? 本周,鮑勃·阿克爾曼介紹了創(chuàng)業(yè)者要怎樣打動風險投資家。阿克爾曼是Allegis創(chuàng)始人兼董事總經(jīng)理,這是一家以網(wǎng)絡(luò)科技公司為主的早期階段風投公司。 成功進行推介并且真的獲得風投公司投資是一項了不起的成就。雖然風險投資依然勢頭迅猛——今年第二季度它們的投資規(guī)模連續(xù)第10個季度超過100億美元,但對創(chuàng)業(yè)者來說,機會并不多。在風投接觸到的商業(yè)計劃中,獲得其資金支持的通常只有1%-2%。 完善推介書并和風投公司接觸前,大家要花點兒時間來判斷一下風險投資是否是正確的融資方案。風投通常會向一家初創(chuàng)公司注入數(shù)百萬美元資金,并且期待獲得數(shù)倍于此的收益——6-10倍是個很好的評判標準。如果你的初創(chuàng)公司并未真的瞄準一個巨大市場,也沒有實力強大而且可靠的管理團隊,那你就應(yīng)該考慮其他資金來源。 如果你判斷風投資金是你的菜,那就要戰(zhàn)略性地對待這個過程。第一步是做功課——以其現(xiàn)有投資對象為依據(jù),鎖定有可能對你的初創(chuàng)公司感興趣的風投。并不是所有的風投都適合所有的創(chuàng)業(yè)者。 有了這樣的心理準備后,就可以依照下列九個步驟來著手并提高自己獲得風投青睞的幾率。 1. 向自己提出幾個嚴肅的問題。你要進入的市場真的值得風投關(guān)注嗎?初創(chuàng)公司在進入市場時都會遇到許多障礙,你的產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)有足夠的差異性來跨越這些障礙嗎?如果確實得到了風險投資,你或許就得把公司的控制權(quán)交給新的老板,也就是包括風投在內(nèi)的董事會。你可以安然接受這一點嗎?如果不行,風投融資或許就不是最佳途徑。 2. 化無形為有形。開始推介前要盡量多做工作——設(shè)立自己的公司,建起網(wǎng)站,注冊域名,做名片。如果可能的話,就制作出原型產(chǎn)品。這會讓你處于較有利的位置,能以較高的估值來籌集資金,特別是在有了原型產(chǎn)品的情況下,那要好于你只有個想法。 3. 揣摩他們的心思。有些信息風投一定想知道。要準備好應(yīng)付所有初創(chuàng)公司都會面臨的三種風險,那就是市場、產(chǎn)品和執(zhí)行。他們還希望了解消費者偏好。最后,要確保你可以解決自身產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)的技術(shù)可靠性問題。 4. 研究一下你應(yīng)該去找哪些風投公司。大多數(shù)風投都喜歡投資某些類型的公司。要確保自己的公司具有這些特征。隨后,了解一下各家風投在創(chuàng)業(yè)者中的口碑。如果可以的話,就和曾經(jīng)獲得某些風投支持的創(chuàng)業(yè)者取得聯(lián)系,問問他們是否愿意再次跟這些風投合作。如果他們不愿意,那就找出其中的原因(一段合作的不愉快結(jié)局可以提供很多信息)。還要問問情況變得艱難時風投有何反應(yīng)。所有這些都會幫你判斷這些風投能否真的“帶來增值”并注入資金。 回答了所有這些問題后,對你的目標名單進行修正,以鎖定最佳“潛在意中人”。向不合適的風投推廣你的計劃既浪費你的時間,也浪費他們的。 5. 知道自己的獨特之處在哪里。要讓自己成為推介會上的專家,這很重要。確保自己簡短的“電梯推介”質(zhì)量上乘。安排好推介活動的時間——推介本身占30分鐘,產(chǎn)品或服務(wù)展示占10分鐘,再用20分鐘來回答問題和接受反饋。要預(yù)先考慮到那些尖銳問題,比如,為什么要出現(xiàn)你們這樣的公司?為什么是你來做?為什么要在這個時候做?你有哪些獨特之處? 6. “有預(yù)熱的”推介。風投都希望創(chuàng)業(yè)者通過他們的社交圈子來進行引薦。這表明你了解風投的運作方式,也知道怎樣去爭取。它還會讓風投知道,有人愿意支持你。冷不防打來的電話會被放在隊尾,而且永遠也不會真的得到評估。 7. 盡可能多地跟合適的風投公司接觸并鎖定恰當?shù)暮献骰锇椤3晒Φ娜谫Y主要在于堅持。實際上,它非常像人們?yōu)榱藢ふ异`魂伴侶而約會。不要只是鎖定一家公司,要以該公司里的“恰當”合伙人為目標,他最有可能對你的推介做出反應(yīng)。每個合伙人的投資興趣都不一樣(大家通??梢栽谒麄兊脑诰€簡歷中看到相關(guān)內(nèi)容)。要鎖定最有可能對你的公司感興趣的那個人。 8. 在推介會上表現(xiàn)自然。要抑制住沖動,別去戴不說廢話的專業(yè)面具。相反,要表現(xiàn)自然,做自己就好。風投不光向人們的點子投資,也向人投資。投資人都非常善于捕捉裝腔作勢的行為。表現(xiàn)自然很重要。 9. 記住要做什么和不要做什么。要展示一下自己會怎樣應(yīng)對競爭。要對自己的數(shù)字了然于胸。要展現(xiàn)出熱情和說服力。要在大膽和可信之間求得平衡。要聆聽和交流。要坦誠自己面臨的競爭以及可能出現(xiàn)的挑戰(zhàn)(并且知道如何解決這兩個問題)。不要含糊不清。不要夸大其詞。不要借名人來抬高自己。不要喋喋不休。 最后,你的目標很簡單,那就是拿到第二次會面的機會。(財富中文網(wǎng)) 譯者:Charlie 審校:詹妮 |
This week, Bob Ackerman explains how entrepreneurs can impress venture capitalists. Ackerman is the founder and managing director of Allegis, an early-stage venture firm that focuses on cybertechnology companies. Pulling off a successful pitch and actually getting an investment from a venture capital firm is a huge feat. While the pace of venture capital investing remains strong — the second quarter of 2016 marked the 10th consecutive quarter in which VCs invested more than $10 billion — as an entrepreneur, the odds are stacked against you. VCs typically finance only one or two percent of the business plans they see. Before you begin perfecting your pitch and approaching VC firms, take a moment to determine whether venture capital is the right funding option.VCs typically deploy millions of dollars in a startup and are looking to make several times their investment: 6X to 10X is a good rule of thumb. If your startup doesn’t truly target a huge market with a strong and credible management team, you should consider other sources of funding. If you decide VC funding is for you, be strategic about the process. Start by doing your homework — target venture firms that are likely to be interested in your startup, based on their existing portfolio. Not every venture firm is right for every entrepreneur. With that in mind, here are nine steps to get you started and improve your odds for getting a VC to bite. 1. Ask yourself the serious questions. Does the market you’re addressing really warrant attention from a VC? Startups always face lots of barriers to entry; is your product or service differentiated enough to overcomethese obstacles? If you do raise venture funds, you willlikely have to surrender control of your company to your new boss – i.e., your Board, which will now include VCs. Are you comfortable with that? If not, venture capital funding may not be the best route. 