Pitching to investors part IV: It’s presentation time – are you ready?

Welcome to the fourth and final instalment in our “Pitch Perfect” series to help you create the perfect pitch. If you missed the previous editions, you can find them all here.

This week, we look at what makes the perfect presentation. Take note:

• Show the value: Your presentation should give a clear overview of your ideas, showcase your key offerings, and sell the value of your business model to investors and potential clients.
• Tell your story: Make your pitch memorable, engaging, and personal to you.
• Keep it short: No one enjoys death by PowerPoint. Get your message across as succinctly as possible.
• Tell don’t sell: Use stats to support your story, but don’t get bogged down in the hard sell.
• Check and recheck: Errors are a red flag – be sure to check all spelling, grammar, and statistics.
• Practice! Fail to prepare and you prepare to fail. And very important: Do time yourself when you practice. Gauge your speed so you can deliver to different time constraints – sometimes you will only be limited to 10 or 15 minutes tops in which to present.
• Know your audience: Use industry-specific examples and analogies to help your audience relate.
• Be confident: No one is better placed to sell your offering than you – make sure this comes across.
• Embrace questions: A presentation is a two-way conversation, be sure to interact.
• Finish strong: End your presentation by recapping the value of your offering.

We hope you enjoyed our series and learned some lessons you can apply for your funding search. And while this is the end of the Pitch Perfect series, we are just getting started on our next series – Bootstrapping your way to success. Stay tuned!