Everything the Perfect Cold Email Pitch Should Include<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The better a VC understands your product\/service and what you\u2019re asking for, the easier it will be to evaluate your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
VCs don\u2019t have time to waste analyzing your pitch. So the easier your pitch is to understand, the better your chances of them opening your email and responding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Follow the KISS method, or the one that says Keep It Simple, Stupid<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use these 8 steps as a checklist to not only stay on track but make your pitch stronger and harder to resist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Short, attention-grabbing headlines that get straight to the point show you know how to sell your brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stay away from cliche subject lines (Ready to revolutionize [blank] industry? Get in on the ground floor!) as those are easily routed to the trash without an open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use the name of your brand or product and the details of your pitch\u2019s raise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When your VC clicks your email, greet them with a warm welcome to make them stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This isn\u2019t the time to spill your guts about how dedicated you are to making your brand a success. VCs don\u2019t have time to waste on your Shark Tank story of drama and determination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Show your VC who you are and why you\u2019re different from the thousands of offers they receive every day. Make it memorable.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that your VC knows who you are, tell them why they should be interested in your company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As VC Sean Park says, \u201cThink of your email as an elevator speech. You should only provide the key points<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So write a few short sentences about why your brand even exists. Keep it short and sweet; no more than 2\u20133 sentences max.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The better you are at communicating what your brand does and what problems it solves, the easier it will be to sell your pitch.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So your VC may find interest in your brand, or they may not find it so cool. That doesn\u2019t really matter. Once you show them the numbers, they may only be interested in investing for the return \u2014 and that\u2019s still cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar to a stellar resume, adding specific numbers shows you know your business inside and out. It also helps your VC evaluate your traction and trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Find 3\u20137 main points to highlight to show VCs your current and future potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lacking solid financials for your startup?<\/p>\n\n\n\n No worries; add a few key figures about your target audience, like spending habits of those in your market, to flesh out your pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now it\u2019s time for the hard part: the ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the time to be direct and ask for exactly what you want from your VC. Time is money so don\u2019t waste time mincing words here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Decide if you\u2019re emailing a VC for their advice, their capital, or for a referral to someone else in their network of investor contacts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about it this way: If a VC asked their inbox-watching assistant what your business wanted, could they reply in one, quick sentence?<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s important; if you can convince someone with less experience to push your email forward based on a simple ask, your chances of gaining approval from top-tier level VCs in the next round also improves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before you hit the send button, don\u2019t forget to add your contact information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s nothing worse than trying to get in touch with someone who just wrote an awesome pitch and finding zero contact info at the end of their email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A solid email signature should include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s where you\u2019ll present yourself, not your brand, to your VC. And if you pass the test of marketing yourself, you\u2019re a step ahead of most cold emailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your VC will have a lot to think about by this point (if you\u2019ve followed our lead) so don\u2019t give them any more homework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So decide one action you want your VC to take and then tell them exactly what you want them to do. No thinking required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Give your VC the ability to peruse the details of your brand and make a decision about reaching out or investing their time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always have an updated pitch deck or one-pager ready to go. You never know who you\u2019ll virtually e-meet during the day and it provides a great overview of your pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attaching either of these to your email is the ideal way to give your VC the intel they need without bombarding them with too much information to sift through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s go over a few other tactics you should avoid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want to know what increases your chances of a VC hitting the delete button more than misspelling their name?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t want your VC to think you fired off the same generic email to 17 other investors. Would you read the rest of an email that started so impersonally or would you immediately mark it as trash or spam?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Look up the name of the venture capitalist you want to speak to directly and don\u2019t be lazy. Most VC firms publish their email address online and via their social media networks. This isn\u2019t an application for the local burger joint, ya\u2019 know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We all make mistakes and even the autocorrect spelling wizards don\u2019t get it right 100%. Send your email on a test run to someone else in your company and have them point out all the flaws before a VC does (and sends it to the trash).