No, your goal in the first meeting with an investor isn't to "close an investment" or "secure an investment." Here's why:

Meeting an investor for the first time is a big step in the right direction, but it's hardly the last. In fact, it’s just the beginning. Now you need to do the hard work to make sure your messages are convincing.

Investors and VC funds are busy, so we have to come prepared. We need to have clear messages and a presentation that tells our story well.

How do we do this?

First, we need to set a specific goal for the meeting. The goal should be realistic and measurable. Broad goals like "closing a deal" aren't good; they're too vague. It’s not realistic to expect that after one meeting you’ll secure the funding. You’ll probably need several more, more nuanced and detailed meetings. Simply put, you should aim to get a second meeting to keep things moving forward (or in other words: your goal is to get a second meeting).

If we succeed in getting that second meeting, we'll need to set another specific goal for that meeting – and so on. Until we either score the investment (yay!) or get a final no and move on.

What messages should we share in the first meeting with investors?

To get a second meeting, we must know what will interest the investor. But not just interest, they need to feel safe and secure – in you, your company, and your technology. Sadly, there’s no silver bullet but after working with hundreds of entrepreneurs, we've found 3 key messages:

• You can trust us – Show the investors why you’re trustworthy and that you know what you’re doing. Explain why, where and how you can be trusted.
• We have a solution & people are willing to pay for it – Present a unique solution to a big market problem. Why is your product essential to solving these needs, and are people willing to pay for such a solution?
• We know how to make money for our product – Explain how we'll make money from our solution. Show the investor how their money will not only be safe but could also grow significantly.

These are the questions we’ll use as a basis for our presentation – our presentation is designed to answer these questions. All the charts, data, and stories should support these points. If something doesn't help answer these questions, it might not belong in the presentation. Remember, we're not just talking about our tech, market size, team, competitors, or business plan. These are all tools to help us answer the three key questions and get that second meeting – the goal that we set out to accomplish in our first meeting.