2 min read They say it takes seven touches to close a sale – so it takes seven touches to close an investor. Some startups pitch to a group of investors and if they don’t see checkbooks coming out at the end, then in their mind it’s a failed meeting.
I tell the startup, the investor doesn’t yet know if they are interested or not – they’re still trying to figure out what the deal is about. It takes four updates before the investor gets a sense of the deal and can start to form a decision.
In the end, the investor makes a decision based on team and traction.
The Introduction
In the introduction, you can talk about the market size, growth rates of the industry, and the promise of a great outcome. After that first mailer, the investor doesn’t care to hear any more about the market or growth rates. They only care about one thing – what are you doing to achieve the promise?
Revenue Numbers
I’m amazed at how many startups don’t know their revenue numbers.
Come prepared to share those details with the investors in mailers and follow-up conference calls.
One tactic I’ve seen used to good effect is to go to your investor prospects six months before launching the campaign. Tell them you will start your raise in six months and then ask if you can keep them informed of your progress.
This gives you six months to educate the investor about your deal and demonstrate progress so when you are ready to launch your fundraise; you have a group of educated investors prepared to go.
Read more in the TEN Capital eGuide: http://staging.startupfundingespresso.com/how-to-raise-funding-eguide/
Hall T. Martin is the founder and CEO of the TEN Capital Network. TEN Capital has been connecting startups with investors for over ten years. You can connect with Hall about fundraising, business growth, and emerging technologies via LinkedIn or email: hallmartin@tencapital.group
