It’s vital to start your relationship with your investors on the right note. This is especially vital when you’re introducing your business or a start-up to people for the first time. There’s certain etiquette to follow here and if you do, you’ll nail that introduction email. If your introductory email is well-written, informative, and impressive, your potential investors would become interested. Here are some ways you can achieve that.
Pay Attention to the Subject Line
Investors get hundreds, if not thousands of emails soliciting their attention and aid. Today, almost everyone is interested in starting a business and getting proper funds is the only way to ensure it’s on solid ground. You have to send an email into an already overcrowded inbox and have content that would immediately grab the attention of the investor. That’s not really an easy thing to do. Here are few things that you should keep in mind:
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Relevancy matters
Make sure that just by reading the subject line, the investor gets a clear idea what’s in the email. For example, ‘example.com: A domain set up for demos in content’ shows exactly what the business is all about. Conversely, ‘A great investment opportunity’ explains nothing and will only be binned by seasoned investors.
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Personal connection or introduction
One of the best ways to actually grab the attention of an investor is to either get an introduction or mention a mutual acquaintance. Ideally, you should get consent from the person whose name you mention.
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Mention professional background
The best example of this would be, ‘com – Founded by former Google programmer.’ Example.com in this case is an unknown entity while Google is probably the most well-known entity there is.
The Content
Now that you’ve established the subject line, it’s time to look at the content. The email should be short and sweet, containing no more than 150 to 200 words. It should be clear, convey your purpose, and ensure you get a meeting.
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Personal Connection
The first thing you need to do is to establish a personal connection with the investor. Start by using the first name, mention a mutual connection, and a past investment. Example: Hey John, Zack mentioned you invested in ZXY.com and I think you might be interested in my company example.com.
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The Pitch
This should contain the need for the product in the market, the solution you provide, and the market size.
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Progress and Traction
Here you need to mention just how successful your company is since its launch and how much it has grown. Investors are most concerned with this aspect of your email.
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Your Team
Your team is a vital asset so you should mention key members and their experience or qualification. Investors know that a lot rides on the team.
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Social Proof
If you have successful investors on board, let others know. If people have expressed interest in investing, let them know as well. This would build confidence in the potential investor.
You should close with funding details including the amount you need and the stage of funding you are in. You should also request a meeting in your closing paragraph.
