1.88 million grant. The grant will be matched with funding
Cities East
SCBCC Director from the County of San Bernardino.
of Events






















































5

“Boost Telephone Power”


Break the phone-tag cycle after three rounds: Contact the prospect’s secretary or assistant and say
“Ms. Jones and I have been playing phone tag for quite a while – and all I really want to do is set an
appointment for 3:00 on Thursday. Will she be available then?”
-Adapted from High Efficiency Selling,

These five Ps will help you make a strong first impression over the phone:
Promptness. Answer your phone immediately - after no more than three rings.
Politeness. A cheerful, courteous greeting helps.
Preparation. Have crucial information handy, such as product prices, delivery dates and the like.
Precision. Stick to the facts.
Professionalism. They’re interested in their problems and your solutions, not the other way around.

-Adapted from Selling by Telephone,

To reach your prospect, you’ll often have to sell telephone screeners – also known as “gate keepers.” Their
job is to weed out timewasting, self-interested sales people. So you need to quickly communicate why you
have something of value that’s worthy of their boss’s time.
Suggestion: Talk to screeners and executive assistants in your own organization. Ask what they hear
from the salespeople they eventually screen out. Also ask what works in getting through to decision-makers.

-Adapted from Telephone Tips that Sell!
















































6

Free yourself from Q&A traps

The question-and-answer sessions that follow
presentations can strike fear into an inexperienced
salesperson’s hearts. You can remain in control
with these tips:

Keep your answers as short as possible.

Beware of prospects with involved follow-up
questions- they can lead you far off your topic.
Say “I can see you have further questions- and
I'll be happy to stick around for a few minutes to
discuss them. Right now I think it's important
that everyone gets the chance to speak.”

Respond to off-topic questions by saying
“That's a good question. But in the interest of time,
I'd like to stick to talking about this particular
product.”
Admit it when you don't know the answer.
You can’t know the answer to every possible
question.
You might say “I don't know for sure, but my
guess is....” or “That's out of my area of
expertise. Let me speak to someone in our
engineering department and call you with the
answer.”
-Adapted from speaking magic,
Carolyn Dickson, Oakhill Press


Good posture can boost sales

To ensure that your words make the greatest
impression on your prospect, follow these
suggestions:

Line your body up at an angle that matches the
prospect’s body angle. Never sit at an opposite
angle; that can create a confrontational impression.

Maintain an open posture-hands palm-up and
open; uncrossed legs, arms and feet.

Remove anything that might tempt you to
“fiddle,” such as pens or paper.

Manage eye contact. Too much seems
aggressive; too little suggests a lack of interest.

-Adapted from Influencing People,
Jimmie Rodgers, AMACOM, .

7

ACCESS TO CAPITAL


Moreno Valley Mixer the 2nd Monday

Barstow Mixer the 1st Tuesday

Pomona Valley Mixer the 1st Monday
Montclair, Chino, Upland, Pomona,
Diamond Bar, West Covina, Chino Hill, Claremont, San Dimas, La Verne

Palm Springs Mixer the 2nd Tuesday
Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Laquinta, Indio

High Desert Valley Mixer the 3rd Monday
Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, El Monte,
Arcadia, Glendora, Covina, Azusa,

Inland Cities West Mixer the 3rd Tuesday
Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga,

Long Beach Mixer the 3rd Wednesday
Lakewood, Cerritos, Bellflower, Carson,
Torrance, Downey, Lynwood, Norwalk

Hollywood Mixer the 3rd Thursday
Culver City, North Hollywood, Inglewood

Last Week of Month

Inland Cities East Mixer the Last Monday
Highland, San Bernardino, Redland, Loma Linda, Beaumont, Big Bear, Arrowhead

Inland Valley Mixer Last Tuesday
Temecula, Murrieta, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Perris, Menifee and Canyon Lake

San Gabriel Valley Mixer the Last Wednesday
Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, El Monte, Arcadia, Glendora, Covina, Azusa,

Riverside Cities Mixer the Last Thursday
Corona, Norco, Jurupa Valley, Mead Valley, Good Hope,

International Chapter Webinar Chambers & Business Affiliates
A/A Chamber Commerce of San Joaquin, Antelope Valley AACC, L.A. Black Business Association,
Carson Black Chamber of Commerce, Central San Diego Black Chamber, Contra Costa Black Chamber
Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce, IAAAACAME, Inc., Kern County Black Chamber, Fresno Metro Black
Chamber, Greater Los Angeles A/A COC, Greater Watts-Willow Brook Chamber of Commerce, Monterey
County A/A COC, Moreno Valley Black Chamber, North Bay Black Chamber Oakland AA Chamber of
Commerce, Regional Black Chamber SFV, San Francisco A/A Chamber Silicon Valley Black Chamber,
Solano County Black Chamber, U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Latin Business Association, Black
Women's Network, The Hollywood Jewish Chamber of Commerce, The Asian Business Association, The
Los Angles Urban League



8

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9

Meet The Woman Fighting For All Of
America’s Main Streets -


SBA Administrator
Isabella Casillas
Guzman Seeks
To Not Only
Recover, But Build
Back Better







Isabella Casillas Guzman, the newly confirmed
Administrator of the Small Business Administration
(SBA) has taken the reins of the agency at a critical
time for Main Street.