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aim for quality, not quantity. Trim any words you can while getting across your brand\u2019s best, most attractive features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This shows your VC that you value their time and won\u2019t waste it if you partner together in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your email should be no more than half a page long. Avoid big blocks of text and format your email to make it as easy to read as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t get too deep in the technical jargon of your app\u2019s details either. Your VC wants quick stats; if they have time to read, they\u2019ll probably pick up something more interesting like a paperback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leo Polovets worked for Google and as an early LinkedIn engineer before becoming a Partner at Susa Ventures. According to Polovets:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe hands down best way to introduce yourself to a VC is through a mutual connection, so always try that first. Either connect on LinkedIn, mention your shared contact, or best yet, get a warm introduction<\/a> from your friend or another member of the investment firm.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you don\u2019t have this luxury, you\u2019ll need to do a bit of research to find the right VC for your product or service. A VC specializing in health app startups probably won\u2019t have a business plan or need to invest in your subscription drone racing channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you do your homework, try to find connections between your brand and your investor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Polovets says pitches that mention these connections also form a bond between you and your VC instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you can\u2019t find any ways to relate to your VC, move on to another one. It\u2019s 10x easier to find a VC who\u2019s looking to invest in your niche than convincing one to take a leap of faith.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n All cold emails are standard lead generation in that you cast a wide net and hope you land at least one big fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you form a list of investors to work with, tweak your pitch email slightly to make a connection with each specific VC and keep sending them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But don\u2019t ever expect a response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sending follow-ups every day is too much. Wait a week and send a follow-up email to touch base. Hear nothing back after that and you may want to try elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s say you follow all our advice and a VC responds to your email,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Geoffrey James tells Inc. you have two days at a maximum to move the conversation forward because:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s talk about putting them together to create a cold email pitch template you can reuse whenever you find a VC to partner with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customize these basic template examples to make your brand shine for every VC you email:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hi Olivia!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My name is Ted and I\u2019m one of the co-founders of RateYourCup, a social media site for coffee addicts to share and rate their favorite local brews.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m reaching out because you backed BeerReviewsNearYou, which I\u2019m a huge fan of, and I wanted to get your advice about taking our site to the mobile app market.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n BeerReviewsNearYou and RateYourCup operate on the same idea and could have the same mega earning potential.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n You probably don\u2019t have time to meet for a cup of the city\u2019s highest-rated coffee, but if you\u2019d share a few minutes of your time, I\u2019ll send a hot cup straight to your office.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Attached you\u2019ll find our pitch deck with more info.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks for your time \u2014 I look forward to hearing your reviews about a different sort of brew in the future!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n To get all 6 of our cold email templates, click here to download the swipe file.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Attach your pitch or one-pager to your cold email and you won\u2019t ever know if your VC actually opened them or chucked your email in the trash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using Digify\u2019s email plugins, send secure files right from your email inbox \u2014 and track their activity<\/a>. You\u2019ll receive mobile notifications anytime your files are accessed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Digify lets you see:<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can even revoke access if you don\u2019t want your files hanging around when a VC acquires a competitor of yours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Partner with Digify’s virtual data rooms<\/a> and you\u2019ll never wonder if your VC saw your pitch \u2014 even if they never respond to your well-crafted cold email.<\/p>\n\n\n\n1. A Clickworthy Subject No Longer than 6 Words (or under 45 characters)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Introduce Yourself and Your Brand In One Sentence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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3. What Your Product\/Service\/Brand is Doing to Solve a Problem<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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4. How You\u2019re Currently Crushing It (with concrete numbers)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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5. Define Your Ask<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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6. Close with a Signature and Your Contact Info<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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7. Finish with a Strong CTA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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8. Attach Your Deck or One-Pager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What Not To Do When Cold Emailing Pitches to VCs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
[Don’t] Start with “To Whom It May Concern” or “Dear Sir\/Madam”<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
[Don\u2019t] Send it off without getting someone else to vet for Formatting Issues, Misspellings, Grammatical Errors, and General Lack of Attention\/Care<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
[Don’t] Waste your VC\u2019s time with Jargon and Details<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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[Don’t] Pitch outside your VC\u2019s interests<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
[Don’t] Expect a response or take too long to respond if you get one<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Putting The Pieces Together:
Cold Email Templates to Pitch to VCs the Easy Way<\/h2>\n\n\n\nTemplate 1<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Send The Pitch and Find Out which VCs are Viewing and Sharing your Files<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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