How to run the perfect investor meeting...
a short framework ⬇️
a short framework ⬇️
Your goal in meetings? Drive FOMO
Investors are terrified of missing the next Airbnb. Your need to come off as a founder who's...
• Super smart
• Building something massive
• Already got a ton of other VCs interested
Here's how you start the call & give that impression ⬇️
Investors are terrified of missing the next Airbnb. Your need to come off as a founder who's...
• Super smart
• Building something massive
• Already got a ton of other VCs interested
Here's how you start the call & give that impression ⬇️
1/ Start with small talk & take over.
Common stuff like "how's weather ☀️" or "love your puppy 🐶" first
About 2-3 min, there's an awk pause. This is when small talk is over — you HAVE to take control.
"Glad we could make this work, my schedule's been crazy. Let's dive in."
Common stuff like "how's weather ☀️" or "love your puppy 🐶" first
About 2-3 min, there's an awk pause. This is when small talk is over — you HAVE to take control.
"Glad we could make this work, my schedule's been crazy. Let's dive in."
2/ Make them talk first
Forcing them to talk first puts you in a position of strength. It gives you ammo to qualify their fund & see if they're actually good.
"Start me off — tell me about your fund. Did light research, but it'd be great to hear the details."
Forcing them to talk first puts you in a position of strength. It gives you ammo to qualify their fund & see if they're actually good.
"Start me off — tell me about your fund. Did light research, but it'd be great to hear the details."
3/ Wrestle back control if you need to
Sometimes they'll try to switch this and say "tell me about your startup first".
"Happy to — but first, can you share more about your fund? It'll give more direction as I share what we're building."
Sometimes they'll try to switch this and say "tell me about your startup first".
"Happy to — but first, can you share more about your fund? It'll give more direction as I share what we're building."
4/ Get into the financial info
This helps later in the round. Asking early shows a level of understanding around fundraising that most founders don't have.
Seems simple, but you'll come off as smarter than you are 🧠
Here are the boilerplate questions I ask each VC
This helps later in the round. Asking early shows a level of understanding around fundraising that most founders don't have.
Seems simple, but you'll come off as smarter than you are 🧠
Here are the boilerplate questions I ask each VC
5/ Qualify, qualify, qualify!
Don't just take the first answer to a question – find out ways to re-ask the same question until you get an answer that really impresses you.
My fav question: "how do you move the needle for portfolio companies?"
And here's how I qualify VCs:
Don't just take the first answer to a question – find out ways to re-ask the same question until you get an answer that really impresses you.
My fav question: "how do you move the needle for portfolio companies?"
And here's how I qualify VCs:
6/ Make them sell to you
With enough qualification, the meeting will shift & they'll get to the point where they're selling their fund to you!
When this happens, it'll be obvious.
Now's the time to pitch your startup:
"Sounds good — so how much do you know about Heartbeat?"
With enough qualification, the meeting will shift & they'll get to the point where they're selling their fund to you!
When this happens, it'll be obvious.
Now's the time to pitch your startup:
"Sounds good — so how much do you know about Heartbeat?"
If you can do this all in the first 10-15 min of the call... you're GOLDEN.
You've done everything right to set the tone of the meeting & position yourself as an in-demand founder that knows their shit.
(For more — I'd highly recc sales books like @Kazanjy's Founding Sales)
You've done everything right to set the tone of the meeting & position yourself as an in-demand founder that knows their shit.
(For more — I'd highly recc sales books like @Kazanjy's Founding Sales)
That's it for today!
If you enjoyed this...
• consider dropping a follow (@murtazabambot)
• RT the first tweet to help other founders who might be struggling to raise
I tweet about fundraising, startups, and our journey building @HeartbeatChat
Join me for the ride!
If you enjoyed this...
• consider dropping a follow (@murtazabambot)
• RT the first tweet to help other founders who might be struggling to raise
I tweet about fundraising, startups, and our journey building @HeartbeatChat
Join me for the ride!
TL;DR
1/ Start with small talk & take over
2/ Make them talk first
3/ Wrestle back control if you need to
4/ Get into the financials
5/ Qualify the hell outta them
6/ Make them sell to you
1/ Start with small talk & take over
2/ Make them talk first
3/ Wrestle back control if you need to
4/ Get into the financials
5/ Qualify the hell outta them
6/ Make them sell to you
• • •
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