If I had a product I wanted to sell you, would you ever let me solicit you? Hell no.

No one wants to be sold to. So you put barriers in my way: voice mail, receptionist, email, no solicitations signs. Yet, entrepreneur after entrepreneur and salesperson after salesperson tries to sell their way into key decision makers. Sorry, but it won’t work.

There is a better way. What if I called you to write a dossier about you for my website, newsletter or magazine? What if I contacted you to interview you? You would take that call in a heartbeat. Journalists get access where salespeople don’t. So, stop being a salesperson and become a journalist.

Reach out to an industry trade mag and offer to write a column for them. Create an informative blog or podcast to talk about the industry you serve. Then start interviewing. You will gain access to people you couldn’t have otherwise. With that access comes the privilege of a budding relationship. And a good salesperson knows exactly how to handle a budding relationship.