Here are the key takeaways from the Saturday’s Episode - 10 May 2025

Natu, founder of TheRaises.com, has worked with clients across hundreds of deals and raised over $260 million.

Most investors think raising capital is about finding a great deal. Natu disagrees.

"The best time to start building your investor list is yesterday, and the second best time is today," he explains.

Here's his 5-step system:

1. Mine Your Linkedin Network First

Start with what you already have.

The Search:

• Go to LinkedIn → Search "investor"

• Filter by "1st degree connections"

• Review everyone who calls themselves an investor

Filter by these Criteria:

• Local first - Focus on investors near you or the deal location

• Relevant focus - Ensure they invest in your deal type.

• Industry Match - eg: Search "investor + e-commerce" for e-commerce deals, "investor + Shopify" for online stores

• For Institutional Investors - Filter by titles like Managing Partner, General Partner, Managing Director, Analyst
  

2. Identify High-Intent Signals

What Indicates Ready-to-Invest Investor:

• Recently formed fund or investment company on LinkedIn

• Active LinkedIn presence (use Sales Navigator activity filter)

• Recent press releases about raising capital to invest

• Ask "How soon are they looking to invest?" on call booking page
  

Research Databases:

• PitchBook and Preqin for institutional activity

• Axial and Crunchbase for funding history

• Google search: site:linkedin.com/in "user" "investor" AND "niche" AND "location"

• Use Snov.io to extract name, email, and phone numbers
  
  

3. Target Accredited Investors Only

Accredited Investor Requirements:

• Income: $200K+ annually (individual) or $300K+ (joint with spouse)

• Net Worth: $1M+ excluding primary residence

• Professional: Series 7, 65, or 82 license holders
  

How to Qualify the Investor to know:

• Ask : "Are you an accredited investor?"

• Include Link to the SEC definition and required checkboxes in your call booking forms before sharing any deal terms.

4. Master the Outreach Sequences

a. When you DON’T have a Deal:

• Connection Request: 
  "Hi [Name],
  
  I'm impressed by the work you do at [Company Name].
  

  We have a pipeline of X million dollars that precisely fits the type of deals you do at [Company Name].
  
  Let's connect."
  
  

• Follow up Sequence:

  • After connecting: “Is this something you want to learn more about?"“

  • Day 3: “Hey {name}, did you get the last message?”

  • Day 5: “{Name}?”

  • Final: “You seem pretty busy. I just wanted to offer the opportunity before other firms were asking for it.”
    
    

b. When you HAVE a Deal:

• Connection Request: 
  “Hey {Name},
  
  I see that your company is in {niche}. We have a deal in {niche} that is generating X million in revenue.
  
  Let’s connect, {name}
  
  

• Follow up Sequence:

  • 15 mins After Connect:
    "Thanks for connecting, {First Name}.
    
    I saw that your company is in [niche]. We have a deal generating X million in revenue, which fits your [Company Name] mandates.
    
    When works for a call?
    
    P.S. If not, and you're satisfied with just connecting — happy to have you on here!"
    

  • Day 1: “{First name}, got my first message?”

  • Day 2: “Hey {First name},
    
    our team has been involved with companies in {niche}, fitting your exact mandates.
    
    Are you too busy to discuss?

  • Day 4: “Hey {first name},
    
    I took a look at your company {Company name} and I have a question.
    
    Would you be open to discuss? 

  • Day 9: “{First name}?”

  • 2 months later: “How’s business {first name}?”
    
    

5. Convert Through Structured Calls

Qualification Questions (Call booking form):

• Are you open and willing to invest at this time?

• When would you be looking to make an investment?
  (Immediately/Few weeks/Few months/Next year)

• What is your intended investment range?

  (Below $20K/$20K-$50K/$50K-$100K/$100K+/$1M+)

• [Check Box] By continuing, you acknowledge that you are an accredited investor according to the SEC definition

• Do you agree to sign an NDA and review investment documents before the call?
  
  

Call Structure (20 - 45 minutes):

• Build Rapport: “Hey {name}, nice to meet you. How’s your day going?

• Set Agenda: "Usually the way we like to run these calls is..." (soft) or "Here's how this call is going to go..." (direct)

• Establish Intent: "What was the main motivation behind booking this call?"

• Understand Mandate: "What exactly are you looking to do or invest in?"

• Present/Handle Objections: Use 1-10 scale to isolate real concerns

• Get Decision: Only accept Yes, scheduled follow-up, or No

[Bonus] Advanced Strategies

Multi-Channel Follow up:

• When prospects ghost you after showing interest, use LinkedIn, email, calls, and retargeting ads.
  
  Call script: "Hey [Name], I saw that we connected on LinkedIn about an opportunity in [niche]. You said you're interested. Do you have 5 mins to discuss?"
  

Email Newsletter Strategy (3 types, 3x/week):

• Case Studies: Stories of people who got results working with you

• Industry Insights: Timely news relevant to your niche

• Lead Magnets: Free webinars, with occasional investment opportunities
  

Tools Mentioned:

• We-Connect.io or SalesRobot.co for LinkedIn automation

• Snov.io and Hunter.io for contact extraction

• Beehiiv.com or Gohighlevel.com for newsletters

• Unicourt.com and Pacer.gov for background checks

[Bonus] Red Flags to Avoid

Investor Red Flags:

• Unrealistic IRR expectations (30-40% when you can only do 20%)

• History of multiple lawsuits

• Only investing in crypto and avoiding other assets

• Requiring you to come to them before wiring money
  

Legal Don'ts:

• Don't share deal terms unless you've confirmed they're accredited

• Don't make promises you can't back up with proof

• Use disclaimers before sharing sensitive information

[Bonus] Deal Structure Examples

Growth-Focused: 2x return on equity over 5 years (put $1 in, get $2 out)

Capital Preservation: 8% preferred return annually with lump sum payment at end of 5-year term

Thank you for reading Behind The Acquisition.