How to engage investors and aligning business goals with social values with Linda Klunder
š£ļø Plus 3 reasons you have a hard time building rapport
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In this issue:Ā How to engage investors with Linda Klunder, how to build rapport, overheard on LinkedIn, and more!
Why youāre getting this: You got this email because you subscribed, we met on LinkedIn or at an event, or you attended one of my cocktail parties. If you donāt want to receive it, just hit subscribe any time at the bottom. I wonāt be mad. I wonāt even be notified!
How To Engage Investors - Innovators Can Laugh
In this episode of Innovators Can Laugh, I chat with Linda Klunder, co-founder of Kumasi Drinks - a delicious tropical cocoa fruit juice made from the flesh surrounding a cocoa bean. Previously the outside of the cocoa bean was never used. It was just thrown away. But Linda and the team at Kumasi took something that normally goes to waste and made it into a soft drink while also helping cocoa farmers earn a little extra income.
In this conversation we talk about:
grant writing and securing funding
the role of storytelling and team presentation in attracting investors
identifying overlooked resources and transforming them into valuable products
showcasing the team's capabilities to gain the trust and support of potential investors
creatively addressing inefficiencies in industries, potentially uncovering new revenue streams
šļøšŗ Catch the interview on Spotify, Apple, or other platform.
Pretend we donāt noticeĀ
3 Reasons You Have a Hard Time Building Rapport
1. Ā You donāt know how to start a conversation
2. Ā You donāt know how to make people receptive to chatting with you
3. Ā You donāt know how to follow up when you receive a one word answer
Hereās how to fix that:
1/ Practice conversation openers.
Example, if you were at an industry conference or a networking event, you can say āHey, I donāt think Iāve met you yet, Iām (name)?ā when standing or sitting next to someone.
This approach feels more natural and implies you are social and you know a lot of people at the venue š
2/ If you know something about the person and what profession they are in, you can ask āCan I bounce a few thoughts off you?ā
Your ask makes you vulnerable in the interaction thus making them receptive to chatting with you
3/ If a person gives you a short answer and doesnāt add any more details, you can follow up with asking something hypothetical.
Example:
you: "What do you do?"
them: āIām an engineerā
you: "Well, if you had 100 million dollars, and you could do anything you want, what would you do instead?"
This makes them open up and share their values. (and you can decide if you want to continue the conversation with them)
Overheard on LinkedIn
š© Stefan Conicās go-to tool stack for outbound email marketing.
šļø Why newsletters like The Hustle, Morning Brew, and The Milk Road are being acquired by non-media companies by Wilfred Alfred
š² A breakdown of a founderās salary at different stages by Ivan Hoo
š„ļø Lessons from 800 website audits by Casey Hill
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The End
Hereās me and James at Dino Park last week. We had a great time last weekend as we had a family reunion which consisted of lots of drinking, bar-b-que, and late night futbol action between the parents and kiddos. Iām also the best in the family when it comes to ping pong. šš
I released our Innovators Can Laugh Podcast & Newsletter Media network page. You can check it out here. The official launch date wonāt be for another few weeks as Iām finalizing the podcasts that will be part of the network.
Okay, one more week until the kids go back to school. Iāve been having to wake up at 5am to try and get some work done because once they are up, itās coloring, computer games, mobility exercises, park, play dates, etc.
To kickin some butt!
Eric M.
Ps Donāt forget. You have a chance to win this cool wacky inflatable guy when you help me out andĀ answer this one question. It only takes 10 seconds. Winner will be announced on September 7th.