Be careful pitching the entire meeting

I regularly meet with founders in the context of an advisor or someone trying to raise money. There are some founders that ask good questions, create dialogue, and hopefully get something out of the conversation. There are other founders that just talk the entire time and leave no time for any discussion. Here is why that is important.

Opportunity for learning

A trait I see in successful founders is a continuous learning mindset. They are always trying to learn from customers, peers, mentors, etc on ways to improve their business, product and leadership. When you have a meeting, this is a great chance for you to focus questions on areas that will help you improve (feedback is easy to ask for). When you speak/pitch the entire time, there is no opportunity for learning.

Awareness

Another key trait of successful founders is awareness. Are you aware of market trends? Are you aware of your team dynamics? Are you aware of your personal gaps and how you can bring in team members to complement you? When you talk the entire time, you show no awareness of the value of a meeting. If an investor wanted to listen to a 30 minute pitch, they could just watch the video/listen to the recording. A meeting is a chance to build relationships, learn, and create dialogue. As an additional step, there are some founders who keep trying to talk past the scheduled meeting time, which shows further lack of awareness.

Control and Focus

I love it when founders take control of the meeting. They may ask where I want to start, may ask if it is okay if they focus the meeting/discussion in certain areas, or tell me what their objectives are. As an entrepreneur, you have to be able to take control of a situation as well as be laser focused on the things that matter. Having a plan of what you want to get out of the meeting shows preparedness (another good founder trait). Contrast that with a founder who just rambles for 30 minutes and has no plan or focus.

When you have a meeting with an advisor/investor, be prepared, ask good questions, and build relationships through the dialogue. When you are talking you are not learning; the more the advisor/investor talks, the more you can learn and apply those learnings to keep you moving forward. Find ways to engage that person in dialogue that will be helpful to your business.