Guidelines for Presenting Companies

Adapted from "Guidelines for Presenting Companies" by Venture Planning Associates. Used by permission.

1. Follow the enclosed outline as closely as possible

2. Answer the most meaningful questions in the outline - not necessarily every one

3. Add information you feel is important even if it is not in the outline

4. Try to allocate about the same amount of time to each topic in the outline

5. Don’t get bogged down trying to describe products or technologies, just talk about what the technology is used for.

6. Try to answer the questions in the outline crisply and directly.  No time for long explanations.  You can elaborate later.

7. Don’t exaggerate.

8. Be as factual as possible.  Be prepared to defend any claims you make if possible.

9. Quantify claims whenever possible.  (Don’t say, “we’re going to make the best widget in the industry.”  Say, “our widget will have 200% more performance than existing widgets and it will cost 30% less.”)

10. If you don’t know the answer to an important question, don’t be afraid to say so.  No one expects you to have all the answers at this stage.  (“One of the reasons we need some money is so we can answer that question.”)

11. Don’t use busy charts.  It takes too long to explain them.  You have a little over one minute for each major topic.  A good format would be to have nine charts with simple reminder phrases for each of the important topics to be addressed on each.

12. Use graphics, pictures, charts, graphs, etc. if they will dramatize a point.  But make sure they are simple and easy to understand.  Explain the graphics carefully if necessary.

13. Keep asking yourself, “Would I invest in this business?  Why?”  The audience is interested in the investment promise of your business – not the technology.

14. Don’t try to say everything in the 10-minute presentation.  It is just an “attention getter”.  You can explain the details later, assuming you succeed in creating some interest.  Distill the essence of your business into a few key, memorable points.