I've been rubbing elbows with a lot of entrepreneurs lately. These are mostly seed-staged startups with very promising products/services. The majority of them are selling in to the b2b space. They're all cold-calling at this point and they all seem to be directing their attention at selling to buyers. I have a problem with this.

A buyer at an organization isn't where they should be starting. That buyer has a relationship with his current suppliers. That buyer is already overwhelmed with how many bids he's getting, etc.

Start at the top. Start with the King or Queen. When you cold-call an organization reach out to the owner, the CEO, the President first. Don't reach out to the "buyer."

Before you do so, be sure to have a solution that would impact something the King/Queen cares deeply about. Then, reach out to them. What's the worst thing that could happen? They'll say, "no." Same thing that buyer might have said. But you don't even need a "yes" from the King/Queen, you just need them to introduce you to the buyer. Then, you're likelihood of getting a "yes" from the buyer is dramatically increased. It should be a no-brainer but most new sales people are afraid of the King and Queen. Don't be afraid, especially if you have a valid solution. Be confident. There's nothing to fear, as Bob Dylan said, "I have dined with kings, I have been offered wings and I've never been too impressed." They're just people. People that need solutions. Maybe your solutions?

You might be surprised how few people call the King/Queen, while that buyer get's 1000 calls a week.

When you go to the castle, see the king and queen.