How should I approach a company for potential licensing?

Question

Of my new invention or product idea(s). This is either by email or by mail, how do I avoid getting buzzed off?

The first cold call so to speak. What should I write?

The company is relatively small.

Answer 1

I assume you already have the patent issued (not just the application) in just your name?

If not, I would not approach anybody. They can just steal your idea, and that is that.

Your initial contact can be any number of ways: Phone, Mail, Walk-in, by-chance contact at the ice cream store. The details should be very brief. Some thing like “Mrs. X I have an idea that I believe could make/save your company a lot of money. I’d like to discuss it with you in detail, but I’d like to get a mutual non-disclosure agreement in-place before hand. Can we use your company’s NDA?

Even with the patent, you should still have some form of non-disclosure statement in place with them before discussing the idea in detail. Most businesses even the small ones have their own NDAs. If your lawyer does not object to the phrasing the easiest way is to use theirs.

Best of luck