How to Make Your Startup Introduction Email Simple, Clear and Awesome The first impression is everything -- even via email. Here are tips to get it right.

By Alex Iskold

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

We encourage Techstars companies to perfect the way they introduce themselves. An introduction is the first sales touch point. Make it simple, clear and awesome.

To start with, master the etiquette of forwardable email. Make subject line clear and searchable.

Related: The Keys to Writing Reminder Emails That Work

Next, lets look at what goes inside the actual email. Whether you are asking for an investor introduction or business introduction, write clear two paragraphs including:

  • Introduction: Your name and name of your company, including URL
  • Business: Two or three sentences about your business and why its interesting
  • Traction: One or two sentences about your traction / customers you have / progress you made

The last part is why you want to connect, and the ask. If this is an email to investor:

  • Why: Looking for feedback, or connecting because you have background.
  • Ask: Could we do a quick 15-minute call? or Could I get more feedback via email?

If you are looking for a business introduction:

  • Why: Looking for feedback or think you might be interested in our product
  • Ask: Could we do a quick 15-minute call? or Could I get more feedback via email?

Related: Alive and Kicking: Why Email Marketing Is Still a Huge Tool for Business

The result is just two paragraphs that are easy to understand and are actionable. For example, here is a business development email:

"My name is Romain, and I am a CEO of Gorgias (Techstars '15). We are building automation software for help desk. With Gorgias, agents can save 50 percent of the time answering requests, cut down on manual tasks and businesses save money.

Our customers include ClassPass, Plated, Stripe and others. We'd love to show you our solution, get feedback and see if it might be a fit for your organization. Please let me know if you'd like to schedule a brief demo call next week."

Or here is an example of angel investor introduction:

"My name is Sara, and I am CEO of Jewelbots (Techstars '15). We've created programmable friendship bracelets that teach girls how to code. The bracelets form a mesh network and allow girls near by to send each other messages. As the girls interact with the bracelets, they unlock different patterns, can buy fun charms and branded bands.

We have 190,000 in pre-sales from Kickstarter and our own website and are expecting to launch in Q1 of 2016. Our investors include Homebrew, #angels, Matt Cutts and we have a few hundred thousand left in our current round. Because you invested in Hullabalu (Techstars '14), we thought that you maybe interested in talking to us about our business. Please let us know if you'd like to connect next week."

If you have to send a lot of intros, Gorgias actually has a very neat extension for Gmail that I use all the time. It allows you to create a template that you can insert into your email with a single key stoke. It saves you a ton of time and ensures that you always introduce your startup consistently.

Related: 4 Common Email Marketing Misconceptions . . . Demystified

Wavy Line
Alex Iskold

Entrepreneur, Investor, Managing Director of Techstars in NYC

Alex Iskold is the managing director of Techstars in New York City. Previously Iskold was founder/CEO of GetGlue (acquired by i.tv), founder/CEO of Information Laboratory (acquired by IBM) and chief architect at DataSynapse (acquired by TIBCO). An engineer by training, Iskold has deep passion and appreciation for startups, digital products and elegant code. He likes running, yoga, complex systems, Murakami books and red wine -- not necessarily in that order and not necessarily all together. He actively blogs about startups and venture capital at http://alexiskold.net.

Editor's Pick

A Leader's Most Powerful Tool Is Executive Capital. Here's What It Is — and How to Earn It.
Lock
One Man's Casual Side Hustle Became an International Phenomenon — And It's on Track to See $15 Million in Revenue This Year
Lock
3 Reasons to Keep Posting on LinkedIn, Even If Nobody Is Engaging With You
Why a Strong Chief Financial Officer Is Crucial for Your Franchise — and What to Look for When Hiring One

Related Topics

Business News

7 of the 10 Most Expensive Cities to Live in the U.S. Are in One State

A new report by U.S. News found that San Diego is the most expensive city to live in for 2023-2024, followed by Los Angeles. New York City didn't even rank in the top 10.

Business News

More Americans Are Retiring Abroad, Without a Massive Nest Egg — Here's How They Made the Leap

About 450,000 people received their social security benefits outside the U.S. at the end of 2021, up from 307,000 in 2008, according to the Social Security Administration.

Business News

Goldman Sachs Is Continuing Layoffs, Cutting Free Coffee Perks

The financial giant delivered another hot cup of bad news.

Business News

How to Set Boundaries With Your Team While You're on Vacation

Are you one of those leaders who just can't seem to detach from "work mode" even when you're sitting on a beach in Hawaii? Here's how to ensure both you and your team can thrive when you're on vacation.

Business News

Lululemon Employees Say They Were Fired for Trying to Stop Shoplifters

Two Georgia women say Lululemon fired them without severance for trying to get thieves out of the store.