Five Rules for Pitching the Very Rich

By Bill Bartmann of Entrepreneur.com



If you're looking to ink a deal with a really wealthy individual (there are plenty of wealthy women, but I'll make this example male, because that's the universal pronoun), here are five rules to put you way ahead of your competition:

Rule No.1: Respect time
Everyone knows to arrive early, but here's what most people don't know: there may be gatekeepers, but having time to cool your heels in the waiting room for 30 minutes looks sloppy. He'll just assume you must not be too successful.

Of course it makes sense to allow extra time to get to the meeting, because heaven help you if you're late. But if you're very early hang out at the coffee shop across the street, not in the reception area. You should be announcing yourself to the receptionist at precisely the appointed hour.

Once shown in, remember to respect his time, too. If you are scheduled for 10 minutes, 600 seconds from when you walked in you should be doing one of two things: Either walking out, or answering questions. If you are answering questions, acknowledge that your 10 minutes is up and let him know you're more than happy to answer his question if you can have a few more minutes. He'll respect you for being a person of your word and will almost certainly allow you a few more minutes.

Rule No.2: Don't tell him his business
I don't care if you've been in the same industry for years -- you still do not know his unique challenges at the moment. Don't insult him by announcing how your solution will revolutionize his operation or be just the thing. He may indeed conclude that your product or service is amazing, but that's for him to decide.