5 TIPS FOR HANDLING YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS

Congratulations, you’ve scored a long-awaited meeting with institutional investors! Here are some tips to help the meeting flow more smoothly:

1. Provide basic info early on

Answer the most commonly asked questions early on in your deck/handout like location, year founded, history, senior team, advisors/board, main products, and current ownership structure rather than keeping your audience guessing. Providing this information early allows you to avoid basic questions and spend more time answering more valuable questions

2. Tell a captivating story

Explain what makes your company and strategy unique. Focus on the capabilities of the leadership team, and a solid proof of concept backed by healthy sales and scalability. Show how you are evolving your strategy and managing risk. Also, avoid jargon.

3. Read the room

Is your audience engaged and asking questions, or have they checked out? Read the room and ask investors if they feel their questions were fully answered and redirect the conversation if it went off-track. Be sure to answer any questions asked right on the spot regardless of whether they are on-topic or not.

4. Ask about commitment

The goal of the meeting is to get a commitment. You need to know where investors stand by asking questions at the end of the meeting about next steps like a follow-on meeting, the need for due diligence (even site tours), or other actions that lead to an investment.

5. Follow up after the meeting and beyond

Follow-up not only right after the meeting, but over the months after the meeting. Some institutional investors take a long time to decide to invest, so ensure they are in your CRM receiving your press releases and e-blasts.  

Remember, this meeting is not about you, it’s about your investors, so engage them with your story and be responsive to what you are seeing and hearing.