As founders, we all want to make profits and stand out from the rest, don’t we? Well, there are many ways to make this happen but one way that has been tried and tested with remarkable results is the use of the founder’s stories.
This secret ingredient has set many entrepreneurs and business moguls apart from the crowd. While many founders are busy flaunting numbers to investors, many are not just interested in the promises of numbers; they want to understand the “why” and “who” behind your business.
With a genuine founder story, investors will not only know the “why” and “who,” but windows of opportunities will open up when they know the motivations, values, and vision behind your company. This helps build a connection that goes far beyond metrics and numbers.
The question now will be, how do I create a genuine founder story that resonates with investors? We’ll answer this in a bit. Keep reading!
Why Founder Story Matters
You likely have an inspiring founder story but haven’t been using it to its full potential. It’s probably because you don’t know how important it is to the rapid growth of your business.
You must understand why you are applying specific strategies to your business. On the surface, many will think the founder’s story is one of those pitches and nothing more. But it’s way more than that. It creates a lasting impression in investors’ minds that has a long-term effect.
It goes the extra mile where your statistics, data, and profit projection can’t reach. Numbers can’t humanize your business and give the needed context to its purpose. These are fundamental things that impact investors’ decisions. They are interested in the company and the person(s) behind such a business. They want somebody they can believe in and entrust their money to.
Through a well-articulated story as a founder, you can share your struggles, successes, and mission in building your business to its present status. Sharing these details helps the investors see a dedicated and resilient potential partner.
Who doesn’t want to invest in a company run by dedicated and resilient people?
How to Craft a Compelling Founder Story that Resonates with Investors
A founder story is not just any story you share as a business owner. It is a story with a target and a purpose. It can get lost as just another story if it isn’t correctly shared.
We’ve put together 5 tips to help your founder story achieve its purpose. Here they are:
- Start with your “why”.
The purpose is what makes your founder’s story compelling. Many investors are interested in knowing why you started that business. They want to know the problem your business intends to solve.
To share your “why,” you’d do well to make it personal. You can start by stating the gaps in the industry that you are passionate about and how a particular challenge you experienced birthed the idea of the company. If you correctly communicate the “why” that birthed your business, investors can easily connect to your passion fueling it.
- Share your major challenges and solutions.
Every known entrepreneur today has experienced their lowest point in business. Investors like hearing about this lowest point. This is not to see how weak you are but how resilient you have become.
If you can share your lowest point and how you bounced back, they’ll see someone who can overcome future adversity, which is inevitable in business. You’ll be making yourself vulnerable, but it’s okay. Finding strength, adapting, and becoming more substantial after the experience is crucial when sharing your founder’s story.
- Emphasize your uniqueness.
Every founder who wants to make profits considers standing out as a strategy, and investors look for founders who are unique or stand out. It is not just about wanting to be unique but also about creating or identifying your uniqueness.
Uniqueness is fundamental when sharing a founder’s story. When you share your uniqueness, investors know you have what it takes to bring your vision to life. Anything that makes you stand out makes you worth investing in. It could be your unique skills, years of experience, unconventional solutions you have developed, etc.
- Relate your values to your mission.
Many investors, particularly those interested in social or sustainability-conscious businesses, will always value a founder whose business aligns with these principles.
Aligning your values to your company’s mission tells investors you are not just all about profit. People are more prone to show commitment and motivation when they are driven by profits and values. It’s one of the things that appeal to investors.
If environmental impact is part of the reasons you started your company, you can share how your values led you to design an eco-friendly product. When investors see you are the type of person whose business goals always align with their values, they will be happy to work with you.
- Use a relatable language.
You may have done everything right, but failing to share your founder’s story in relatable language may negatively impact investors’ acceptance of the story.
There is no point in being formal when sharing this story; just be you. Engaging investors in a simple and relatable tone allows them to journey with you through your past. It becomes easier for them to see what you are saying and feel the emotions in your story.
Avoid jargon and try not to be too formal when telling your story. Just speak in simple, understandable language, but let your words be meaningful and passionate so your story will have the desired effect.
Related:
How to Use Storytelling to Engage Investors
How to Use Storytelling to Motivate Your Team
How to Use Emotional Storytelling to Drive Brand Loyalty
Share a Founder Story That Resonates!
Telling a founder story that speaks to investors is not just about sharing facts and figures. It is also about trying to connect with them on an emotional level.
To be able to do this, you need to share with them what led to starting the business, the significant challenges you encountered, the solutions, and the lessons you learned. It is also essential to remind the investors why you are unique and how your values align well with your mission.
No matter how well you think you have communicated this, if you didn’t do it in a relatable language, you may have wasted your time and that of the investors. So, when crafting your story, remember stories that can easily connect to investors and leave a lasting effect must be genuine and relatable.
If you need professional guidance to craft founder stories that connect and convert, I’m “your write choice.” Contact me now!