怎样和投资人打交道？别只盯着钱

初创公司在发展的各个阶段都需要资金，这已是共识。但创业者不能只看资金需求而忽视了真正应该面对的问题：如何才能更好地利用投资者的专业经验和广阔人脉，而不仅仅是获得种子资金或者成长期资金？

我的同事、西北大学凯洛格商学院管理与组织学科的兼职讲师马克·艾克勒指出：“不该问应该何时游说投资者，而是要问什么时候建立关系最好？简单来回答：立刻。”

建立合作关系的第一步就是留下好印象，其实要做到这点比开口要钱技术含量高得多。留下好印象的第一步是靠谱，要提前做功课研究潜在投资者，了解他们的投资偏好。

应该了解你要接触的投资人有什么特点，他们喜欢在企业哪个阶段投资。正如我在凯洛格商学院另一位同事、创新与创业实践副教授卡特·卡斯特指出：“不同阶段都有资金介入，比如天使投资是为了启动产品开发或者小规模测试；成长期融资是支持开发完整运行的产品，以及针对用户测试市场接受度；A轮融资是要扩大初创团队、更积极地推广产品。”知道这些之后，你就不会在找天使投资时跑去联系做专做A轮的投资人。

你还要知道投资人具备哪些专业经验。一位通晓医疗保健领域的投资人可能并不适合指导汽车业初创公司。同样地，如果投资人只对直接面向消费者销售的公司感兴趣，而你的产品只面向企业客户，也是没找对投资人。

要留下好印象的第二步是激发对方的兴趣，要展示你对行业的理解，以及你的产品或者服务能满足哪些现有的需求缺口。商业模式要深思熟虑，而且试验过。即便目前还没有用户，也要告诉投资人你早就想好如何获得用户，计划已就位，方法论已明确。

与投资者建立关系的真实回报无法用金钱来衡量——即使你最终获得数以百万美元的融资。实际上，倘若你的目的只是吸引对方投资，结局不外乎两个，要么是投资人迅速回一句“谢谢，没兴趣”，要么会说“等你实现‘X’目标的时候再来告诉我。”

其实最好的结果是，你能经常得到投资人引荐，接触到少数可以在创业道路上真正提供帮助的贵人，而且投资人会承诺保持联系，约好今后会面。那样才意味着你与投资人和联系可能延续多年（而且会得到数百万美元的投资。）

请记住，你与投资者接触不只是见个面，而是一段长期交往的开始。和其他人际关系一样，假如第一次会面时气氛融洽，双方有化学反应，对方会期望再次见你。接下来，你与投资人就能慢慢建立有意义有成效的关系。（财富中文网）

译者：Pessy

审校：夏林

It’s a given that startups need money at different stages in their development. But you can’t let your need for capital overshadow the real question you should be asking: How do I establish a relationship with the right investors to gain access not only to seed or growth capital, but also to their industry expertise and contacts?

As my colleague Mark Achler, an adjunct lecturer of management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, observes: “The question isn’t when is the best time to pitch, but rather when is the best time to begin a relationship? The easy answer is right now.”

In establishing a relationship, you have to make a great first impression, which is far more holistic than asking for money. The first step is to appear credible by doing your homework about potential investors and knowing their preferences about the investments they make.

Know who you are approaching and their desire to become involved at a particular stage of development. As another of my Kellogg colleagues, Carter Cast, a clinical associate professor of innovation and entrepreneurship, notes: “Capital comes at various stages: e.g., angel funding to begin product development or a pilot test; funding to develop a fully-functioning product and test market with customers; or series A funding to expand the startup team and more aggressively market the product.” With that understanding, if you’re looking for angel funding, don’t go to an investor who only does series A.

Also know their industry expertise. An investor specializing in healthcare may not be the best one to approach about an automotive startup. The same goes for investors who are only interested in companies that sell to consumers if your product is strictly focused on selling only to other businesses.

The second step in making a great first impression is to come across as compelling and interesting by showcasing your understanding of the industry and what unmet need or problem your product or service addresses. Present a well thought out and tested business model. Even if you don’t have customers as yet, show that you know how to acquire them, with a plan and a methodology.

The real payoff in establishing an investor relationship is not measured in dollars—even if you eventually end up securing millions of dollars in funding. In fact, if your objective is only to pitch for money, you’re setting yourself up for either a quick “no, thanks” or a “come back and tell me when you have achieved ‘X.’”

Rather, the best outcome is often the offer to introduce you to a few key people who can help you along the path and a promise to stay in touch with follow-up meetings. That could very well be the start of a meaningful relationship with an investor that spans several years (and yields millions of dollars of investment).

Remember, your meeting is not a point in time; rather it is the starting point of a longer-term connection. Just as in any relationship, rapport and chemistry at the first meeting will inspire others to want to meet with you again. Then you’ll be on the right path to enjoying a truly meaningful and fruitful relationship.