DO: KEEP IT SHORT

When preparing for a pitch, remember to keep it short. One experts rule of 10/20/30 when pitching using presentations is still effective today. The expert says that a pitch should have no more than 10 slides, should not last more than 20 minutes and should not have a font smaller than 30 points. Any person can only concentrate on a task for a short time without being distracted. As an entrepreneur seeking financing, you only have a few seconds or a couple of sentences to capture your investor’s attention and sell your business idea.

DO NOT: USE JARGONS AND TECHNICAL TERMS

Aside from keeping your pitch short, you must also remember to keep it simple. Do not fill up your pitch with technical jargons that are difficult to understand and remember. If you are making a presentation, do not make it too text- heavy. Use video, pictures or images to convey ideas. Capture their interests so that they will be asking questions that will supplement your presentation. An ideal pitch is simple and easy to understand.

DO: ANSWER IMPORTANT POINTS

Always remember these basic elements that must be answered by your pitch: What is your product and what problem or need does it answer? What is your market and how big is it? How do you expect to generate revenue? How is your business better than the competition? Don’t forget to mention, what is the pitch for? Do you want their business card, a schedule for a full presentation, or financing?

DO NOT: FAKE YOUR MARKET’S TRUE SIZE

Do not create fake traction. Creating false profiles or making false positive reviews can eventually create problems for you and your investors. A VC Expert shares a story about an entrepreneur who started several online dating sites with 80-90% of the profiles in the sites were by dummy users. After a year, the dating site received a VC funding. In a span of two years the entrepreneur spent the money on salaries, advertisers and designers. However, the real users would drop off the site quickly because the fake users weren’t engaging them. Thus the dating site whose business model was to gain revenues from paid memberships barely brings in 100k annually.

DO:RESEARCH ON THE VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM OR ANGEL INVESTOR THAT YOU ARE PITCHING TO

Before doing a pitch to a VC or Angel Investor, do your research first about your potential investors. Know more about their history, track record and portfolio. Do not go into the meeting blind.Most investors only invest in a specific industry—healthcare, information technology, etc. Some invest only in companies during a specific stage of its life cycle. When preparing for a pitch, you don’t need to define introductory IT terms to a firm that has been investing in IT start-ups. Also, you are not likely to get financing for a restaurant chain from a firm that has only been investing in healthcare. A simple visit to the VC’s website could save you much time and effort. Monbi.com , on the other hand, lets you upload your pitches in their website where Angel and Venture firms from all over the world can check it out.

DO: SELL NOT JUST YOUR IDEA BUT ALSO YOUR TEAM

When making a pitch you are not just selling the business, you are also selling yourself and the people who will be behind your business. So, it’s important to tell your investors about your skills, expertise and accomplishments. Take note of the important tasks that need to be accomplished and how each member of the team can contribute in making it happen. Self-awareness is an important trait among leaders.

DO NOT: COME TO THE PITCH UNREHEARSED

If you are feeling the jitters and feel that you can’t deliver the pitch smoothly then the only solution is for you to practice, practice, and practice. Practice in front of a mirror so you’d know how you look while doing your pitch. Your facial expressions and hand gestures can help you make your pitch more enthusiastic and convincing. Once you are more comfortable, find a family member, friend or co-worker that you can rehearse your pitch with.

DO NOT: BE AFRAID TO MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR PITCH

Do not be afraid to make revisions. As your start-up grows and goes through various stages, you must keep your pitch updated to reflect the company’s current situation.