More Reader's Tips! (Web Extra)

My best sales tip is. . .

Make promises that you know you can keep. In my industry - IT - it is easy to say "we can do that." I keep it straight with clients letting them know exactly what I can, and can't do. It builds a trust.

-Ellen DePasquale, owner, Business Technology Personalized, Little Neck, NY. 

Know your prospective client, know the competitive landscape in which they operate and start each sales meeting with questions that will elicit needs that your firm can address.

-RuthAnne Dreisbach, president, Dreisbach Design, Inc., NYC

My best method for closing a sale is. . .

Finding a solution to the customer's needs, and showing them how they can't survive in their business without it.

-Melanie Gass, president, CenterPoint Solution, West Orange, NJ.

My best marketing tip is. . .

Ensure your website it up to date. An out of date website does loads of damage to your organization. Utilize SEM and SEO to the max. Most people search the web before any buying consideration these days.

-BJ Jackson, managing director, Prosell, NYC.

The technology that helped me increase revenue or decrease cost was. . .

Teleconferences and webinars mean that I don’t have to be in front of my staff for daily meetings, freeing up my time to do other relevant things.

-Angela Wright, Founder & CEO, Operation Optimistic Gifts & Apparel, Jersey City, NJ.

We are in the process of changing over our phones to a VoIP system which has a proven savings of 20% against our former land line service.

-Monica Revels, VP, Marketing Martin Benefits Consulting, New York, NY

My best tip for motivating and retaining employees is. . .

Have open and honest discussions with employees and provide 100% employer contributor for employee benefits. We also have an incentive plan - any employee who brings in business will receive a percentage of the deal.

-Monica Revels, VP, Marketing Martin Benefits Consulting, New York, NY.

What gives my company an edge over the competition. . . .

Beyond product innovation, be willing to change order minimums and be creative with offerings. Doreen Savran, founder and president,

-Clean Holdings LLC, New Milford, CT.

My killer interview question is. . .

What was your most brilliant failure?

-Maria C. Seddio, president, CorpTalk LLC, Westfield, NJ.

There's not so much a question I ask as there is a trial by fire. We can tell if someone has the creativity we need by giving them a project to work on and evaluating their performance.

-Darcie King, owner, E Video Productions; Forked River, NJ

The best decision I made for my business in 2008 was. . .

I created a tips booklet instead of a brochure. Now people who read it see what I can do for their business.

-Beth Silver, managing director, Doubet Consulting, NYC