If you want to gain investors for your business, you will need to pitch to them and essentially ask for their ‘children’s inheritance,’ as often stated by Theo Paphitis from Dragons Den, can be a daunting task to the most hardy of businessmen; however, it’s often an important step that budding entrepreneurs need to take in order to move their business forward. So how do you do it? Well, how long is a piece of string? As with any sales pitch or corporate presentation, people need to concentrate on their personal strengths when pitching to investors.
Take a look at these 5 tips which will get you well on your way to presenting a convincing investment pitch, and hopefully gain you the experience and capital of the prospective investors you’re pitching to.
- Rehearse your pitch
Make sure you have your pitch nailed. It’s not good enough to think that you know your business inside out, and just try to wing it on the day. The problem is that when you are sitting in front of a boardroom full of investors, your heart races, you start sweating and you may forget things, ramble on aimlessly, or leave out crucial points.
- Engage your audience
Research your investors before you arrive, which is possible nowadays with social platforms like Linkedin. This will give you the opportunity to tell your story and possibly provide a solution to a consumer problem which relates to them. This should get their attention right from the word, go!
- Flawless Business Plan
Make sure you have a flawless business plan which you can leave with your prospective investors should they want to read more. Provided your investment pitch goes well, they will want copies of how you intend on following through with your claims. Your business plan should outlay all of this information.
- Explain everything concisely and powerfully
You need to create an impression and show proof of your credibility by explaining the success you have had already. No investor is going to hand out their, ‘children’s inheritance,’ unless you can prove that you have what it takes to succeed. You will also need to explain your target market, how you intend on acquiring customers, who your competition is, what your financial projections are, and of course, what your funding needs entail.
- Be prepared and know your numbers
Make sure you are ready for any question they may fire at you. Know your numbers, projections and possible losses and of course projected gains. It will look really bad if you stand there and tell them that the calculations are all in the business plan. You should be able to calculate these numbers as and when you need to. This will also show that you are sharp, and have the capability to think on the spot.
The most important thing when presenting your business ideas to investors is to be prepared and confident, but not arrogant. You are presenting to them because you want them in your corner as you expand your business, you value their input (capital & experience) and at the same time have something invaluable to offer them. Make it a win-win situation; know your stuff and you should be fine! Good Luck!
Ref: bdplans.com