2. Make the intangible, tangible. Do as much as you can before showing up to a pitch: incorporate your company, set up your website and domain name, create business cards and, if possible, create a product prototype. This puts you in a better position to raise capital at a higher valuation, particularly if you have a prototype, than if you simply come with an idea. 3. Read their minds. There are certain pieces of information VCs will always want to know. Be ready to address the three types of risk all startups face: market, product and execution. They’ll also want to seecustomer references. Finally, make sure you canaddress the technical credibility of your product or service. 4. Research which venture firms you should approach.Most have certain types of companies they like to invest in; make sure your company fits within those parameters. After that, research each firm’s reputation among entrepreneurs. If you can, contact entrepreneurs the VCs have previously funded, and ask if they’d work with the firm again. If not, find out why not (a sour ending to a relationship can say a lot). Also ask how the firm responded when things got tough. All of this will help you determine whether the VC firmcan truly “add value,” as well as inject money. Once you’ve answered all these questions, refine your target list to the best “potential fits”. Broadcasting your plans to venture firms who are not a fit is waste or your time and theirs. 5. Know what makes you unique. It’s important that you present yourself as the expert in the room. Make sure your brief “elevator pitch” is top-notch. Time yourpresentation: 30 minutes for the presentation itself, 10 minutes for a demonstration of your product or service, and 20 minutes to accommodate questions and feedback. Anticipate tough questions. Why does your business need to exist? Why you? Why now? What makes you unique? 6. Get a “warm’ introduction. VCs expect founders to use their social networks to get an introduction at the firm. It demonstrates you know how venture capitalworks and that you know how to hustle. It also showsus someone we know is willing to go to bat for you. Cold calls go to the bottom of the pile and are never really evaluated. 7. Meet with as many suitable VC firms as possible and target the right partner. Successful fundraising is largely about persistence. In fact, it’s a lot like dating in quest of a soul mate. Don’t just target a firm, target the “right” partner within the firm that will most likelyrespond to your pitch. Every partner has different investment interests (which you can usually find in their online bios). Target the one most likely to be interested in your company. 8. Be yourself in the meeting. Resist the urge to don a mask of no-nonsense professionalism. Instead, act natural and be yourself. VCs invest not only in ideas, but in people, too. Investors are adept at spotting superficiality. It’s important to be yourself. 9. Remember the dos and don’ts. Do demonstrate how you can counter the competition. Do know your numbers cold. Do overflow with passion and conviction. Do balance boldness with believability. Dolisten and engage. Do be honest about your competition and likely challenges (and know how you will overcome both). Don’t be vague. Don’t exaggerate.Don’t name-drop. Don’t talk too much. In the end, your goal is simple: Land a second meeting. Good luck. |