Fundraising is not easy. If you don’t know any investors, getting them interested in your startup is one of the toughest things to do. Even if you may think so, it’s not because the investors don’t want to hear your pitch. It’s mostly because they hear so many pitches that it’s quite overwhelming. So when you meet them at a meetup or conference, listening to your 5-minute-long pitch is very unlikely what they want to do. But there is an easy tip that I use that gives you a head start.
Meet the investor before you need the money
I’ve heard this advice from many people and it has also worked pretty well for me as well. I had a quick Facebook conversation with David Bailey from Downing Ventures who confirmed that it would work on him. That’s what inspired me to share it with you as well.
I believe that you are not interested in this chit-chat too much, so here you go, exactly how I told him.
“I’d meet you before I needed the money and ask for some advice. I’d follow up with how it worked and either say hi when we meet somewhere and email you a quick update (and maybe ask for another advice) from time to time. That’s how we’ll get to know each other and when I’ll be ready for the investment, everything would be much easier because we’d have known each other already.”
You see, it’s not that complicated. Of course, it takes some time. But the reason is that investors invest in people. They need to see that the founders can deliver. Time is usually the best way to get to know each other and see whether there is a fit.
David wrote about how to approach with investors. If you are interested, have a look at these Medium posts:
What’s your secret tip on hacking investors?
(Image source: freegreatpicture.com)