The big pitcher: how to do a killer presentation - Page 2

If you are going to use slideshow software, use it wisely. Houseman explains: "A slide is a visual aid, it's not a piece of paper covered in writing. It should be exciting." She recommends using no more than 15 words per slide, and having no more than one slide per minute of speech. She also points out you can look at a company's or investor's marketing material to get a feel for how they like information presented.

Find someone who can talk money and get the idea and the passion across.

To finish up, create a packet of documents that gives fuller detail on the points you've gone through in the pitch. Not your business plan, but something supporting and summarising your pitch, bulking up on details. Make sure these documents are neatly bound in a plastic folder, ideally printed in colour and with your logo and their business name and the date on the front page. Include a contents page to make reading as easy as possible.

Picking your star pitcher

It doesn't always have to be the very top dog in a business who does the pitching. In fact, and although you'll need to judge this according to the situation, Morrow says having the CEO or founder present can often be damaging.

"Often they're invested emotionally and that doesn't come across well. You need someone who can talk in a detached sense about the product and who also understands numbers," he explains. "You need to find someone who can talk money and get the idea and the passion across." He welcomes financial directors and accountants, providing they can still communicate a passion for the business. 

In essence, you need a pitcher who's engaging and articulate but who can also go through every last bit of financial nitty-gritty.

Prepare, prepare, prepare

Whether it's you or someone else pitching, practise in essential.

Presentation old-timer Wheeldon writes notes from his pitch, then practises, out loud, five or six times - with at least one of those run-throughs in front of someone else. Although he says it's okay to take in your notes, he does think that 'if you haven't practised to the point where you don't need notes, you might question whether you've practised enough'.

Don't try to be word-perfect - just make sure you know the content your presentations covers, and particularly that you've got all the figures etched into your brain. If you're confident you can be challenged on anything and you'll know the answer, a bit of stuttering and stammering here and there won't even be noticed.

Reciting in front of either workmates or trusted friends means you get vital suggestions for improvement, and the all-crucial indictor of whether what you're saying is clear, concise and engaging or insufferably terminology-laden.

Feedback also gives you the opportunity to begin anticipating your real viewers' questions - a crucial part of preparing for the pitch. Put yourself in the buyer's or investor's position and work through every last thing they might want to know about (and remember they may well interrupt to ask you half way through your presentation). If can come back with a cool, collected answer, you'll impress. And if you can't, on the day, fear not - just explain that you don't have the information to hand but you can pull it together afterwards and send it over.

Never, ever, ever mislead an investor or buyer. "There's no point getting into a negotiation - which is going to be subject to due diligence - and lying," says Meaden. "Because you're going to get found out further on down the track."

On the day

 

You've made it this far - now it's time to show them what you've got. Slide show on a USB or CD? Check. Supporting documents nicely bound? Check. Plenty of samples or anything you're using as a demo in your bag? Check. Good. Now what about you?

You need to look smart. Really smart - it's a sign of respect. Always wear a suit - you can't go wrong. Much better to be a suit in a room full of jeans than a pair of jeans in a room full of suits. Express your brand through your presentation, not through your outfit.

Feeling nervous? Thought so. Fear not. Houseman is here to help. "When we're relaxed, we're not focusing on other people, we're focusing on ourselves," she says. "So go in with the attitude of what's important to these people, so you're focusing on them." Concentrate on everyone else, and you'll act far more naturally.

In terms of body language and familiarity, mirror the people you're pitching to - if they want to stand around and chat for a bit, so do you.

If you want to take things to a slightly more advanced level, read up on neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) for sales and confidence building.

Negotiating you way to success

So how should you open your pitch, and when and how is the best way to bring in negotiations?

Meaden recommends, before anything else, laying out the terms of the deal you're looking for. "If you want to get my attention, say: 'This is what I've got, this is where we're going, this is why I need the cash, this is how much money I need, this is how much equity I'm prepared to give away and this is what else I need from you'," she says.

"And I think you've got to get that very clearly up-front, possibly before a meeting, because there's no point wasting everybody's time if you actually have completely different agendas."

Once that's all out in the open, you can begin moving towards your presentation. Wheeldon says he always begins by asking the people he's pitching to what they want from an investment or contract.

"What they're effectively telling you is how they want to be sold to," says Wheeldon. Otherwise, he warns, you could 'talk for 20 minutes and not hit one single point they're looking for'. You then tailor the focuses of the pitch to their wants, emphasising the strengths they would be specifically interested in.

Once you've worked through your presentation, if the people you're pitching to are interested they'll usually begin (or continue) asking questions. And if they're really interested, they'll bring up the terms of the contract or investment you suggested at the start. It's time for you to get a deal.

"They need to be sensible in the way they negotiate," says Meaden of pitching-hopefuls. "It would worry me if somebody just came out with a number [for how much money was required] and the minute I tested it or counter it they just said, 'Oh right, fine' - because I would think that they didn't clearly think about their first number. What I expect from somebody is to actually put a sensible proposition to me, to have very, very good reason, and to stick to that unless new information comes out."

Being overly unwieldy when it comes to equity can be just as damaging as capitulating too easily. "If they don't negotiate and they absolutely stick to their guns, and I don't think there's good reason, then they run the risk of losing me," she adds.

If you get that balance right, there's every chance you'll get what you want at the end of your pitch. And if you don't, don't be discouraged - as an example of what you're trying to achieve, only 1% of ideas pitched to angel investors get funding. That doesn't mean there's no hope. There's money out there - you just need to be willing to pitch, pitch and pitch again until you get the deal you've worked so hard for.

Smarta Business Builder

To help you on your business journey, we've created Smarta Business Builder, the complete online tools package for growing your business. Website, Business Planning, Accounts, Legal Docs and Email - all in one place - from just £20 per month with no contract! Try it out today!