About 15 years ago I was leading an investor pitch to the second in command of one of the world’s largest petroleum companies. The pitch went well and at the end of the meeting the executive said something along the lines of
‘It’s clear to me that you’re a train that has left the station and will reach its destination. The only question we need to decide is whether we get on board your train’
When you’re pitching Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors, it’s critical that they believe your startup will succeed, with or without their investment. There are at least 3 reasons why this matters:
Firstly, human nature tends to dictate that we want something (or someone) more that we believe others will want.
Secondly, we don’t want to miss out on opportunities. A proposition that the evidence and traction indicates is likely to succeed, is infinitely more attractive than an idea packaged in hopes and dreams.
Thirdly, the ability to succeed without that investor’s investment, intellectual capital and connections indicates strong team, product and potential.
How will you create a sense of inevitability?
Photo credit: CC by Simon Cunningham
