Track Your Interactions with Venture Investors in this Simple CRM

So, you’re thinking about pitching VCs…

In many ways, raising venture capital is like a B2B sales process. You’ve got to build and manage a pipeline of investors to close the “right fit.” That takes time. And though it’s straightforward, “this is a piece of the puzzle that so many people completely miss,” says

,

Co-founder and Partner.

The key is to nurture relationships before you need funding. The sooner you start, the more freedom you have to explore and build relationships over time. “When you’re not desperate for cash, these conversations can become a two-way dialogue,” says

,

Partner.

In these conversations, you learn as much as you share. As you update investors on your startup, you can also ask questions to qualify them as a good investor for you.

At a basic level, building relationships comes down to maintaining a consistent cadence of communication. If you’re organized, this need not take a lot of time—especially if you track all your interactions with investors. That way, you’ll always know who you spoke with, about what, and when.

We’ve pulled together a template that you can fill out and modify to make your own, focusing on key elements of

. We’ve included details on our own investment team to get you started.