The Covid-19 pandemic has ravaged small business-
es. In fact, a recent Federal Reserve
Bank survey found that 30 percent of -- or 9 million -
- small businesses in the U.S. do not expect to sur-
vive 2021 without additional government assistance. Another survey the Fed conducted with AARP re-
vealed that many small business owners ages 45 and over struggled to make it through 2020 and that their
revenue was much lower than expected. To help Main Streets across America bounce back, Administrator
Guzman is at the helm of implementing SBA’s programs swiftly and effectively.


The Biden Administration is closing in on its first 100 days and has been focused on making sure small
businesses and innovative startups recover and build back better from the pandemic. Administrator Guz-
man has been in her new role for a little over a month. Already the Biden Administration has made chang-
es to the Paycheck Protection Program, and the American Rescue Plan will hand small businesses several
other critical recovery programs including the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

That’s not all. More may be coming if President Biden gets his wish and the American Jobs Plan passes
Congress. As the agency undertakes the significant task of overseeing a serious amount of capital and
helping to rescue America’s economic engine -- small business -- I had the good fortune of speaking with
her in one of her first sit-down interviews. Below is a summary of our conversation.






















10

Time for Change

Foundation 19th Annual
Virtual GALA Yields Huge

Success


SAN BERNARDINO, CA— Time for Change
Foundation (TFCF) celebrated its 19th Annual
Awards Gala on April 9, 2021 by recognizing the
resilience of the homeless women and children
they serve and honoring outstanding community
champions throughout the state of California.

The event, hosted by author, philanthropist and
co-host of The Real Loni Love, highlighted the
empowerment of all women.
This year’s theme, “She is…” lifted up the beauty
that resides in each woman, regardless of their
past circumstances.

The challenges of the past year have shown the
need for all of us to work in collaboration, and
support members of our community. The “She
is..” gala applauded the work of the many
champions who make daily contributions to our
society commended these heroes for their work.











































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Chambers & Business Affiliates





















































































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Chambers & Business Affiliates





















































































13

Guidelines for better

networking


Remember these tips to take the pressure off
before a networking event.

Plan ahead. The more prepared you feel, the
more confident and relaxed you’ll be.
Decide what you want to say about your
business and rehearse it with a trusted
friend.

Think of some opening lines and practice
them too – “What business are you in?”
usually works well. Then think of at least
five more questions you can ask to get the
conversation going.

Relax. You’re attending the event to expand
your circle of acquaintances – not to make
a sales presentation. Like you, the people
you’ll meet tend to resent exchanging busi-
ness cards with people they hardly know.
You'll connect better if you're not trying to
come off as the perfect salesperson.












































14

News Update




Making the buying

decision easy

Use one of these phrases to help prospects make up
their minds – with no regrets:

You can do it!

You’ve waited long enough.
It’s a winning decision.
Take this important first step.
See for yourself.
Say “Yes” to (your benefits).
Don’t take our word for it.
Find out for yourself.
Interested?
Intrigued?
Convinced?

You have to experience it for yourself.
Make this the turning point in your career.
Put our ideas to work!

Rather than simply reading about it, why don’t
you...?
You be the judge.
You’ve got an important decision to make.
It's up to you.



































15

Its just one complaint, right?
Its’s not an objection –

it’s a stall A studied of customer complaints.

4% of unhappy customers complain; 96% simp-
If you suspect a prospect’s objections really a ly go away angry. And for every customer
stall, the best you can hope for may be a time complaint received, you can count on an
commitment. Ask the prospect four quick ques- average of 26 more problems you don’t hear
tions: about.

“What exactly do you expect from our 56% to 70% of complainers will do business
meeting?” with your company again – if their com-
“How soon do you think you may take plaint is resolved. Note:
advantage of what I have to offer you?’’
That number soars to 96% if the complaint’s
Can you tell me what's involved in your deci- resolved quickly!
sion-making process?”
The average complainer tells nine to 10 people
Where do we fall in relation to other about the problem.
vendors?” at makes you think you can But 13% tell more than 20 people. The average
close the sale? customer whose complaint was resolved will
tell five to six people.

