According to this survey, LinkedIn ranks as the third most preferred platform for PR pitches after email and telephone. A survey found that LinkedIn is one of the least-used methods for pitching, but that journalists prefer it to Twitter or blog comments.
How do you pitch a startup?
Your startup pitch is everything and knowing how to pitch a startup is significant to your success. It doesn’t matter how innovative, well-thought-out or potentially profitable your product idea is–if you can’t attract investors to your startup, your business will face serious difficulty scaling up and achieving widespread success. It`s obvious, that raising capital presents a unique set of challenges that many startups struggle with. Your prospective investors aren’t going to just take your word that your business is going to flourish; you need to demonstrate to them that investing in your startup is likely to provide them with a good return on their investment.
Successfully attracting capital requires putting together a strong, compelling pitch that convinces investors to back your startup (rather than the other 100 businesses also seeking their capital). As the competition for investors’ attention continues to grow, here are 7 significant questions to answer to maximize your chance of winning over investors when pitching your startup:
- What`s the name of your start-up?
- What industry does it appeal to?
- How does it work?
- What`s your start-up’s main strength?
- What`s the result of your proof of concept?
- What do you plan to do in the future?
- What do you expect from the investor?
Start with your name, but also think about what you do: can you summarise your job in an interesting and fun story? Instead of just giving your name and job title, imagine the impact you could have if you introduced yourself with an unforgettable anecdote of how you once sold an umbrella to a man in the desert!
After you get your potential employer’s attention, follow up with further information about what you’ve achieved and what you aim to do in the future. It’s important to highlight what you’ve accomplished already so that they can imagine you working in their company and bringing all your expertise and passion with you.
At the end of the day though, it’s just an entertaining story. You need to make them want you. Bring the focus back to them and what you can do to boost their company to the next level.
So, we’ve reviewed the things you should do. But what about the things you shouldn’t do? It comes down to being friendly, confident, and not overwhelming the person you’re writing to. Firstly, don’t talk too fast. You may want to include every scrap of information about your product, but if you write at a hundred miles an hour, they just won’t be able to keep up, and stay concise.
Next, avoid using too much work slang. You might simplify everything you’re writing, but remember you’re a specialist! It is useful to shorten everything to an acronym when speaking to other specialists in your field, but you don’t want to make the person you’re talking to feel stupid.
Finally, you need to practice what you’re going to write, and read it to check if your message is coherent. It’s not a monologue to be given to your mirror, but a conversation that you’re having with another real person.
- The first thing you do when giving a pitch is self-introduction.
- The second thing you should do is highlight your advantages.
- Your task is to make your prospective customer want to cooperate with you by showing how you can help bring their business to the next level.
Pay attention to the key issues while you are giving your pitch. Here you can find useful language:
I would like to take this opportunity to (present PRODUCT) …
I’d like to give you a brief breakdown of (PRODUCT) …
My objective is to (inform you about PRODUCT advantages) …
The significance of this is …
Wouldn’t it be great if I (sent you our special offer) …
I want to spread the word about (PRODUCT) …
Would you be willing to use PRODUCT to boost your business) …
How Long Should a LinkedIn Message be?
LinkedIn gives you up to 300 characters for your LinkedIn Connection Request Message. On the other hand, the LinkedIn InMail character limit is:
- Subject line: 200 characters
- InMail body: 2000 characters
- Signature: 150 characters
A regular LinkedIn Message that you can send only to your 1st-degree connections and to members of the same LinkedIn Group, only in case you are a member too, has an 8000-character limit.
However, there is no need to use them all. When writing any of these, keep in mind that you have only a few seconds to catch your prospect’s attention. Furthermore, no one wants to read a novel in their Inbox.
In your LinkedIn Message make sure that you:
- Hook them in the Intro to read more;
- Keep them interested throughout the message to continue reading;
- Make them wish to ask questions and want to hear more.
LinkedIn claims that messages up to 600 characters are 50% more likely to get a response. Also, remember to fit the catchy information at the beginning as this is what recipients see in their Inbox preview.
LinkedIn Message Templates for Different Communication Needs
GetSales.io is pleased to share the generic message templates that we are successfully using in our customer engagement platform for b2b. We help companies to increase b2b sales by building efficient prospecting & sales processes in digital channels with the automation & algorithmization platform GetSales.io. Collect customer data, automate sales & prospecting, and get leads & insights.
See the examples:
- Acquaintance request.
- Hello, #Name#.
I am [SENDER NAME], an/a [TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME], a company specializing in [PRODUCT]. I have found your advertisement. I see you have great experience in the IT solutions & integration business. So, it might be interesting for you.
Regards,
[SENDER NAME]
- Hi, #Name#.
My name is [SENDER NAME] and I’m running a business with partners in [REGION NAME] in [COMPANY NAME] company. We were referred to you by your partner. I`m writing to inform you about [PRODUCT].
Best regards,
[SENDER NAME]
- Hello, #Name#.
I am [SENDER NAME], an/a [TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME]. I am writing about [PRODUCT]. I see you have great experience in the telecommunication business. So, our suggestion might be useful for you.
