75479954Alan Patricof is the chairman emeritus at Greycroft Partners.He writes that given the timeline of the coronavirus pandemic, VC firms will have to invest in startups, early-stage companies, and new CEOs without meeting teams face-to-face.To close a deal, it'll be key for entrepreneurs to be charismatic through the phone, and have strong references.Seed and round A investors should consider partnering with other firms to mitigate risk, and should prioritize thorough backgrounding of potential deals.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.The pandemic crisis has presented those in venture capital with a new phenomenon — which, in spite of my 50 years in the business, is a first.Since we are virtually always "open to buy," to quote a retailer's expression, we are now faced with