Analysis: Loyal customers are the backbone of
every company. Commit to respecting your customers
and providing goods and services at the best possible
prices. The greatest think you can tell customers is

“No problem – we’ll take care of that for you.”









































16

Reinforce success by

reassuring them

Whenever new customers come to your business,
make a point of telling them about some of your
recent accomplishments. For example, you should
let them know how you have:

Helped others triumph over similar problems
and challenges.
Received special training in the areas they
need help with.
Taken a special interest in that area-by
attending seminars, for example, or reading
specialized publications.

Remember: Silence can be interpreted as
incompetence. So seize every opportunity to give
customers information through personal
conversations, written materials, telephone calls,
etc.

When you thoroughly discuss every aspect of
the customers’ situation, how your solutions work,
what they can expect during the process- and even
some of the downsides and risk- you're likely to
wind up with happy customers who will do
While the customer anything for you- including referring others to
you.
‘thinks it over’ Let Your Customers Do the Talking,

Michael E. Cafferky, Upstart Publishing.

So you’ve got a customer who seems reluctant to
commit. Learn what you need to do to help him
decide by finding out:

Why he wants to think it over.
What, specifically, he still wants to think
about.
What doubts he still has.
What proof or testimonials you could offer to
clear them up.

Here are a few questions you should ask
yourself:
“Did I ever ask for the order?”
“How many times?”
“When am I going back to see this custom-
er?”

-Adapted from Close! Close! Close!
John Fenton, Pfeiffer & Co., (858)578-5900.


17

Motivate customers to Take charge of
give referrals your time

You’re about to make an important phone call

Many business professionals send small gift when one of your sales reps sticks her head in the
baskets, bottles of wine, flowers or gift door and asks if you have a minute.
certificates to thank customers for offering
them referrals. Do you keep dialing? Or do you ang up
and ask what the problem is? Better: Put the inter-
You could also thank those customers with: rupter thought a quick three-step screening test:
Free estimates or samples.
Additional products or services at reduced Say “I really need to make this call”
cost
Rebates. as you continue dialing. If the rep leaves
you alone, the problem probably wasn’t
Payment time extensions.
Free telephone consultations. that important in the first place.
Group discounts.
Extended warranties. Ask the rep “Is this urgent?” if she refuses
to leave and seems intent on gaining your
Reduced costs on peripheral items or attention. If the answer is “No” dismiss
services. the rep with a promise to talk later and
finsih putting your call through.
Remember: Think about the cost of finding a new
customer on your own-including literature, adver- Put down the phone – reluctantly – if the
tisements, sales calls, telephone time, meetings, answer is “Yes.” The rep should realize
etc. that shed better make it quick. You'll
You’ll see that the cost of gaining new business shave valuable minutes off the time the
through referral incentive programs is almost al- interruption could have waisted because
ways lower. shell be in a hurry to make her point.






































18

19

20

The 3-R approach to better

learning


When you’re exhausted after hours of staring blankly
at that new product manual, try this technique to help
you commit the material to memory:

Relevance. Give deliberate thought to the
learning process.
Organize your thoughts to determine what you
need to know, when you need to know it and
why you need to remember it.

Rigor. Cement your new knowledge in place by
keeping yourself motivated.
Get creative – enlist the help of friends,
family and colleagues as you develop your
memory skills.

Review. Don’t except to fix knowledge in your
memory and then forget about it.
Your memory is a living organism – you need
to feed it to keep it alive.

Periodically return to the material you’ve
studied. A quick tour through that product
manual once a month should keep the facts
fresh.








































21

The Official Newsletter of the Black Chamber of Commerce

ADVERTISING RATE CARD






Circulation: San Gabriel Valley, Inland Cities West, Inland Cities East Riverside Cities
BCC, Moreno Valley, Pomona Valley Palm Spring , Hollywood Cities, Inland Valley, Barstow
High Desert
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PO. Box 1722, Duarte, CA 91009
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Content: Information for small to medium size businesses, professionals and
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22

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
Please complete this form, print and return with your membership fee to the
Black Chamber of Commerce


Business Name

Owner’s Name

Address

City State/Zip
E- Mail Address

2nd E-mail State/Zip
Phone Date of Membership

Sole Proprietorship Partnership Corporation Non-Profit
Type of Business or Profession (please check ) one ):


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888-466-7408


Chapter: Inland Cities West Inland Cities East Inland Valley

Moreno Valley Hollywood Cities San Gabriel
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23

Southern California Black
Chambers of Commerce
P.O. Box 1722 Duarte Ca, 91009
BLACKCHAMBEROFCOMMERCE.ORG

Hollywood
Black Chamber
Pomona Valley
Black Chamber
Inland Cities West
Black Chamber
Inland Valley
Black Chamber
Long Beach
Black Chamber
Inland Cities East
Black Chamber
Riverside/Corona
Black Chamber
San Gabriel Valley
Black Chamber
Palm Springs
Black Chamber
High Desert
Black Chamber
Barstow
Black Chamber
Moreno Valley
International Chapter
888-466-7408














































24