Posts Tagged ‘pitching hacks’
Make the First Pitch Count
Friday, April 22nd, 2011Thoughts for your first pitch:
Relax and enjoy the experience.
Let your passion come through, but keep it simple and concise, and don’t get defensive if you “cross nerves” with your audience.
Make sure you can quickly and clearly explain: what customer “pain” you’re solving, why your solution will sell, how you make money (and when), and how your investor can expect to realize their return on investment.
It’s ok to not have answers for everything. If you don’t have an answer, offer that you will get back to them with the answer. You might even acknowledge that their question is a good one and ask them if they have any insights to share toward converging on an answer.
Things we suggest not saying:
- “We have no competition.”
- “Our revenue projections are conservative.”
1. Investors may only listen when you tell them about a good idea.
however…
2. Investors may “open their checkbook” if you (A) have a good idea and (B) can demonstrate that you have a plan to implement that good idea and turn it into a profitable one.
We champion all of this and more within our ActSeed.com community.
This note was originally a reply to a young entrepreneur on LinkedIn who was about to make his first investor pitch and was looking for advice about pitching.
In addition to our quick response to “making the first pitch count”, we also recommend buying the book, “Pitching Hacks“.
Now, go out there and make every pitch count!
…………………
If You're Raising Capital (and you probably are), Read This Book
Thursday, May 6th, 2010“You can tell a story in a sentence; you can tell a story in a paragraph; and you can tell a story in a 20-minute pitch. Startups need to do all three.”
– from “Pitching Hacks” introduction
I’ll try to be as concise in my post as the book is in guiding you toward successful fund raising.
Nivi and Naval have a storied career with startups, both as fund-raising entrepreneurs and as investors, not to mention facilitators for other entrepreneurs and investors.
I’ve authored more business presentations, projections and plans than I’ve read about how others do it. But I’ve read a few books, and “Pitching Hacks” is the most concise, the most pragmatic and the most useful.
If you are about to “walk the fundraising gauntlet” – even if you’ve lived on Sand Hill Road before – read this book. For the first-time entrepreneur, it’s a gold nugget of guidance. For the seasoned startup veteran, it’s a superb refresher.
As authors Nivi and Naval say: “Investors don’t invest in businesses. They invest in stories about businesses.“
To buy this incredibly affordable book (<$19), go to the Amazon-powered ActSeed Marketplace (or if you prefer, go directly to Amazon)!
