Perfecting Your Pitch: Giving A Great Presentation To Investors

Before you walk into a room full of venture capitalists, bank board members or angel investors, heed these 5 tips to ensure your presentation is top notch.

1. Keep it Simple and Short. Limit your PowerPoint to no more than 20 slides, and spend 1 minute on each.
2. Tell a Story. Your presentation should tell a captivating story of your business. It should intrigue investors enough to want to give you money.
3. Don’t Over-Inform. Save the heavy details for an accompanying business plan or other document. Don’t overload your audience with information.
4. Stay Away from Fancy Graphics. Your presentation is about the story, not the animated mouse in the corner. Again, keep it simple.
5. Practice! There is nothing more deadly than an unprepared presentation. Go through the slides and your prepared remarks several times, so you can do it smoothly when you have an audience.

Don’t forget to include in your presentation the amount of financing you are requesting, and what your terms are (partial ownership, stock, etc.). Also, keep your audience in mind. If you are giving your presentation several times, perhaps to family and friends, angel investor or venture capitalist, make slight tweaks that better target the audience you will be in front of each time.