Ten tips for Effective Presentations

During the initial session of HeadStart, I just remembered about what Guy Kawasaki conveyed in one of his presentations that "When you are pitching someone, you should ensure that you have a backup copy of the presentation in either a USB or some other device".This is what was missing during some of the presentations in Headstart where presenters had to spend some time in making things work

While reading "Entrepreneur's Toolkit from Harvard Business Press", just came across an interesting article on Making effective presentations , which are listed below:

1. Don't hand out anything until the presentation is over-your audience will look through the materials and not listen to you.

2. Explain the deal right from the start. For example: "We are raising $X by selling common shares at $Y per share-that represents a Z percent stake in the company."
With this, the prospective financiers will want to know how you came up with the Z percent figure and why you priced it at $Y per share.

3. How is the company valued and how did you figure it out?

4. Who currently owns what share or percentage , and what did they put into the company in return for those shares? What options or warrants have been issued or proposed?

5. Explain the idea and competitive niche as if your prospective investors were customers to whom you were selling the product or service.Don't give a technical explanation.

6. A chronological marketing plan is critical.Explain in detail [not in generalities], how you are going to produce the sales.

7. Describe in detail how the investor's money would be used.

8. Explain why the current management team is successful and if, they have a long stint of successes.Why do you need Angels or VC's.

9. Don't tell them that the exit strategy is going to be an IPO or a private sale to another company or merger unless, someone on your management team has done that before, or unless you have the details as to how the goal would be accomplished.

10. Have your current financials available for examination, no matter how ugly they are.

Lastly, if anyone is planning to startup on your own or join an early stage startup, than this book is a must read since, it would take you through the complete process in a startup right from starting up to raising money to Equity distribution and so on.....