The forum is a great opportunity to engage with prospective investors on your pitch page and to clarify points of contention. We know that investors who engage with the forums are more likely to invest, and to invest more when they do – make your forum a pleasant place for them to learn more about your business.
- Be prompt – swift replies to questions are appreciated by all – aim for 3 hours or less.
- Answer the question - hopefully, this is obvious, but dancing around the question or behaving like a politician is unlikely to win the hearts and minds of prospective investors – a direct question deserves a proper answer. Referring people to your business plan can come across as lazy and uncaring – take the time to respond properly, and remember that for every person asking a question, there are far more waiting to see the answer.
- Be courteous – try not to treat the forum like twitter/a bulletin board. Thank people for their question, answer their question, sign off your answer personally and invite further questions/follow-up.
- Don’t feed the trolls! Our Discussion Forum Rules are there to provide a safe and productive environment for entrepreneurs and investors to engage. On rare occasions, tensions may run hot and it’s easy to be drawn into an argument. Spirited debate is welcome on our forums – trolling is not. Reporting posts that breach our rules is the quickest way to get rid of trolls.
- Remember, the forum is read by all investors and you’ll be judged. Investors want to be treated fairly and to know that you will continue to keep them updated after the campaign is funded. Building a good rapport and relationship with your future shareholders starts in the forum.
We'd also recommend preparing some FAQs you think may come up in advance of launching your pitch. Some of the key questions you may want to prepare for, along with specific questions about your product, service and business, include:
- How did you arrive at the current valuation and how can it be justified?
- What's the current share price?
- What was the share price of your last round?
- What are your margins?
- What's your exit strategy?
- How have you validated market demand?
- How do you plan to communicate with investors in the future?
- How do you plan to differentiate yourself from competition/grow quicker than the competition?
- What are your future capital requirements and fundraising plans?