Sincerely,
[SENDER NAME]
- Hello, #Name#.
I am [SENDER NAME]. I’m driving the business forward to [REGION NAME] in [COMPANY NAME] by [PRODUCT]. I see you have great experience in the IT business. Your customer suggested that we should contact you.
Kind regards,
[SENDER NAME]
2. Personalized pitch.
- Hi, #Name#
As I`ve mentioned previously, my name is [SENDER NAME] and I’m driving a business forward with partners in [REGION NAME] in [COMPANY NAME] company.
I’m acquainted with your profile and company portfolio, and it seems your company is a potential partner for us and our product [PRODUCT]. I’d like to give you a brief breakdown of the information. Please, check the product deck attached [LINK TO DECK / VIDEO].
I am delighted to tell you [COMPANY NAME] is one of the World’s leaders which provides [SOLUTION DESCRIPTION] for businesses of any size. Our partners are getting access to the super-reliable top product and can seriously improve their product portfolio: [BENEFITS DESCRIPTION].
Would you be willing to have a call on Skype or Zoom to discuss our potential cooperation?
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
[SENDER NAME]
- Hi #Name#,
Let me remind you. I am [SENDER NAME], our main market is IT solutions & integration business. [COMPANY NAME] is expanding now our partner’s program and providing exceptional terms & conditions for new partners in your region.
I’m acquainted with your profile and company portfolio, and it seems your company is a potential partner for us and our product [PRODUCT]. I’ve recorded a short video for you to explore my idea: the link is here [PRODUCT PRESENTATION]. I provide you with a free test account with [SOLUTION DESCRIPTION] – I just need your e-mail to activate it.
Also please find a short demo video here on how it works [LINK TO RECORDED VIDEO WITH SOLUTION DESCRIPTION].
We are leaders now in a niche market. Our partners get access to the super-reliable top-product and can seriously improve our partners’ product portfolio: [BENEFITS DESCRIPTION].
We will provide you with detailed information through a video call. Are you open for a call or a quick chat?
Best regards,
[SENDER NAME]
3. Clarification of information, and meeting arrangement.
- Hi #Name#,
We would like to give you more info about your [PRODUCT] products. So, see the file attached.
Feel free to ask for any specific information. There is a special offer for you [LINK TO OFFER].
Thank you for your consideration. Are you available for a call/Zoom conference/meeting on Skype sometime next week? Please let me know which of the above times would be convenient for you.
I look forward to speaking to you in person.
Kind regards,
[SENDER NAME]
- Hi #Name#,
I would like to give you more details about your company’s product [PRODUCT]. There is a special offer for you [LINK TO OFFER]. Please, do not hesitate to contact me, if you require any further information.
Thank you for your consideration.
Are you available for a call/Zoom conference/meeting on Skype sometime next week? Please let me know when and where you would prefer to meet.
I look forward to our meeting.
Regards,
[SENDER NAME]
4.1 Follow-up to remind the info
- Hi #Name#,
As I’ve told you before, I am [SENDER NAME], an/a [TITLE] at [COMPANY NAME], a company specializing in [PRODUCT]. I’m acquainted with your profile and company portfolio, and I suggest your company is a potential partner for us and our product [PRODUCT]. I see you have great experience in the IT solutions & integration business. So, it might be interesting for you.
If you require any further information, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
[SENDER NAME]
4.2 Follow-up to make a special offer
- Hi #Name#,
Thank you for participating in the negotiation. As was decided, I am sending you the information that was required. See the file attached.
I`m delighted to give you a special offer [LINK TO OFFER]. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Regards,
[SENDER NAME]
5. Thank-you message
Hi #Name#,
Thank you for your contribution. I appreciate having the opportunity to cooperate with you.
Hope to continue our successful partnership.
Feel free to contact me if you need any clarifications or advice.
All the best,
[SENDER NAME]
Conclusion
In 2022 up to 80% of b2b sales communication is in digital channels.
The GetSales.io platform combines a sales automation toolkit and customer data platform (CDP) functionality. There is an AI-powered Dashboard Analytics, which allows uncovering customer insights, and tracking performance analytics per sales teams.
Companies lose 90% of all potential customers at the early stages of the funnel due to inefficient prospecting & sales processes what is prospecting & sales here:
– Leads manual collection
– Leads engagement (prospecting)
– Leads qualification (communication)
Here is the most efficient leverage to improve sales 5% growth = 30% more leads.
Sales representatives find prospects manually, plan sales actions for every account manually, message, and sometimes forget information.
We suggest automatic prospect collection and enriching contact data (LinkedIn, Social Networks, Data catalogs, and our data cluster).
Why don`t you automate 80% of sales tasks in the early stages of the pipeline with a no-code workflow builder?
We guide & push sales to make effective actions at the right time for each prospect with a process planner.
Our platform has many advantages: Increase the number of sales actions in digital channels, keep cadence, extract insights, and guide sales to focus on target leads, increase qty of leads, and save up to 50 hours /month for each FTE.