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  Attempting to get the attention of a Venture Capitalist (VC) amid so many startups which have one powerful idea or the other, can be very difficult. What is more difficult is that most of these startups are seeking investors’ backing, therefore, making it very competitive to attract investors’ attention.
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Getting their attention is one thing, sustaining the attention of VCs is another. It can be extremely difficult to get a meeting with a VC, especially if you want to speak with a top-tier investor. Nonetheless, there are several proven ways that you can use to increase the likelihood of their meeting with you, and eventually investing in your business. In this article, I discuss some vital nuggets in attracting an investor and getting his backing.
  1. Identify The Right People.
Getting an investor’s attention through direct emailing can be difficult and the chances are so slim. Your emails are likely to get missing in the thousands of emails sent to your potential investor. Most of the investors are celebrities. So everyone is fighting for attention. The best way to get the attention of an investor is to go through CEOs. These set of people are powerful connectors who have the network and capacity to set you up with meeting an investor. By the virtue of their position, they can convince a lot of VCs. Although, it might be difficult for these CEOs to give you access to their networks, especially if you’re in the same industry with them. Therefore, you have to connect with them on time, offer them value in the relationship and earn their trust. Further, you can meet up with CEOs who had earlier gotten funding from VCs to recommend you to them. Also, you can start networking with potential investors by attending summits and conferences, where you can exchange contact and ideas.
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  1. Ensure You’ve Recorded Successes.
You can attract investors’ attention and eventually their backing when you can build your startup through bootstraps. Bootstraps could be having to be able to self-fund your business, run it effectively with a strong team and then solve a widespread problem. Building your startup with bootstraps can give you the confidence you need to pitch to anyone and win their trust. Furthermore, ensure you are in the eyes of the media by getting PR mentions, or remarks from industry websites, magazines, and blogs. This is very important because potential investors might want to check you out before doing anything serious with you. 
  1. Secure The Pitch.
Prepare your pitch before meeting any VC. Rehearse your speech before your team, or ask for an experienced pitcher to coach you. You can also get directions from watching shark tank shows. Furthermore, ensure you do your research so that you know exactly what you can offer the investor. The more you prepare yourself, the more feasible you will be to obtain investment from them. You need to propose a business case that reassures them that parting with a large sum of money will work in their favour. Therefore, ensure to do your research and provide specific benefits that they’ll be interested in. Featured image source: MakeMoney.ng
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This article was first published on 28th February 2022

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

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