Pitching investors in
person and online is a skill one can learn.
Here are some key steps in reaching out to potential investors through
email to pitch your deal.
Choose investor prospects carefully – don’t spam an entire list but rather use
lists to research and identify qualified candidates. Search for connections to those candidates and topics of interest. Then devise strategies for how to reach out to them.
Indicate why you are reaching out to them—show why that person and company could be
interested in your deal. This could be based on a past investment, a network
connection, or a group affiliation. Answering the "why" will keep them reading.
Show your connection to the reader – finding a common connection will greatly
improve your chance of a response so it’s worth looking for someone who is in their network that can provide social proof that you are legitimate.
Show the problem you solve, the solution you offer and the market
you target—do this in one or two
sentences and not one or two pages of text.
Show indications of
traction—show 3 to 5 examples of
traction such as leads generated, sales closed, number of users in a beta program, etc.
Introduce yourself and show social proof – there’s a tendency to start the email with
this information but showing your position in the community and credibility
comes after you have established a topic relevance to the investor.
Close with a one sentence ask—make clear the next step such as a conference call, a
meeting, advice, etc.
Also remember these
following points:
Write in a
conversational but business-style tone--not marketing-speak.
Keep it short and to the
point avoiding long blocks of text.
Use numbers to make your pitch stronger as it shows
specificity.
Remember to attach the
executive summary or pitch deck.
Best regards,
Hall T.
