This issue of What Works covers important territory, including basics of improving your sales effort, along with some terrific (and free) web-based solutions and software that can help you organize your finances, track your sales and manage customer relationships.

"Dear Dan" has great tips on business-to-business selling you'll want to know if you are launching a new B2B product or service. Be sure to visit our What Works for Business blog for other timely ideas and news on the latest solutions for small business. Sign up for the RSS feed to receive automatic updates.





New Secrets of B2B Selling Success

Q. Dear Dan: We’re planning to launch a new business-to-business product and need ways to get the word out -- cheaply. Any ideas? – Launching

A. Dear Launching: The business buying process has changed. The Internet and other digital technologies now drive the B2B marketplace. In 8 out of 10 cases, prospects will find YOU. Read how to make sure it happens...




3 Free Recession Solutions for Small Business
Succeeding in small business today requires a solid grip on your finances and an arsenal of tech tools to help you collaborate with colleagues, schedule time, manage customers and leverage the Internet. And guess what? You can get all of that – and more – absolutely free from some of the nation’s top tech companies. Here's how:

More Effective Client Communications
By Matthew Solan
From annual holiday cards to blast emails, successful small businesses communicate with their clients many ways. Communicating effectively with clients is critical to sales success. Get the basics you need to know:


Training your Salespeople
By LaRita Heet
What's the best way to sell your products or services? It's the question millions have asked and thousands of authors, speakers and business owners have tried to answer. In order to sell, you must look closely at not just your customers and products, but at your salespeople. And that includes the right training...

Creating a Basic Budget
By Irwin Speizer
One of the oldest sayings in business is that you have to spend money to make money. But you have to spend your money wisely. And that's where budgeting comes into play. A basic budget tries to anticipate your spending needs and forecasts your sales and other revenue. Here's how to put one together:

Startup
Technology
Management
Money and Finance