How to sell to startups
Everything you need to know about how to sell to startups
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How Selling to Startups Differs From Enterprise Sales
Startups buy differently from enterprises, and treating them the same is the fastest way to lose the deal: - The founder is often the buyer, the user, and the budget holder in one person - Sales cycles are short when the value is obvious and long when it is not - Procurement and legal friction is minimal, so a great demo can close in days - Price sensitivity is real, but speed and outcomes matter more than the lowest cost
Sell to the outcome, not the feature set. A funded founder cares about growth, runway, and hiring, so frame everything in those terms.
A Simple Outbound Playbook for Funded Startups
Run this loop every week:
1. Pull a list of companies that raised in the last 30 to 90 days in your target segment
2. Get the verified founder or relevant decision-maker email
3. Send a 90-word personalised email tied to their funding moment
4. Follow up twice, one week apart, adding a new piece of value each time
5. Track replies and double down on the segments that convert
Consistency beats volume. Fifty highly relevant, well-timed emails will outperform a thousand generic ones.
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