Categories Sales

Selling, especially in the early stages of a startup, is the most critical skill you'll need to keep your business alive.

But if you don't have a background in biz dev or sales, the thought of picking up the phone to call a prospect -- or showing up at a trade show or demo day to face customers in person -- is terrifying. How do you know when to push and when to pull back? What's your body language saying at the negotiating table? Is your client ready to close the deal, or still puzzling over your marketing materials? And is your elevator pitch (or landing page) putting people to sleep, or driving sales? Read on for solid advice (and brilliant sales tactics) from entrepreneurs who've been on both sides of the table.