Ask HN: Biz dev tips?

As our startups grow, my co-founder and I are moving into more operational and business development roles. We are at the point where forming partnerships and cutting deals is a full time job. I would love to hear any suggestions folks here have on how to best reach out to potential partners. I've had terrible luck cold calling. Also, any general advice on how to close deals would be helpful. I know that this is a super-general thread, but biz dev seems to be a role at many startups but I haven't read many great posts on the subject.