How to make an effective presentation, focusing on investment pitches. Presented by Ken Berkun to the Hawaii Inventor's Association on September 24, 2013.
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Perfecting the pitch with note slides
1. KEN BERKUN, PRESIDENT
LABELS THAT TALK
BERKUN@SOUNDPAPER.COM
Perfecting the Pitch
Includes notes. (Slides labeled as notes are for previous slide.)
2. •Me
• Experienced entrepreneur
• Technical background
• Successfully raised both Angel and VC
funds
• 1 Successful exit
• Working on startup #2 now
•You
• Who is in the audience
Introduction
3. • Fundamentals of Being in Front of a Group
• Presentation Techniques
• Prep Work
• PowerPoint Tips
• Props
• Demos
• Investor Pitches in particular
Topics
4.
5. •Forbidden Words
•Face the audience
•Speak slower
•Speak clearly
•Empty your pockets
•Never lie / Never make up an answer
•It is fine to say “I don’t know”
•You can always say “I’ll get back to
you”
Fundamentals
7. • Verify in advance that the right A/V gear
will be available
• Arrive Early/Set up early
• Bring your own gear as back up
• Sweet talk the admin
• Bring your cards
• Have your partner take notes
• Dress appropriately
• Be polite – no matter what
Prep
8. Presentation Checklist
Laptop √
Memory card with presentation √
Presentation is on Laptop
Handouts
Business Cards
Notepad
Pen
If you have a Mac then video cable
Props
Demo Gear
Extension Cord
Special Cable 1
Special Cable 2
Meeting Checklist
9. • Understand exactly why you are there
• Establish how much time you have
• Take control of the room
• Bring a clock you can easily read
• The founder MUST present
• Never interrupt each other
More Fundamentals
12. • Limit and manage the questions and answers
• Only jump slides if you have complete mastery of PPT
• Don’t get lost trying to find the right place
How to Handle Questions
When Asked At The End
13. 1. Tell them what you
are going to tell them
2. Tell them
3. Tell them what you
told them
The Classic Approach
15. •Use Guy Kawasaki’s “10/20/30 Rule of
PowerPoint”
• Ten Slides
• Twenty Minutes
• Thirty Point Font
•All pictures
• No Text
PowerPoint Notes
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html
10 Point
20 Point
30 Point
36 Point
36
Century Gothic
Arial
Times New Roman
Calibri
16. •Animations are controversial
• Keep them to a minimum
•Video has a tendency to break
•Audio is dangerous
•None of these work on paper, on
Slideshare, Webinars or anywhere else.
Special Effects
17. • NDA
• Buzzwords
• Never apologize
• Tons of text
• Read the text
• Looking at the screen
not the audience
• Lots of animations
• Annoying transitions
• Constant fussing and
backing-and-forthing of
slides
• Lots of fonts
What NOT to do
18. • Passion
• Stealth
• Curated
• Ecosystem
• Drinking the cool aid
• Traction
• User Experience
• Killer App
• Cloud
• Disrupt
• MVP
• Drill Down
• Action Items
• Hockey Stick
• Game Changer
• Reach Out/Ping/Circle Back
• Patent pending
• First mover advantage
• All we have to do is get 1% of the market
• Pivot
• Gamify
• Viral
• Epic
• Crush it
• Leverage
• 800 pound gorilla
• Fremiumum
• Social Media
• Open the kimono
• Lean
• Agile
Buzzword list
19. •What you say is far more important
than its appearance
•Nonetheless, don’t be an amateur
•Keep it simple and uncluttered
Design v. Content
Always credit your sources
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Good-Design-Bad-Design/5466385
Why Design is Important!
