Dos and Don'ts of the Investor Pitch

When standing in front of a room full of investors, you need all the help you can get to make sure things run smoothly. The following are some basic ground rules.

• DO know how much time you have in advance and keep your presentation to only half of that time. A good bet is 12 to 15 slides. This gives you enough time to prove your credibility in the Q&A session following the presentation.
• DO your homework and know your participants. You can check out their bios and Google them to get more background information.
• DO provide substance (these guys know fluff when they see it) but DON'T kill them with product details.
• DON'T do a product demo.
• DO bring extra materials as you never know who might join your session or if your participants might want to pass extras along to others.
• DO coordinate audio-visual equipment well in advance and test it. Show up a bit early to make sure all the AV is ready.
• DO make sure your slides are readable: clear, clean, large type; logo and page number on every page; dark background; little to no animation.
• DO speak in real language--avoid industry buzz words, techie talk, or MBA babble.
• DO anticipate the questions you will get in the Q&A session, prepare answers, and practice. Have backup slides ready to illustrate your points.
• Whether it went well or not, DO get feedback. Your next one will be better either way.

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