How to send the perfect cold email to get an investor interested in your company

man laptop tech email computer

Getting the attention of investors isn't easy.

Venture capitalists turn down thousands of offers from prospective entrepreneurs each year and receive multiple funding requests every day.

While having industry connections undoubtedly helps, cold emails, if done right, can be a very effective method of spearheading a company's fundraising efforts.

But how do you get the attention of a busy VC whose inbox is glutted with requests?

Niv Dror, founder of San Francisco-based firm, Shrug Capital, has been on both sides of the equation. Dror singlehandedly raised his own fund with contributions from high profile VCs like Founder Fund's Cyan Banister as well as Marc Andreessen and Chris Dixon of Andreessen Horowitz.

In an effort to raise his own fund, Dror spent a lot of time thinking about what makes the perfect pitch.

Now that he's receiving scores of cold emails from entrepreneurs by the day, Dror is offering his insights to founders seeking funding.

Here are his tips on effectively pitching an investor:

1. Keep your subject line simple.

"If you have some really clever-sounding subject line, it comes off as gimmicky," said Dror. "It needs to be authentic."

Your best option in getting an investor to open your email is to keep your subject line as straightforward and simple as possible.

2. Make it personal.

You should be focusing on cultivating a personal connection from the very first sentence, suggests Dror.

"Make it very clear that it's personal. Offer up a sentence about yourself. The person on the other end of the email is wondering, 'Who are you? Why are you emailing me?' Give your name, say what you do, and then get straight to the point."

3. Don't apologize, ever.

Dror says he often receives emails from people who apologize for taking up his time.

While the person sending the email might think the apology makes them seem more considerate, Dror says it's more likely to rub him the wrong way.

"When you email an investor, don’t be like 'Hey, sorry for emailing you. By the way, do you want to invest $100,000 of your own money in this thing I'm making?'"

The issue with this, says Dror, is that it makes it seem as though the sender of the email doesn't value their own time.

"When people say things like, 'Hey, sorry for emailing, I know you're very busy,' it shows that they don’t respect their own time. You're essentially telling the other person: 'I don't value my own time. I value your time more. Your time is more important than mine.'"

See the rest of the story at Business Insider