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Sessions
Advisor Contact
2018-09-25: by Dorian Vought
The initial outreach to a Target Advisor can mean the difference between success and failure in securing their help. Generally, the introduction should be made by someone that the Target Advisor trusts and the message should be brief. Let’s review how to get a top Target Advisor engaged in your company.
The best way to engage with a Target Advisor is to be introduced by someone that the Target Advisor trusts, such as the FI Director, an FI Mentor or a service provider, like a law firm. If this is not possible, try to meet the Target Advisor in person, such as at a Founder Institute session or at a public event. If these two methods fail, you can directly email a target advisor in an unsolicited way, but this is the least likely to succeed and the laziest alternative.
Once initial contact has been made, the ideal process to engage a Target Advisor is to get them on a brief call to see if there is chemistry. After the call, if it is possible, then you should try to meet face to face for a coffee or a meal. If the chemistry continues to be strong, then invite the advisor to officially help your company.
Chemistry is important to have with your Advisors. You need to like them as people and respect what they say, which is easy to test with some hypothetical questions. If the Advisor asked you to try something that you disagreed with, would you try it? If you had a party with your close friends, would you invite the Advisor? If you answer, “yes,” to these questions, then the Advisor might be a good fit.
The messages to a Target Advisor about helping need to be simple, complimentary and to the point. Some sample emails are below, which you would plan to customize significantly for your own business.
Sample Advisor Outreach Email
Subject: An Opportunity…
Hello,
I am currently enrolled in the Founder Institute. My company, [Company Name], is developing a
to help [an audience] [solve a need] [with special sauce].We are in the process of setting up an Advisory Board for [Company Name], and I thought that you would be a great candidate. We are offering some upside in the company for helping, and the minimum commitment would be a 15-minute call every two to four weeks.
Do you have 15 minutes this week to chat with me about it? Let me know. Thank you! – [Founder]
Sample Advisor Engagement Email
Subject: Interested in Helping?
Hello,
I enjoy your perspective on business and would like to have you as a formal Advisor to [Company Name].
We can start off small if you are interested. I would like to have a 15-minute call every [two or four] weeks, where we could discuss the progress that we are making and any challenges that we are facing.
If you would like, we can use the FAST Agreement (http://FI.co/fast), which will give you upside in the business as we grow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you! – [Founder]
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