First, make sure that investors are truly interested in the idea that you are presenting. If you’re confident that they’re genuinely interested, but not yet committing, then there are a number of things that might be causing them to hold off.

It could involve timing. Investors might be looking at other similar deals and deciding which one to take; they might be in the process of raising a new fund, which makes it a bad time for new investments.

Pre-seed and seed stage investors, in particular, might want to see a track record before they invest and watch how you manage and execute your ideas over time. ‘They invest in lines, not dots’. Even if your area of interest is compelling, they might wait to invest until they know how you perform.

Think of it as dating: investors are interested in you, but not quite ready for a long-term relationship. They need more proof that your industry is the next big thing or that you can deliver. Or the industry might be just too new, and they’d rather wait and see what happens.

Another alternative is that they’re busy. They might be really interested, but they literally don’t have space to give you their undivided attention at that particular point in time.

Be transparent with the investor. In your meetings, ask point-blank what would need to change in order for the investor to feel good about making an investment. What worries them most about your venture? What questions remain unanswered? Getting a sense of their reservations allows you to unblock them and potentially gain clarity on your next steps toward a deal.