Want Investors? Here Is How To Find Them On Autopilot

Last month, at K&J we ran an outreach campaign for a client to connect with VCs.

They ended up with three deals after nine weeks from a pool of 324 VCs.

Here is how we automated the process.

1. Open LinkedIn Sales Navigator (you’ll need a premium account for this, but you can sign up for a free trial or message LinkedIn directly for another free trial if you don’t have it)

2. Select “Lead filters”. Here are the filters we used:

3. Copy the saved list URL you just created from LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

4. Go to We-Connect.io (follow up the signup process - if you need help doing this, look at part 2 of our guide here)

5. Select “Campaigns” > “Add New”

6. Select “Smart Sequence” > “LinkedIn Search URL” > paste in the search URL you copied from earlier > tick boxes “2nd connections” and “3rd connections” > “Continue”

7. Select “Step 1” > “Invite To Connect” > In the “Enter message”, use the following template:

“Hey (first name),

I'm a co-founder of (Business Name) (XXX startup focused on B2B for XXX); our beta is here (XXX) we just had (insert some form of traction or award); if you've got 15 mins, I'd love to set-up a chat to show you our deck.

No stress if you don't see a fit.

(Your name)"

Select “Continue”

This tactic can be used for any business and in any context.

Whoever you are targeting, you need to edit the above filters in Sales Navigator.

Two notes on LinkedIn filters:

a) If you target people who have recently changed positions, they are more likely to chat with you

b) Target people who have posted on LinkedIn recently, as they are more likely to check their inboxes and reply

We’ve been running these campaigns for multiple organisations, from rugby franchises to board mem

If your buyer is on LinkedIn, you can find them.

If you want more details on this campaign have a look at my LinkedIn post here.

Bob The Mole

A few years back, a family member of mine landed a role in a local start-up. Early on, they started telling me about their manager, the growth guy (I'll call him Rick) leading the sales and marketing teams.

Rick had made it clear he was responsible for all things "up and to the right" for this company. A legend in his own lunch hour, you might say. He was even a waiting-to-be-discovered novelist on the side, punching out pages during his lunch hour while the rest of the team just ate food.

Even though they'd just raised millions from well-known local VCs, it only took a few short stories about Rick for me to tell my mum, "I think this company is going to fail."

Rick was what I call a mole. A special, in a very problematic way, type of character that I've been unfortunate enough to come across a few times in my years as a professional.

If there's ever a case for hiring slow and firing fast, it's for people like Rick.

I spotted Rick early. But the silly thing is, at least in my experience, it's actually quite hard to do. I've missed more than I've spotted. See, while these people are in the business, they're often seen as the good ones and everyone else around them, the problem—at least we've got Rick.

These chameleons are none the wiser to themselves either, which is why they play the part so well. As they go on their heroic ways, championing their good, they destroy everything around them behind smokescreens that managers and the like can't see past.

By the end of my family member's run at this start-up, Rick was the only one left from the original growth team. In a desperate attempt to become cashflow positive after the economy took a hit (having been unable to raise), when people left, they didn't replace them.

Now it's just the founding team and Rick—at least they've still got Rick.

When a person leaves a company, one of three outcomes happens:

• Nothing.

• The business declines.

• Or the business improves.

The writing should have been on the wall for this start-up because every time someone left, by and large their fortunes worsened.

What's that saying—"if you're the constant, maybe it's you"... or something like that.

It's hard to take these stories at face value until you've experienced them. I've seen it enough times now to feel confident that this isn't an exaggeration.

The opposite situation is common too—an overnight turnaround after someone leaves. And because of those smokescreens, often no one is wise to the reason.

I think you can only really be sure you've got a mole after they leave. Or in this start-up's case, when they don't and everything collapses around them. Until then, enjoy the ride.

That start-up is still alive btw, but only just. Word is if they don’t break even by years end they’re done. And Rick’s still there too. Saving the world, one lunch break at a time.