- Make it short and very direct. Introduce yourself and explicitly state the ask in the first couple of sentences. The first question the investor will be trying to answer is: Who is this person and what does he want?
- Do your research on the person to whom you’re sending the message, and customize the email as much as possible. For example, compliment the recipient on some recent achievement (e.g. a funding round, product launch etc.). Never, ever, send mass cold emails with multiple people on BCC.
- Ensure the subject line is very specific and stands out (e.g. “My Startup,†“Investment†or “Introduction†are all poor subject lines). This helps to avoid an email getting lost in an inbox.
- Avoid sending on Mondays. VCs typically hold day-long partner meetings, and hence accumulate a lot of email over the course of the day. Don’t send after 12 p.m. on Friday either – if the investor doesn’t get to it before the weekend, it may be lost forever.
- Offer specific meeting times and follow-up actions. For example: “I am in San Francisco Jan. 5-7, and could meet between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on any of those days.â€Â Offering specific options removes friction and increases the likelihood of a response.
These are just a few of the most important channels for meeting your next investor. For those of you who’ve successfully raised VC funds, what would you add to this list?
Michael Simpson is the co-author of The Secret of Raising Money, which teaches entrepreneurs how to raise money, and co-founder of DJZ. His co-author Seth Goldstein, who has raised $100m+ across a dozen companies, co-founded DJZ and Turntable.fm.
The Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.