Selling to startups? Here's why you should (or shouldn't), and how to do it right

Most B2B startups initially [sell to other startups](W3YGSFL5s_ptlW7wdBSP51hyHT0/*W7n4DLk4GtjZ0W9l6mXY43jp0T0/5/f18dQhb0SfHt9dsQHxW8_ppmc2qwv1SN3DLw7S63KdJMf5bmvXD6prW39DrXV26p8nbW7m1Z9c6bpmw3W98PTcB25WDjJW6RwHrr2xrmPpW7dC1vP61SSZmW7mG7sD51vX4yW6G7XXZ1nk4sTVbpTbf95Q1YCW70ZLrC5X1WfmW5VLY-m7JzkKVVxpwCR7nYPPBW6QnK7h277Cd7W5x5KNk7-XB_5W67h1CP8r97s-W8m7Y9z5wM1SsVphC7_8sYvvlW5tGktd9dRx4gW5RlSdT5xNCj8W8mGgzn313MFLMH8kTkGFxRqW5G_GHq5Qy2ZjVVb4-W8jDpZfW8Nq9YY34vL48W5KtR2y5B1zqlW3Lqdmx5CFkXmW8yy7vP5mgrv8W8nxbk35w6SWjW8Jtlbp3Nn0qGW8xmBNz8dPl7PW35TWlp5hT-xfW5PCNMM8xqYpzN8jGn2gFHhSdW5BMtk53nfFmQW49r5t-1G8QsMW1GgQYC1Q68w6W1MMh8v6NWFJXMMd__pLMJS4W1nPcdW3Q07SjW25LD5l5YQC-BW1CksCf7gYsyGW85tJJ05H1gjrW7wgWTH7V4tQ7W9dHtzq7-Jd2MW6-mv6c5bbDYKN4Pv86f5XGXrf8_D6bJ02), rather than more established companies. The same is true for us—when we released Close.io in 2013, our first customers were all startups. And there are many good reasons for why you should sell to startups first and foremost. However: - If you decide to go after startups as your primary customers, make sure to hedge against the risks associated with it. ([Here's how](W3YGSFL5s_ptlW7wdBSP51hyHT0/*W96HbXX6R4_10V33Z6x5tfcDP0/5/f18dQhb0SfHt9dsQHxW8_ppmc2qwv1SN3DLw7S63KdJMf5bmvXD6prW39DrXV26p8nbW7m1Z9c6bpmw3W98PTcB25WDjJW6RwHrr2xrmPpW7dCdLC61SSZmW7mG7sD51vX4yW6G7XXZ1nk4sTVbpTbf95Q1YCW70ZLrC5X1WfmW5VLY-m7JzkKVVxpwCR7nYPPBW6QnK7h277Cd7W5x5KNk7-XB_5W67h1CP8r97s-W8m7Y9z5wM1SsVp2gZS8sYvvlW5tGz374dfGHnW61LzvJ5K_zXKW3lj2tv3blhRkW6gc_tW8gLcbCVWJPhc5gVKZKW3TXtd632Y-V-W5SX2r52_zsslVZ87kp8qrDDVW3NWdF83ZZ22pN8g7Y43Jks_JN3w9wgXMcykJW16ZHc58wvzFgW5qJshj3zbF_7VW3ycK2YCk1MW5jVwSy5F49jqW3WX9y93dMV7xW5pRhC28fPyR2W5B_bd841lfJmN3MzLcD5gKM-VVR6H24q1yXrW6092hM54SnJxW4d22hk31lZKGW1DWNCz2ptD4LW7z2LRR5hfQL4W8pDT4H4bRBKRN6Fgs5pnYzxMW964X7C1rDJwqW1JmZRZ6JQFvJW2pglVT6vc-Z6W7YNlZ756dWZz0).) - Remember that selling to startups is different than selling to SMBs or enterprises, and if you don't [adjust your sales process accordingly](W3YGSFL5s_ptlW7wdBSP51hyHT0/*W2XyHKV6nB3-TW1_Fp7b9bt-z20/5/f18dQhb0SfHt9dsQHxW8_ppmc2qwv1SN3DLw7S63KdJMf5bmvXD6prW39DrXV26p8nbW7m1Z9c6bpmw3W98PTcB25WDjJW6RwHrr2xrmPpW7dC76b61SSZmW7mG7sD51vX4yW6G7XXZ1nk4sTVbpTbf95Q1YCW70ZLrC5X1WfmW5VLY-m7JzkKVVxpwCR7nYPPBW6QnK7h277Cd7W5x5KNk7-XB_5W67h1CP8r97s-W8m7Y9z5wM1SsVphC7_8sYvvlW5tGktd9dRx4gW5RlSdT5xNCj8W8mGgzn313MFLMH8kTkGFxRqW5G_GHq5Qy2ZjVVb4-W8jDpZfW8Nq9YY34vL48W5KtR2y5B1zqlW3Lqdmx5CFkXmW8yy7vP5mgrv8W8nxbk35w6SWjW8Jtlbp3Nn0qGW8xmBNz8dPl7PW35TWlp5hT-xfW5PCNMM8xqYpzN8jGn2gFHhSdW5BMtk53nfFmQW49r5t-1G8QsMW1GgQYC1Q68w6W1MMh8v6NWFJXMMd__pLMJS4W1nPcdW3Q07SjW25LD5l5YQC-BW1CksCf7gYsyGW85tJJ05H1gjrW7wgWTH7V4tQ7W9dHtzq7-Jd2MW6-mv6c5bbDYKN4Pv86f5XZY9f4fVhLZ02), you're doomed. - In some cases, you really shouldn't sell to startups at all. I've personally sold to, and bought from startups for such a long time that I've pretty much seen it all. The good, the bad and the ugly. And today I want to share it with you. [Check out my latest post on the Close.io blog where I share a framework for deciding whether selling to startups is right for you, and how to go about it the