You get meetings with decision makers by reaching the right person by name, asking for five minutes instead of an hour, and giving them a reason that is about their business. A short email, a well-timed phone call, and an introduction from someone they know all work. Generic outreach to a title, or to a general inbox, does not.

Below is a plain way to do it: find out who decides, write to them directly, use warm paths first, call when they're reachable, and stop after three tries. The examples are for a small company selling commercial security cameras, but the steps fit most B2B sales.

Know who decides

Before you contact anyone, work out who has the authority and the budget. In a small business it's usually the owner. In a mid-size company it might be an operations director, an office manager or an IT lead, and often more than one person has a say. Look at the company website, the team page, press releases and professional profiles. Then ask a simple question in your first conversation: "Who else is involved in a decision like this?"

There are three roles to keep apart. The decision maker signs. The influencer recommends. The gatekeeper controls access. You may speak to the gatekeeper and the influencer before the decision maker, and that's fine, as long as you know which is which. If you aren't sure who to approach first, who to talk to first helps you choose.

Write to the decision maker by name

"To whom it may concern" and info@ addresses go nowhere. Find a first name, a role and a direct email. Then write something the person can read in 20 seconds.

Subject: Cameras at your Dayton warehouse

Hi Rhonda,

I saw Delmar Supply opened a second warehouse in Dayton this year. We install camera systems for warehouses, and most of our customers start with the loading dock and the back gate.

Could I have five minutes on Thursday or Friday to ask how you handle it today? If someone else on your team owns this, point me to them and I'll leave you alone.

Ken Ito, SafeLine Systems, 31 Oak St, Dayton, OH
Reply "no" and I won't write again.

It has a specific reason, a small ask, an easy redirect and an opt-out. That's the form to aim for. In the US, cold email also needs an honest subject line, a physical address and a working way to opt out. For the full picture, see cold email that is not spam.

Use a warm path when you have one

A message that starts "Dave Alvarez at your sister company suggested I write" gets read. Before you cold-email, check whether you share a connection: a current customer in the same industry, a vendor you both use, someone from a local business group. Ask that person for a short introduction, and make it easy for them by writing the forwardable blurb yourself: two sentences about what you do and why this person might care.

Past customers are the best source. "Would you be willing to introduce me to anyone else who has the same problem?" is a question many happy customers will answer. Referrals take longer to arrange than a cold email, but they arrive with trust already attached, which no cold email can supply.

Call at the right time

Owners and managers are usually easiest to reach early in the morning, around lunch, or late in the afternoon, before and after their meeting-heavy hours. Tuesday through Thursday works best for most. Avoid Monday mornings and Friday afternoons.

When you call, assume you have 15 seconds. Say your name, your company, and one reason that is about them.

Hi Rhonda, this is Ken at SafeLine Systems. I sent you a note about the Dayton warehouse. I know I'm calling out of the blue, do you have 30 seconds for me to say why?

Asking permission is a small move that changes how people respond. Many say "go ahead" because you asked politely. If she says no, ask when would be better, write it down, and keep your word. If it goes to voicemail, leave something short, and say your number twice. More on that in the voicemail script guide.

Not every call needs to be a cold one. A useful middle step is to look at what the person has published or posted lately: a new location, a hire, a post about a problem. One real detail in the first sentence tells them you did your homework, and it takes two minutes. Keep a note beside each name so you can reuse it in the follow-up.

Ask for five minutes, not an hour

A 60-minute meeting is a calendar problem. Five minutes is a favor. "Can I ask you two quick questions about how you handle after-hours security?" feels safe in a way that "can we set up a demo?" does not. Once someone is on the phone and finds the questions relevant, the five minutes often becomes twenty, at their invitation.

If you get a "yes" to five minutes, hold to it. Ask your two questions, then say, "That's my five. If it's useful, I can send a short outline, or we can find 20 minutes next week." You've kept your promise and handed back control.

What to say to the assistant

An assistant or front-desk person is not an obstacle. They know the calendar, they know what the boss cares about, and they can help you or quietly block you. Treat them like a colleague.

  • Be direct and polite: "Hi, I'm Ken from SafeLine Systems. I'm hoping to reach Rhonda about the new warehouse. What's the best way to get on her calendar?"
  • Ask for guidance, not access: "When is she usually easiest to reach?"
  • Don't pretend you have a relationship you don't. Assistants spot that instantly.
  • Say thank you, and use their name next time.

If the assistant asks what it's about, give a real answer in one sentence: "Camera coverage for the Dayton warehouse." A vague "it's a business matter" is the quickest way to be screened out.

If the decision maker passes you down

Sometimes Rhonda replies, "Talk to Marcus in operations." That isn't a brush-off. It's an introduction. Write to Marcus right away and open with her name: "Rhonda suggested I reach out about camera coverage at the Dayton site." Then send Rhonda a one-line thanks so she knows you followed through. People who get a courtesy back are more likely to help the next time. If Marcus recommends a plan, you may need a short second conversation with her to sign off, so ask early: "Who will make the final call?"

Follow up three times, then stop

One attempt is not outreach. Ten is harassment. Three, spread over about three weeks, is a fair run: an email, a call and a second email with a different angle. Space them out, change the channel, and add something of value on the third, such as a photo of a similar installation or a one-line observation about their industry.

After the third, send a short close-the-file note and let it rest for a quarter. The routine is spelled out in the follow-up that never happens, and the last message in how to write a breakup email to a prospect.

Rocketship handles the volume side of this. You describe the buyer, it finds the decision makers by name, writes to them from your own Gmail, follows up, and books the meeting on its own. You show up for the five minutes.

Getting in front of the person who decides takes a name, a reason and patience. Rocketship finds the buyers, emails them from your own Gmail, follows up, and books the meeting on its own. Plans that get you customers start at $24.99 a month (Launch), and every monthly plan starts with a 7-day free trial, card required. See what the AI workers do.