How not to pitch an investor

I got this e-mail earlier today as a contact submission on my blog. I’m sharing it with names and details removed, not to be mean but because this happens all too often and it shouldn’t.

My name is Joe Blow, I have been working on “Acme” project with a friend of mine, built two prototypes now, we are in stage where we need a partner from USA to join help us getting more things done, I am doing all design and programming, he is a successful businessman he is funding the project, let me know if you are interested in more
details.

So, what’s wrong with this approach?

Frosty: It’s a cold contact from the contact form on my blog. No intro. I don’t know the person. I don’t even know where he is based. He used a gmail account so I don’t even have a domain to look up.

Devoid of track record: If you’re going to pitch someone cold, then you need to show that you are the real deal and hence worth paying attention to. There is no mention of who this person is or what he did in the past. Of course, most “real deal” people get introduced to investors because they are the real deal.

No opportunity: It talks about his needs not the opportunity for investors. There is no greed being induced here.

Not personal: I don’t think this person really is interested in pitching me specifically. If so, for one thing he’d know I don’t really look at his industry as I am quite specific on all my public profiles (including this blog) about where I focus my investments. Second, he would know that I am not in the USA (I’m in that big 51st State to the North…).

Anyway, as I say, I don’t mean to pick on anyone. But if you want to get an investor’s attention:

- Get introduced

- Sell yourself (meaning your track record and accomplishments)

- Incite greed so that the investor drops what he or she is doing to follow up with you; and

- Pitch people who focus on your stage and sector.