The Steps
1 – Tell the audience who you are and your company’s story.
2 – Define the problem you’re solving and show supporting data on how you’re doing this.
3 – Show the opportunity in total market size (in dollars), both US & globally.
4 – List the team members and their experience and role in the company.
5 – List investors/groups.
6 – List strategic partners & sales channels.
7 – Tell the evolution of the company from start to present and mention any defining moments (pivots, customer acquisitions, new hires, etc.)
8 – List out key financial information (Revenues/Expenses, COGS, Burn Rate, etc.)
9 – Define revenue streams.
10 – Show and/or demonstrate your product or service. Offer samples if a product or do a demonstration if a service.
11 – List benefits of the product or service to the customer. Compare with a competitor side-to-side on a chart.
12 – Define your “ask” and explain how the funds will be utilized, how long they will last, and if you plan to raise funds in the future. Define what round.
13 – List possible exit strategy scenarios for the company over time.
14 – Deliver a strong, compelling closing statement on why someone should invest with your company. Thank people for the opportunity.
Notes/Tips
A – Use videos, graphs, and other visuals to enhance the presentation. Limit the amount of text and images on each slide so the audience can process it all.
B – Decide whether to solicit feedback and questions throughout the presentation or ask to hold comments until the end (preferred.)
C – Ask for audience questions and be ready for anything.
D – Define next steps after the ask is made to the audience and be sure to follow up. Mention any deadlines or targets of note.
E – Practice the pitch repeatedly and time it to see how long it takes. Factor in the audience.
F – Dress appropriately, deliver the message confidently, and relax as much as possible.
G – Decide whether to offer pens or other swag as takeaways.
H – Have a backup plan if the technology fails. Take another laptop, projector, paper copies of the deck, etc.
I – Other?
