SUMMARY
Intelligent founders apply the laser-focused tactic of inbound marketing
The right way to do this is by making sure that you have paying customers
You need to make your customers your heroes
Most entrepreneurs find it very hard to get the attention of an investor when they are looking for funding.
This is partly because they use the outdated fashion of outbound marketing, which means they prepare a generic pitch deck, and then send it to every possible investor they can think.
Not only is this a very slow and inefficient method, it also means that you end up spamming a lot of investors.
If you send a generic email, they will not bother to reply – and this is why so many entrepreneurs complain that investors don’t respond to them. Investors are always looking for startups to fund – the problem is that you are doing a poor job of reaching out to them.
As Shakespeare, said – The fault, dear Brutus, lies in ourselves and not in our stars !”
Intelligent founders apply the laser-focused tactic of inbound marketing, where they position themselves so that investors will reach out to them.
The right way to do this is by making sure that you have paying customers, and then showing off to the world that you are generating revenue by delighting customers.
You need to make your customers your heroes, by getting them to write about why they are happy with you on social media. Also, use your website to get the word out about the great work you are doing!
Investors love the sound of money, and if you can show them that you are already generating it and that with their funding you can help them to make, even more, they are going to be very interested in talking to you. You will also be in a much better position when you negotiate your valuation!
This is a path which may take longer but will yield far better results, because it ensures that you stand out from the rest of the entrepreneurs, all of whom are competing with you for the same limited pool of funds.
About The Author
I am a consultant IVF specialist, who runs one of India’s leading IVF clinics at www.drmalpani.com, along with my wife, Dr Anjali Malpani. We have founded HELP, the Health Education Library for People (www.healthlibrary.com), which is India’s first Patient Education Resource Center. I have authored many books, including: How to Get the Best Medical Care; Successful Medical Practise; Using Information Therapy to Put Patients First; and Patient Safety – Protect yourself from Medical Errors which are available free at www.thebestmedicalcare.com . My passion is patient empowerment; and I believe that using Information Technology to deliver Information Therapy to patients can heal a sick healthcare system. I am an active angel investor ( www.malpaniventures.com)
