💬 I was coaching a syndicator last week who couldn’t figure out why his investor calls weren’t converting.
Smart guy. Good track record. Solid discovery questions.
But nobody was committing capital.
So I asked him to walk me through his last call.
He nailed the deal metrics. He understood their investment criteria. He even walked them through the cash-on-cash returns.
But he never asked the one question that actually closes investors:
“What does this mean for you personally?”
Here’s why that question matters.
🧠 Investors Buy Freedom, Not Cap Rates
Your investor isn’t writing a $100K check because your deal pencils at a 17% IRR.
They’re writing it because of what that passive income gives them:
Time freedom to be at every soccer game
Security knowing their family is taken care of
Proof they can build wealth outside their W-2
The ability to retire their spouse
Research shows that 95% of purchase decisions are emotional, then justified with logic afterward.
But most syndicators spend the entire call on the logic side:
Market fundamentals. Deal structure. Debt-service coverage ratios.
All important.
None of it closes the investor.
Because the decision to invest happens in the emotional brain first.
The logical brain just comes up with reasons to justify what they already decided.
🎯 The Question That Shifts Everything
I’m not saying you should switch up your whole routine. No.
But after you’ve told the story, described the deal, the returns, the hold period….
Pause.
And ask:
“What does this mean for you personally?”
Not for their portfolio diversification strategy.
Not for their retirement account.
For them.
Then listen.
Like really listen.
Because what comes next is the real reason they’re on the call.
Maybe it’s:
Finally replacing their W-2 income so they can quit the corporate grind
Creating passive income so their spouse can stop working
Building a legacy their kids will inherit
Proving to themselves they can build wealth like the “rich people” do
Having the freedom to travel without asking for vacation days
That’s the emotional close.
That’s what they’re actually investing in.
And when you connect your raise to their dreams, not just the projected returns, you’re bringing your A game.
→How to Use This on Your Very Next Investor Call
Here’s the exact flow:
1) Cover the deal fundamentals (market, asset class, returns, timeline)
2) Ask: “Does this align with your investment criteria?”
3) When they say yes, pause and ask: “What does this mean for you personally?”
4) Listen without interrupting. Let them go deep.
5) Reflect back what you heard: “So if I’m hearing you right, this is really about [their personal dream].”
6️⃣ Connect your deal directly to that outcome:
“Here’s how this investment gets you there…”
Now you’re not pitching a deal.
You’re shining the light on their perfect life.
That’s the difference between “I’ll think about it” and “Where do I wire the funds?”
To your success,
Chris
📚 Works Cited
Zaltman, G. (2003). How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market. Harvard Business School Press.
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.