Guides · Investor meetings and pitching live
How to Run an Investor Meeting From Intro to Next Steps
Most investor meetings are decided before and after the call, not during it. The investor has already formed a view of you from what they read, what they heard and who sent you. After the call, they still have to bring other people along.
At Family Office Club we have watched many raisers talk well and then lose the deal in the follow-up. This guide walks through the meeting in order. It starts with what you send ahead and ends with how often you check in.
- 1Send helpful material first
- 2Start with a virtual first meeting
- 3Lead with a crisp message
- 4Show the stability of your team
- 5Equip the other decision makers
- 6Follow up with patience
How it works, in order
Step 1. Send helpful material first
Before the meeting, share something useful. A white paper, a video, a podcast episode or a radio interview all work. I like this because your email reads as more credible when there is a body of work behind it. It also changes how you show up. You walk into the meeting as someone who has already helped, not someone trying to push a sale. If you have written articles or given talks, point the investor to them. If you have nothing yet, start with one short piece and build from there.
Step 2. Start with a virtual first meeting
A first meeting by phone or Zoom is efficient, and many investors prefer it. One panelist said investors often want that initial meeting virtually, and if there is a second meeting, it happens in person. Holly described a similar flow. She takes a first call from someone who is just inquiring, then moves to a Zoom so they can put a face to a name. Keep the first meeting short and clear. Its job is to earn the second meeting, not to close the investment.
Step 3. Lead with a crisp message
Prepare a 30 second version of your pitch that a high school student or a 75 year old parent could understand. One panelist made this point strongly, and I agree. Then add one number that shows traction. A panelist with a diverse portfolio did this by counting 19 investments so far, and by reporting net new demand across the portfolio from inbound letters of intent, memorandums of understanding or actual sales. Pick the one figure that tells your story and be ready to explain where it comes from.
Step 4. Show the stability of your team
Expect the investor to screen the people before the deal. In one conversation, an investor said 70 to 80 percent of what comes in can be knocked out by checking the stability of the partner or counterparty bringing the deal. Their view was that a good, trustworthy partner can matter more than the deal itself. So spend part of the meeting on who you are, how long you have worked with your partners and how you handle problems. Do not leave the team slide for last. Bring facts you can back up.
Step 5. Equip the other decision makers
The person across the table often is not the only one who has to say yes. It could be their team, a family member, a spouse, a partner or an analyst. Think about what those people will need once you are off the call. A white paper, a short video or a clear summary makes it easier for your contact to win them over. Ask in the meeting who else will weigh in. Then send material that person can read without you in the room.
Step 6. Follow up with patience
Send a follow-up soon after the meeting, then give people room. In a conversation I took part in, the advice was that if you text someone and they do not reply, a short nudge is fine, but you can wait two or three days. One story shows the opposite. A person emailed, emailed again that afternoon and texted the next morning to ask if the emails had arrived. The investor said this kind of pressure makes them want to stop doing business with someone. Use a steady, calm rhythm instead.
Step 7. Move the right investors in person
Once the virtual meeting goes well, press for an in-person meeting. One guest said Zoom and calls make a big difference, but meeting in person is the strongest way to build the relationship. He said the personal connection formed outside the work setting often means more than any Zoom call. A panelist also noted that at a major healthcare conference, most of their meetings were follow-ups to earlier virtual ones. You do not need to travel for every lead. Save in-person time for investors who have shown real interest, and use events you already attend.
From my talks
"You're going to have more helpful resources that make you look like an expert, not somebody who's just trying to push on them to sell something without being helpful in the process."
"Maybe you can give them a little follow-up text, but you can wait two or three days."
More from my talks
In the meeting itself, ask more than you pitch. Many raisers try to meet every type of investor at once. I would rather you pick one type and learn what that group cares about. Each meeting teaches you something, so you move up the learning curve faster than everyone else. Even a meeting with the wrong investor is useful if you ask what they look for and listen to the answer. Then use what they tell you to tighten your pitch, your numbers and your follow-up before the next call.
"If you have at least had meetings with your investors focusing on a certain type of investor, you move up that learning curve faster. While everyone else meets with four types of investors, you're meeting with one, and you ask questions more than you pitch."
"One of the most important things is to get momentum and get the investor meetings, even if they're with the wrong investors, and you learn, okay, let's focus on a different type of investor. Figure out ways to get in the room and get those meetings. You can get feedback and dial everything in based on what they say in those meetings."
Where people go wrong
- Walking into the first meeting with nothing sent ahead and nothing for the investor to read afterward.
- Using a long, complicated pitch when a 30 second version would be understood by almost anyone.
- Spending the whole meeting on the deal and skipping the proof that your partners are stable and trustworthy.
- Forgetting that a spouse, team member or analyst may also need to agree before the investor can move forward.
- Chasing with emails and texts within hours instead of waiting a couple of days between follow-ups.
From the source
- One panelist said 70 to 80 percent of the deals that reach them can be knocked out by checking the stability of the partner bringing the deal.
- A panelist with an early stage fund reported 19 investments so far and said the fund will ultimately hold 60 projects, which is why one aggregate traction number mattered.
- In my funnel example, 500 people a year read your articles, a hundred download white papers and you give five talks, all of which can lead to extra investor meetings.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: How to Get Meetings + Deals Completed with Most Valuable Investor Types | Sahil Nandwani, Unlocking Successful Deals: The Essential Capital Raising Element, 7 Strategies to Leverage Our Investor Club and Raise More Capital (Webinar Recording). Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Questions about this guide
Should the first investor meeting be in person or virtual?
In the conversations I watched, investors often preferred a virtual first meeting, with in-person meetings coming as the follow-up. That keeps the first step light for both sides.
How long should I wait before following up with an investor?
One guest said that if someone does not reply to a text, a light nudge is fine, but you can wait two or three days. Repeated messages within hours can hurt your standing.
What should I send before an investor meeting?
Send something helpful, such as a white paper, a video, a podcast episode or a radio interview. Material like this makes your outreach more credible and helps you look like an expert.
Related questions
- How do I handle tough questions during an investor pitch?Prepare for them before the meeting.
- How do I pitch investors over Zoom effectively?Treat the Zoom call as the first meeting and aim to earn a second one.
- How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
- What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
Use the investor meeting follow-up checklist alongside this guide.