VC Minute – quick advice to help startup founders fundraise better.
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It’s easy when you’re pitching to fall into a routine. You’re used to saying the same thing over and over again and to just keep on steamrolling. But what you’re really trying to do is generate an Aha Moment.
You’ll know when you’ve hit that aha moment, because the tone of the meeting changes.
Instead of you just talking at someone, it becomes a true dialogue. The questions come from a place of curiosity. Or, even better, it turns into a brainstorming session.
When you hit that aha moment, first, I want you to mark this down so you know what it took to build up to that moment and what that moment was. The goal is to repeat that across every conversation. Different investors may have different aha moments, but if you find that you keep getting the same aha moment, make sure that you put the emphasis on that in your pitch.
Second, put the script down. Go with the flow of the conversation. This is your turn to listen. Don’t just think about what you’re going to say next. Listen to the questions that are being asked.
You can also use this as a chance to ask questions and even to solicit advice. For example, if they’ve asked questions about a specific path, you could respond by saying, Yes, we’ve thought about going in that direction. Here’s the reason that we chose to go in this direction and not in that direction, but we’d love to hear your take on why you think the other is more viable.
Stay in that moment by remembering this is someone that you could be in business with for years to come.
If you’re pitching and you’re not hitting that aha moment and the tone of the pitch never crosses over into true dialogue, then you’ve got to keep searching for what that moment is.
You have to figure out how can you generate an aha moment.
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