How to approach a family office

Most approaches to a family office fail before anyone has read past the first paragraph. The ones that work look less like a pitch and more like a considered introduction.

Family offices are private, small and busy, and they receive far more unsolicited approaches than they can answer. That is not a reason to be discouraged. It is a reason to be precise. An approach that is clearly meant for them, and clearly thought through, stands out precisely because most are not.

Start with fit, not need

Every family office has a shape: the sectors it prefers, the stage it invests at, the geographies it knows, the size of cheque it writes, and whether it backs funds, companies or both. Much of this can be found before you write a word. Their own website, past announcements, board seats and public commentary all tell you something.

The most useful question to answer first is why this family, and why now. If you cannot say that in a sentence, you are not ready to approach them. An approach that names the specific reason it is relevant is read. One that could have gone to any hundred offices is not.

Go through a person, not a form

A warm introduction from someone the family trusts, and who understands both sides, is worth more than any amount of polish. It is also the route most likely to get a considered answer, even when the answer is no.

Where there is no introduction, a short, direct note to the right individual, usually whoever leads investments, is better than a general enquiries address. Public contact forms and generic inboxes are rarely where decisions begin.

Keep the first message short

Say who you are, what you are doing, why you are writing to them specifically, and what you would like to happen next. A few short paragraphs is enough. Offer supporting material on request rather than attaching a deck and a data room to a first email.

Be clear and plain about the ask. A twenty-minute call is a reasonable request. A commitment is not. Leave room for them to say what they would find useful.

Mistakes that end the conversation

Mass emailing. Families talk to each other. A generic approach that reaches several offices at once tends to be recognised as one.

Leading with projected returns. Families are wary of headline numbers. Evidence of how you operate carries more weight than a forecast.

Treating a family like a venture fund. Their decision-making is often personal, less formal and slower. Artificial deadlines and pressure do more harm than good.

Disappearing after one message. A single email is the start of a relationship, not the whole of it. Short, useful updates over time do more than repeated chasing.

Then be patient

A first reply is the beginning of a long process. Commitments from family offices commonly take many months, and what fills that time matters as much as the first approach. We wrote about that separately in the introduction is not the hard part.

This note is general information and not investment, legal or financial advice.