One-liners and investor messaging
One-Liner Hot Seat: Live Feedback on Investor Pitch Lines
One-Liner Hot Seat Webinar - Live Feedback on Pitches
Fundraisers, fund managers and real estate sponsors who want to sharpen the first sentence they use with investors.
What you will hear
Richard C. Wilson reads one-liners submitted by Family Office Club charter members and gives a first impression as an investor who sees thousands of deals a year. He says the best one-liners are tangible, verifiable and unique to the speaker. The worst sound like everyone else or leave the added value unclear. He also says investors often give a pitch only 15 seconds of attention.
The examples cover a medical treatment company, hedge fund managers, a workforce housing sponsor, a coach, a COVID 19 industry claim, a clean energy fund and a commercial real estate firm. Common fixes include adding numbers such as years in business, team size or assets under management, naming a strategy, and narrowing a niche. Richard also notes that many sponsors talk to compliance attorneys about how they word tax-related claims.
Five points worth keeping
- Add verifiable numbers. Richard asks Robert how many patents he holds and how large his team is. He suggests one or two credible numbers to show momentum. Ken is told to add years active, properties closed or doors under management.
- Say what makes you different. Describing what you do is not enough. Ken's one-liner on workforce housing in the southeast is mostly descriptive, so Richard suggests adding something unique about how the work is done.
- Be specific about your niche. Paul's coaching line does not say what kind of coach he is or what results clients get. Richard compares this to a general headache medicine and says a named niche solution often gets a stronger response.
- Name the claim clearly. Eric's line was Richard's favorite because it named a specific kind of benefit, not just general tax savings. Richard adds that many sponsors talk to compliance attorneys about how they word tax-related offers.
- Cut filler and stay focused. Richard tells Helen to drop the closing line about building relationships, since investors already assume it. He also prefers focus on one city or one asset type over many cities and property types.
Said on the call
"The best one-liners we see are ones that are tangible. They have verifiable information. It's stuff that nobody else is saying or no one else can say."
"You have 15 seconds to get their attention. The first sentence of your voicemail, the first line of your email or the subject line of your email."
"Everybody should have a one-liner. There's no excuse not to."
Key facts
- Richard C. Richard says he has run the Family Office Club for 13 years and met 2500 family offices in person.
- Richard says he has seen only one tax-efficiency one-liner among at least 180 multifamily groups that came through the club in the last decade.
- Helen's firm in the example is 5 years old with 50 million dollars in assets under management, and Richard says the closing line should be cut.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: One-Liner Hot Seat Webinar - Live Feedback on Pitches. 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.
Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around tax-related claims, compliance review and pitch wording. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.
Related questions
- How do I create a pitch video for investors?Record a one to three minute video of the founder talking straight to the camera.
- 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.
Questions about this video
What makes a strong one-liner?
Richard says strong ones are tangible and verifiable, say something others cannot say, and fit the exact investor type. They also fill a gap that competitors leave open.
Why does the one-liner matter so much?
Richard says investors on stage repeatedly report having about 15 seconds to give attention. The one-liner often sits in the first line of an email, a voicemail, a teaser or the front of a pitch deck.
What should a one-liner avoid?
Richard says to avoid anything boring, plain, confusing or similar to everyone else. He also advises dropping generic closing lines, such as looking forward to building relationships with new investors.
Put this into practice with the one-liner builder. See all one-liners and investor messaging resources.
