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3 Simple Ways To Get An Investor’s Attention

When you launch a startup, as the founder, it's your prerogative to gain the attention of the industry’s smartest, best-connected and wealthiest individuals.

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So, I follow a VC on Twitter who writes an insightful blog all about SaaS. Based on his content, I knew this individual would understand our metrics and our business. So I cold emailed him to introduce myself and get on his radar. He responded, we exchanged a few emails about our metrics. He even built us a model based on the numbers I provided.

Eventually, he informed me that our metrics were extremely strong. This not only got the VC engaged, but he was now exposed to and interested in the type of numbers we were putting up. We had inadvertently created demand.

 

3. Get Help Navigating Deals

Over the last few years we’ve fielded a fair bit of acquisition interest. It’s exciting and humbling, but also critical to make the right choices. To help guide company decisions, we often consult with other successful entrepreneurs and VCs. With their advice we gain perspective, which gives us the ability to make the right decisions.

Consulting with mentors, entrepreneurs and VCs about acquisition also legitimizes our business and shows that there is serious interest. It also feeds into the art of selling based on the “hope of gain.”

Exposing the potential upside of our company makes people want to participate. Typically, after we engage with someone about what to do in a potential acquisition or strategic partnership deal, there is interest to invest or become an adviser. This scenario is a huge win for both sides.

The investor sees what you are doing and the demand you’ve created. Inevitably, their interest in your company piques — and so does their interest in a piece of the pie.

We have seen tremendous value by engaging VCs and asking for advice on a variety of topics. Many of these relationships started out with a cold email or tweet. Keeping it short and aiming for real, genuine advice is the key to creating demand and garnering that desired startup attention.

 

This article has been edited and condensed.

Ryan Shank is the COO of Mhelpdesk, a field service software company that helps small businesses manage their jobs, scheduling and invoices. Connect with @ryanashank on Twitter.

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