I have many top level executives from my old company and we had a pretty good professional relationship with each other.  I now want to call each of them and offer my services to them and their families; however I feel that they might just look at me as if I were trying to pedal a product just for sales.  (Most of these people have an extensive sales career in their past or present). 

 
Most of them were typically in a higher position than me at the time and I’m not sure how they will look at it, as if to take advice form me now.How can I ask them without sounding like I am a sales person?  I want them to see that I value them and want them to be a client of mine for my business. 

Thoughts, comments…?   
DJ

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________D,

This is, indeed, a difficult situation.  These people know you in one capacity, so it’s hard to come to them with much credibility in your new capacity.  I can think of two avenues of action:

 
1.      Wait for awhile – if you can. Wait until you can come to them with a ton of confidence and conviction in the work you do. Come to them with a refined process that you know they will find valuable – even if they don’t ultimately buy anything from you.

 
2.     Go to them seeking their advice and counsel.  Tell them – and be honest about this – that you want to build your career working with high-level executives like themselves and that you value their advice in how to do that. Tell them that you’d like to demonstrate your process for them and discuss the value you bring to clients to get their reaction and thoughts about to approach people of their stature in a way they will sit up and take notice.

Some of these folks just might become clients.  Some may refer you to others.  And, I suspect, in every case you’ll learn some valuable lessons that will serve you moving forward.

I hope this helps!

Bill