I am going to be a part of a panel organized by the good folks at Grant Thornton and DLA Piper this morning on how to give great investor presentations. If you’re reading this, it means that the panel session is already over. But not to worry, I’ve included my tips and links and will be updating this post later today with additional tips and my fellow panelists will be adding their tips to in the comments area.
1. How do you grab attention immediately in a 6-minute pitch?
A pitch is a story with a beginning, middle and end. In the first 30 seconds, tell your audience the pain your product solves and why they should care. Telling a story to illustrate this point is generally a good idea but only if you keep it to 30 seconds or so.
Update: Use a video segment or screencast if it will strengthen a key point, but be aware that this can open your presentation to an additional risk of technical failure. Generally, 30 second segments are optimal in capturing your audiences’ attention.
2. Is it important to sell your team during the pitch?
Absolutely! Having a team indicates that you’ve been successful getting buy-in for your vision. Investors are intrigued by ideas but invest in people. Be selective about what you include in the presentation. Use the What’sInitForTheInvestor (WIFTI) principle which consists of five questions that you need to ask yourself about each team member:
- How does the team member help me execute my vision?
- How does the team member bridge functional gaps? Is he/she a rock star negotiator who has consummated channel partnerships for a well known company?
- How does the team member bridge subject matter gaps? Is he/she a leading authority on an area that is important to my business? Is he/she published or a sought after speaker?
- Does the team member bring invaluable industry connections that will get my company a foot in the door at prospective customer or partner organizations?
3. What to include in a six-minute presentation?
- Problem + Market opportunity
- Target Audience + Why your solution is appealing to them
- Business model
- Go-to-market strategy
- Competition
- Team
- Projections and milestones
- Summary and call to action
4. Five PowerPoint No Nos
- Don’t use 10 pt font. One picture/infographic is better than 500 words in 10 pt font
- Don’t read your slides
- Don’t look back at your slides that are being projected on the screen behind you
- Don’t use video segments longer than 2 minutes. Thirty second segments are ideal
- Don’t use wimpy language. For example, instead of “trying to do,” say “we are doing” and instead of “I think…” or “I believe…” say “This is …” To paraphrase the great Yoda “No think, only do.”
5. Four PowerPoint Dos
- Use the Guy Kawasaki 10/20/30 rule
- Practice, practice and practice some more.
- Plan for equipment failure. Have a Plan B.
- Tell a story. Investors are more apt to remember your pitch if you give them the basics in a way that they can relate.
6. How do you make a presentation memorable?
The most memorable pitches are the ones with the best delivery. More than 75% of communications is a combination of non-verbal and vocal delivery. Use of humor is generally risky but when done well can set that entrepreneur apart. Props are also to be used with caution. And if they are to be used, they should be used sparingly and after much practice.
Be sure to add examples of memorable presentations that you’ve seen or tips that have either worked or not worked for you in the comment section below.
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk
