Table of contents
Table of contents
Pitching for investment can be a daunting prospect, involving preparation, research, and cold-hard facts.
We’ll use this article to demystify the process of pitching, and go through some top tips for a successful business proposal.
Begin by trying to see things from the investor’s point of view. Any good pitch should demonstrate a clear understanding of the investor’s values and objectives – but you’ll need to know what those are if you’re going to show you’re on the same page.
Research both your market and the person you’re pitching to so you can identify areas you should focus on, and use this information to create an initial plan. This way, you’ll be able to promote yourself as the perfect match.
It’s also useful to update your market research before you go in to pitch. It will arm you with valuable insights about what sets your business apart (and how you plan to beat the competition).
We’ve all seen Dragon’s Den. Someone goes up with a great idea, only to fall apart because they’re not sure how much it costs to make their product.
Fumbling for answers and unreliable guesswork aren’t very reassuring, so try to prepare for the inevitable questions. For example, if you’re asking for a loan, do you know how long it might realistically take you to repay it?
Making false promises could harm your reputation and affect your ability to secure investments in the future. Which probably isn’t part of your plan.
Bookkeeping can help.
Keeping good records allows you to create financial reports, which ultimately helps you to stay informed. As long as you look at them, of course.
It’s good to let your reputation precede you, but don’t just assume everyone knows who you are. Especially if you’re going to be the person saying, “Don’t you know who I am?”, because they might not.
Referring to performance so far and client testimonials throughout your pitch will stand you in good stead, giving you a solid foundation on which to build.
You may want to consider putting together a pitch deck with key information about you and your business, which you can send out prior to the actual pitch.
A good pitch deck typically includes:
The important thing is to show either that you’re someone with a proven track record or, if you don’t yet have the experience to do so, that you have the right attitude and a solid grasp of reality. It tends to hold more weight than passion alone in the world of pitching.
At the end of the day, investors want a return on their investment, which means they want to know you’ve been there and done it. Maybe you’ve even got the T-shirt.
It’s okay to feel nervous, but pitching for investment is not the time to be humble.
You want to put your best foot forwards, using things like case studies and ROI data to support any bold claims.
As with anything, preparation is key and will help you to feel more confident, so feel free to rehearse your pitch as many times as you need to. Your neighbours definitely won’t mind.
This will partly be led by the kind of image you want to portray, and what you’ve found out about the person you’re pitching to.
One strategy is to present your pitch in the form of a story or narrative, with this being a good way to earn someone’s emotional investment, which in turn can lead to a financial one.
An example of this would be talking about how you and your team rallied to overcome a particular problem.
You could also discuss your mission statement, or how your business aims to improve people’s lives with the solutions it offers.
Learn more about using Pandle to make business accounting easier. Create an account today and decide what to do with all the extra time you get back.
A content writer who enjoys writing in a way that’s fun and engaging, while still being informative and useful to everyday people. I also enjoy writing creatively.
Create your account today, and decide what to do with all the extra time you get back. We hear Pilates is popular.
Live chat support
No card details required
Making Tax Digital compliant
