How to get investors to notice you
Chronicles of an Afropreneur
Dear ,
One of the questions I keep getting asked is "how do I get an investor to notice me". And it is a very relevant question because you can lose or win an investor's attention within seconds.
Here are some tips that can help you:
Prepare, prepare, prepare! But be concise: Don't just walk up to an investor or meeting without being prepared. Find out their temperament, what they like, what businesses excite them. Use concise stories and relatable examples.
Be differentiated and in touch with the happenings in the ecosystem: Investors are always keen to hear about the big problem you are solving for your customers, what the "pain point" is, and how you are solving it differently from others. You must also know the happenings in your local community/world and how it can/will influence the adoption of your solution.
Ask for advice: By strategically reaching out to an investor for advice, you may be able to build a relationship with them that will result in a greater willingness to invest in your business later on. It gives them a chance to point out potential flaws in your business and shows that you value their input.
Build a realistic business model: The free model, with an implied intent to monetize later, doesn't work with investors anymore. It takes real money to sustain a business. Ensure that you are building a track record of traction by selling to your customers.
Gather early customer testimonials: Let the customers do the 'selling' for you by sharing their experience using your product/service and how it made their lives better. If you don't have real customers yet, focus on the size of the pipeline, the number of partners, and penetration into recognized retail and distribution outlets.
Show that you have the right team mix: Most investors back the team and not the product/solution. You can pivot a bad solution but you can't always change a bad team
Do you still need help with your investor strategy and pitching? Book a session with me. (Open to only members of our community)
Keep grinding,
Uwem