I hate to be sold. When I feel a sales pitch coming on (and I can spot it long before it happens), I put up all sorts of defenses. I am short in conversation and start talking about how there is no budget, etc. Anyone in sales has seen this plenty of times - and most salespeople give up pretty quickly. But, I am running a business and need to buy lots of stuff to run it and grow. So how do you sell to me? I know this could sound obnoxious or egotistical, but I respond really well when someone has something to say about my company or product (in our case, the magazine, website, events, etc.). It could be nice or it could be really good constructive criticism, but it will often get a dialogue started. When you think about it, it really is just common sense. Make the sales pitch about your customer, not you.
By the way, the other thing that often, but not always, helps in getting my attention? That I have heard of your company. Familiarity breeds trust.
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