FAVORITE TIPS FOR INVESTOR PRESENTATIONS

I am betting that most of us have seen “good” investor presentations and many undoubtedly also have seen investor presentations that were “not-so-good”. Reflecting on all the sweat & tears that it takes to put the company together and build a pitch … then the 10x effort that it takes to generate each opportunity to deliver that pitch… it is just plain tragic to take a risk on a not-so-good outcome.

I have learned a lot from past mistakes… and spent some time recently reviewing past notes and various advice sources on this topic. I have given credit to these sources below… and these will provide anyone interested with good starting points for further reading on investor presentations.

Here is a compilation of notes that I hope can be useful:

• The “pitch” will be your primary and critical communication tool!

• Plan on updating it frequently… possibly after every practice presentation, and almost definitely after every investor delivery = learning experience.

• Don’t hesitate to customize your pitch for your audience… the more you know about a potential investor, the more you can tailor the pitch toward success.

• The pitch you deliver will depend on the current stage you and the investor are in. Do your homework! You likely will need versions for:

• Elevator Pitch

• Email Pitch…

• Be sure to craft a company profile “one-pager”.

• In-person presentation

• Likely you will need both a full and a brief version.

• A more complete version with back-up info for handling questions.

• General principles

• Keep it as short as time permits.

• Practice… practice… practice…

• …with coworkers, friends, family, pets…

• DO NOT read from your slides!

• Your professional wording & delivery make all the difference.

• Tell a compelling story

• Define the Problem

• Show a demo, if possible

• Articulate your Product’s Value

• Talk up your Team

• Some special “DON’Ts”:

• DON’T evade questions… anticipate possible difficult questions.

• DON’T try to hide the risks

• DON’T forget an exit strategy

• DON’T neglect your business plan…

• … Yes: a more complete written plan will be expected after your pitch generates interest.

• Some critical “DOs” for medical devices:

• Include a level of clinical background info appropriate to the audience

• Outline Regulatory and Reimbursement pathways

• Go BIG on Market Potential

• Describe your Revenue Model & Marketing Strategy

• Accurately describe the Competitive Landscape

• DO outline Use of Funds and the impact of the investment you are seeking.

• LISTEN to your audience

• Project confidence

• Lessons from Hard Knocks:

• Begin at the END…

• Begin your pitch with your “Ask” … what are you looking for? …

• … and the overall exit strategy that you plan.

• BALANCE the Impossible!

• Keep it brief… but don’t leave out details

• Present the Positive Picture… but be realistic

• Wrap it up with your Ask and clear Next Steps

SOURCES

1. Nimesh Shah, currently with K2 Hth Ventures , provided great concepts in an article written for MDDI by journalist Arundhati Parmar

2. Finmark has many helpful points from Josh Krissansen.

3. Bennett Conlin wrote a “How to…” article in BusinessNewsDaily

4. Catherine Cotȇ wrote in HBR Online

5. Fundable publishes an Investor Guide