- Image by Minako Bracken via Flickr
We got a cold email inbound (translation: a request for funding, via email, from someone we don’t know and who wasn’t introduced to us by someone we know) today from a founder trying to convince us to fund his company that makes surfing the web easier.
Rule #4759: “Beware any founder who describes themselves as an ‘internet junkie’.”
As an entrepreneur, you are likely struggling to get the attention of a serious source of funding for your new business idea – DON’T SCREW IT UP BY MAKING A BAD FIRST IMPRESSION! I know you are just being funny, and trying to be personable by referring to yourself derogatorily, but you need to remember that you don’t know the personality of the person you are reaching, and first impressions are so important in this business.
Remember that investors are likely very busy people – use your precious few words to make the right sort of impression: you are a successful person, your business idea is outstanding, your potential market is huge, etc. When I hear the word “junkie”, I get the mental image of someone like you see above (I know my son is going to bring her home – “Dad, I met the most awesome girl in the world…”) – and it is likely going to be an uphill climb to get to the next step with me or my firm with this sort of first impression.
MORAL: Present yourself and your ideas in as professional a light as possible.
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Comments (2)
This is a really cool segment idea. A good way to start off the new year. Was this at all involved with a New Year’s resolution for this blog?
I often wonder about introductory emails / phone calls / meetings because I’m always making cold calls. How much do you think age (mine and theirs), function (investor, customer, etc.), and industry have in determining tone? Have you ever had an informal email leave such a bad taste that you pasted over an firm that was on the bubble of going through the next filter?
I was trying to be a bit more inconspicuous than a formal resolution…
In my opinion, all those factors (age, function, industry) matter. You need to think about each when you interact with any important contacts; start out as professional as possible, and take the relationship more personal as your contact allows you over the course of time.
I have certainly had bad communication interactions that made me question the judgment/thought-process of an entrepreneur – this has happened more than once. The entrepreneur/investor relationship has to be incredibly strong – there isn’t much leeway to damage that.