SYLVIANE NUCCIO

When it comes to any business career having to deal with pitching your business ideas and gain trust from prospective investors can be one of the most difficult aspects. It will probably be one of the if not, the hardest pitch you have to make so getting it right is rather important. Have a look here for some of the top tips for getting you Pitch Perfect.

Understand Your Investors

As well as getting your investors to know and understand you and your business it is also important for you to understand the needs and wants of any potential investor. It doesn’t matter what type of investor you are dealing with, they need to be confident that your business will gain new customers and retain them. You need to be inspirational and be able to supply facts with confidence. Stay away from made up facts and figures as investors can see right through this. Every investor is looking for the lowest risk with the highest return, and if they can in a quick turnaround.

Bank managers are always looking for proven business management skills when seeing any presentation. They are interested in knowing and understanding where you will be five years from your pitch and want to see and feel confident that you will still be the leader of this venture. Bear in mind being able to show some cash flow and revenues from the start has a much better chance of gaining investors than a business plan that forecasts large returns, without the proof you are already bringing in money it can be difficult to gain investment.

Investors are normally looking for a stand out qualities within your business, these should include:

• Your Employees: When seeking investment, it becomes more important than ever to be able to show you have a strong team of people, who are in the ideal roles and able to remain a strong team throughout their investment.
• The Vision: This is a hard one to get right, whether you have the next big thing or have something that’s going to stand out against competitions in the market if you have something that’s different or looks to be the next big thing then investors could very well jump at the chance.
• The Market: Your investors want to see that you have a good understanding of where you sit in the market and how you are going to it. If you can show that you are going to be successful here it will give you potential investors confidence in your business.

You should look to include each of these within your presentation to not only provide a clear understanding but increase your chances of an investment being made.

Really Think About How It Looks

Not usually at the top of people list but definitely an important factor to think about. You could have all the right facts, figures, information and say all the right things but if your presentation looks unprofessional and messy then it could all be a waste. A well-designed, and clear to understand presentation can not only make you look like you are a good investment but also give you a chance against other larger companies. It could even give you a boost against other start-up businesses that are pitching for the same funds as you.

Beautiful AI makes it easier for you to do beautiful work so when it comes to piecing your presentation together choosing a presentation software to use don’t just jump straight to Microsoft PowerPoint. Yes, it’s everyone’s go-to and it’s well known but it’s not always the right choice for every business. make sure you make considerations and do your research when choosing your software.

When it’s time to start designing your presentation there are a few important aspects to consider to make it stand out and show the information you want it:

• Don’t Overcrowd With Text: You don’t need to have paragraph after paragraph included in a presentation, that’s where you come in. Think about adding keywords, facts, it will make it much easier for people to read and then they are more likely to concentrate on what you’re talking about rather than reading.
• Keep It Simple: A key Factor to presentation success is the keep it simple. Yes, you want to inform investors of all your ideas and provide them with as much information as possible however you should try keeping it to one main topic on the screen at once.
• Colours: Colors should only ever be simple and complementary to each other. Try using colours that represent your business. You could look at using tools such as colour complimentary wheels to make sure the colours work together before using them. If you have any handouts for the presentation it’s a good idea to have these in the colours to match too.
• Pictures: There’s no denying that great images help your presentation to look the part so consider investing in some professional, relevant images.
• Text: It’s best to make sure you are setting the right tone for your presentation and that means using a business-style font. The last thing you want to do is make your presentation look childlike. Use it’s throughout and only change fonts for things that you want to stand out.

Getting your presentation look right could be the difference between a successful pitch and a disastrous one so make sure you are always careful.

Research

Lastly but by no means least is the importance of researching. By this, we mean researching your potential investors. This is different from understanding your investors as this is your initial research about what type of investor you should be seeking. There are several different types and therefore it’s important that you research the right ones for your business ventures. Each has very specific ways that they conduct practices. They often have very strict guidelines to who and what they can invest in so make sure you are approaching the right investors for your business.   

Do you have any other ways to help gain investors and become pitch perfect? Please share them in the comments section below.