Presenting a business plan to potential investors is much a science as it is an art. You want your business plan to be thorough yet easy to follow. It should hit all the key talking points but shouldn’t be so dense that engagement dwindles off halfway through the presentation. This article raises four points to consider the next time you are deliberating on how to present your business plan to potential investors.
Know Your Audience
The purpose of a business plan is to entice potential investors to provide funding. Hence, your presentation should be tailored to their individual interests and goals.
Take the time to understand what each investor is looking for and what they value. What businesses do they invest in? Are they heading in a new direction or looking to break into a new market? Do they have specific targets? What is their plan for the next five to ten years?
By exploring these questions, you’ll know whether to focus on the business idea or hard statistics. Similarly, you’ll know whether to focus on customers and market share or revenue projections.
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The strength of a business plan lies in the content. However, it doesn’t hurt for the business plan to be easy on the eyes. When it comes to presenting a business plan, consider the following:
- Table of contents – Provides the reader with an overview and direction as to the flow of the presentation.
- Headings and subheadings – Breaking up the content makes the presentation more palatable and easier to follow.
- Don’t overcrowd – Make use of infographics and defer calculations/data to the appendices.
- Highlight key points – A reader should be able to easily identify the takeaway message.
- Be consistent – The presentation will look more professional when fonts, font sizes and the colour scheme is uniform.
- Grammar – Incorrect spelling and punctuation may infer a rushed job as you didn’t take the time to proofread.
Elevator Pitch
In an ideal world, an investor has read your business plan from front to back. In reality, investors only have time to flick through your business plan. What they are more likely to remember (and what you should focus on) is your elevator pitch.
An effective elevator pitch identifies:
- The purpose of the business plan;
- How it creates value; and
- What makes it innovative.
Remember that the objective of an elevator pitch is to “hook” your listener. Think of your business plan as a story and your elevator pitch is the synopsis. It should be engaging but doesn’t need to spill all the details.
You should rehearse your elevator pitch to the point that it just rolls off the tongue.
Know Your Stuff
Come prepared to answer questions. Two scenarios may arise when presenting a business plan.
Scenario 1 – The non-expert
Let’s imagine that you are explaining the finances and you have an investor that doesn’t have a mathematical background. In this situation, you should be ready to break down the figures and explain their implications in layman’s terms. Moreover, be prepared to convey the same information in multiple ways.
Scenario 2 – The Expert
Alternatively, let’s imagine that the investor does have a mathematical background. Given their knowledge, they may want to know more specific details. You should be ready to answer detailed questions and justify any assumptions or projections you have made.
Ultimately, you want investors to walk away with a clear understanding of the entire business plan. No question should be left unanswered.
Additionally, you want to instil confidence in investors that you know what you are talking about. Investors are looking to you to spearhead the project and to ensure return on their investment.
Conclusion
As much as a business plan provides you with direction, it’s also made for potential investors. Thus, it’s important to consider investors when deciding how to present your business plan. Think about what they need to know as well as what they would want to know. The more you lean into an investor’s needs and wants, the more likely you are to strike a chord.