right way.](W3YGSFL5s_ptlW7wdBSP51hyHT0/*W6FWFJm57R6NSW4DTct_7pZKVH0/5/f18dQhb0SfHt9dsQHxW8_ppmc2qwv1SN3DLw7S63KdJMf5bmvXD6prW39DrXV26p8nbW7m1Z9c6bpmw3W98PTcB25WDjJW6RwHrr2xrmPpW7dClm061SSZmW7mG7sD51vX4yW6G7XXZ1nk4sTVbpTbf95Q1YCW70ZLrC5X1WfmW5VLY-m7JzkKVVxpwCR7nYPPBW6QnK7h277Cd7W5x5KNk7-XB_5W67h1CP8r97s-W8m7Y9z5wM1SsVphC7_8sYvvlW5tGktd9dRx4gW5RlSdT5xNCj8W8mGgzn313MFLMH8kTkGFxRqW5G_GHq5Qy2ZjVVb4-W8jDpZfW8Nq9YY34vL48W5KtR2y5B1zqlW3Lqdmx5CFkXmW8yy7vP5mgrv8W8nxbk35w6SWjW8Jtlbp3Nn0qGW8xmBNz8dPl7PW35TWlp5hT-xfW5PCNMM8xqYpzN8jGn2gFHhSdW5BMtk53nfFmQW49r5t-1G8QsMW1GgQYC1Q68w6W1MMh8v6NWFJXMMd__pLMJS4W1nPcdW3Q07SjW25LD5l5YQC-BW1CksCf7gYsyGW85tJJ05H1gjrW7wgWTH7V4tQ7W9dHtzq7-Jd2MW6-mv6c5bbDYKN4Pv86f5XXLrf6FKT0t02) Go get'em! Steli PS: Many years ago, I even created one of the first courses on startup sales. Here's what some founders and startup sales reps have said about my teachings: "Close.io's startup sales workshop was by a large fucking margin, the best workshop I've ever had. I'm in the current batch of Y Combinator; this workshop is the highlight of the summer." - Tristan Tao, CTO & co-founder Leada "Close.io's startup sales course is the only email newsletter that I never just archive or add to my reading list for later. I read it as soon as it hits my inbox." - Taruna Manchanda, Visual Website Optimizer "This was probably some of the best 3 hours of entrepreneurial learning of my life. Steli's workshops tackle some very very important and relevant problems about sales for early stage startups. It's given me the much necessary ammo I needed to do sales. Do not miss this opportunity! It still baffles me they do this for free." - Varun Arora, CEO OpenCurriculum I'm not sharing these to brag or show off. I'm sharing these because I learned most of these lessons the hard way—by making mistakes. In retrospect, it makes for a lot of good stories. But believe me, it's much better to learn from other people's mistakes, and get on the fast-track to success, rather than going through the entire Hero's Journey with all its cruel twists and turns. Yes, the ups are thrilling, but the downs are cruel, and life always has it's way of teaching you the lessons you ought to learn. It's ok to get to the next level up the easy way—things will get tought again soon enough. So go ahead and [check out my hard-earned lessons on selling to startups](W3YGSFL5s_ptlW7wdBSP51hyHT0/*W6568S-6NMlwzW5MXs_y2Fbm7C0/5/f18dQhb0SfHt9dsQHxW8_ppmc2qwv1SN3DLw7S63KdJMf5bmvXD6prW39DrXV26p8nbW7m1Z9c6bpmw3W98PTcB25WDjJW6RwHrr2xrmPpW7dC4jv61SSZmW7mG7sD51vX4yW6G7XXZ1nk4sTVbpTbf95Q1YCW70ZLrC5X1WfmW5VLY-m7JzkKVVxpwCR7nYPPBW6QnK7h277Cd7W5x5KNk7-XB_5W67h1CP8r97s-W8m7Y9z5wM1SsVphC7_8sYvvlW5tGktd9dRx4gW5RlSdT5xNCj8W8mGgzn313MFLMH8kTkGFxRqW5G_GHq5Qy2ZjVVb4-W8jDpZfW8Nq9YY34vL48W5KtR2y5B1zqlW3Lqdmx5CFkXmW8yy7vP5mgrv8W8nxbk35w6SWjW8Jtlbp3Nn0qGW8xmBNz8dPl7PW35TWlp5hT-xfW5PCNMM8xqYpzN8jGn2gFHhSdW5BMtk53nfFmQW49r5t-1G8QsMW1GgQYC1Q68w6W1MMh8v6NWFJXMMd__pLMJS4W1nPcdW3Q07SjW25LD5l5YQC-BW1CksCf7gYsyGW85tJJ05H1gjrW7wgWTH7V4tQ7W9dHtzq7-Jd2MW6-mv6c5bbDYKN4Pv86f5Y2PYf4RpSKX02). Close.io PO Box 7775 #69574 San Francisco, CA 94120-7775 You can manage your [email preferences]( anytime.