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5 Tips To Create The Perfect Pitch


Creating and delivering a perfect pitch to investors, seals deals - sometimes $multi-million deals! As a business owner it is important to develop the ability to present perfectly to investors the benefits of using your service or product. Often business entrepreneurs are fantastic at creating new products or services, but a less than perfect pitch delivery to potential investors can jeopardise the sustainability of the business. After all sales, equals profit!

  

This article aims to highlight how to create a perfect pitch, in order to grab the attention of potential investors.

Research your audience
In order to focus your pitch and make it relevant to the potential investors attending, you really need to know who the investors are and what kind of business they are interested in. Pitches need to be short and sharp, so wasting irrelevant time waffling about subjects of no interest will lose the attention of investors. Knowing your audience will allow your to create a more personal and engaging pitch, which will build rapport.

Dress for business
Consider carefully what to wear during the pitch. Pitching to potential businesses is essentially a business meeting, so ensure you look the part. People form opinions very quickly relating to a person's image - so you want their opinion to be positive. Rather like trying to look and feel confident at an interview , dressing in business attire will help you portray a professional, business-like image.

Know your product inside out
At the end of your pitch you will want to invite questions from potential investors. As you cannot foresee what is going to be asked, it is extremely important to really know your product, so that you can answer with confidence. Ensure you know the financial aspects to your business so that investors can feel confident in their investment. If you come unstuck and can’t answer a particular question, don’t make matters worse by trying to cover it up. Admit you don’t know, but you will have an answer within a certain time frame.

Timing
You will have a certain time-frame to stick to, so ensure you can communicate everything you want to say effectively without running out of time. Practice, practice and practice your pitch! If you can choose how long your pitch lasts, don’t make it too long as people will get bored and lose interest. Too short, and it will look unprofessional.

Tell a story
It is tempting to just put slides up and read them out as part of the pitch, however the less slides the better. Try to tell your audience “a story”, include how the business started, where it is now and how you would like to see it in the future (with their investment!). Demonstrate your product or service and offer samples. Use visual and auditory props to add interest, but mainly focus on being friendly, knowledgeable and professional. You are hoping to engender trust in what you are offering.    

Finally, be passionate about your business! Enthusiasm is addictive and if you can sell the concept as the “next big thing” you are likely to be inundated with investors.

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