20. • Never ever read
• You know your story
– so tell it
• If you don’t then
you are not ready
• Notes in your hand
are bad
Memorization
ON
21. • I say make it funny
• Stories are better than jokes
• Not everyone would agree
• Cartoons are generally good
• Keep it non-controversial
• Always leave them laughing
Humor
But in any case, keep them entertained
23. •Demos always break
•Screenshots are much safer
•Never ever count on an internet
connection
•Nonetheless, nothing kills like a demo
•If you do:
• Short and Sweet
• Show just the salient points
Demos
24. • Do a trial close
• Set the next steps
• Start on Time and End Early
• Know how much time you
have
• Ask
• Know your audience - ask
• Listen and react
• Tell a story
• Ask questions of your
audience
• And listen to the answers
• Vary your voice level
• Stay on topic
Things You SHOULD Do
25. •You can’t say “I have passion”
•You must demonstrate it
•It is OK to show some emotion
•But it is not enough
About the “Passion” Word
27. •This is about the presentation
•I assume you have
• A business plan
• A great team
• A competitive edge (moat)
• A great product or service
•All you need is a little money…
A Few Points
28. • Information
• Contacts
• Funding
• Sometimes all you want is access to the
right people
Know Your Goals
Flatteryisalwaysgood
• Done right
29. 1. Problem
2. Your solution
3. Business model
4. Underlying magic/technology
5. Marketing and sales
6. Competition
7. Team
8. Projections and milestones
9. Status and timeline
10. Summary and call to action
10 to 20 Slides
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2005/12/the_102030_rule.html#ixzz2fZR0curu
Lifted from Guy Kawasaki
30. •Two types of problems
1. Need
2. Want
•How do you prove it?
Problem
Nobody knew we needed an mp3 player
31. •Your product or service
•Screen shots or demo
• But I don’t recommend demo
•Customer quotes
•Props
Solution
32. • How do you Make Money
• Clear business proposition
• >= 40% margins
• Advertising is tough
• You have to prove you have a huge audience
• Freemium has a terrible conversion rate
Business Model
We follow the Adobe Acrobat model –
anyone can read Soundpaper for free,
we charge a small amount for printing
the barcode.
33. •You ALWAYS have competition
•Even if it is just the status quo
Competition
34. •Key positions only
•Board or Advisory Board
•Prior Successes
•Pictures are optional
Team
Founder Berkun receiving the
Governors Innovation Award in 2008.
35. •A little more about the product/service
•Secret Sauce/Moat/Competitive Edge
•IP
Underlying Magic/Technology
• Patent pending techniques for
handling partial scans/missing
data
• Missing audio is easily filled in
by our brains
36. •Marketing or Sales?
•Understand the difference
•Simply put:
• Marketing is promotion
• Sales are the deals themselves
Marketing
37. •Have a realistic Plan
•Cost to acquire customers
•Average sale size
•Margin
Marketing and Sales Plans
Viral is not a marketing plan
39. •Projections:
• Not too big and not too small
• Probably includes a hockey stick
• State your assumptions
• And your willingness to defend and adjust them
• You MUST have model/spreadsheet
• Of course it will be wrong but it is a starting point
Projections
40. •What is the raise?
•Simplified terms
•Dates
•Lead Investor
•Trial Close
Summary and Call to Action
41. Investment Summary
Valuation:
Current Capital & Debt Structure
Founder(s): $850,000
Other Investors: Friends, Family
and Angels
Debt: $100K
Sweat Equity: 8 Years
Pre-Money Valuation: $8 Million
Post-Money Valuation: $12 Million
General Information:
Name: Labels That Talk (LTT)
Amount: $4 Million Series A
New Securities Offered:
Common
Prior Rounds: Convertible
Debt
Lead Investor(s): None
Expected Return
Expected Company Values
12 months:
$33 M
36 months:
$80 M
60 months:
$170 M
Special Terms or Conditions: None
Bogus
Numbers
42. •Every audience is different
•Do your research
•How does your product help the
people in this room
•Stay at the appropriate level
• 10,000 Feet
Customize the Presentation
http://navfund.com/blog/the-angel-bubble-or-why-i-would-rather-
be-a-vc
43. Dealing With Spreadsheets
Pro Forma Balance Sheet
Assets
Current Assets Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Cash $ 58,205 $ (477,452) $ 3,431,674 $ 5,740,072 $ 12,454,939
Accounts Receivable $ - $ 98,775 $ 391,217 $ 785,479 $ 1,465,313
Inventory $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Other Current Assets $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Total Current Assets $ 58,205 $ (378,677) $ 3,822,891 $ 6,525,551 $ 13,920,252
Long-term Assets
Accumulated Depreciation
Total Long-term Assets $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Other Assets
Goodwill $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000
Total Other Assets $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000 $ 1,200,000
Total Assets $ 1,258,205 $ 821,323 $ 5,022,891 $ 7,725,551 $ 15,120,252
$ (197,953) $ (287,888) $ (377,256) $ (509,088) $ (735,921)
Liabilities and Capital
Current Liabilities $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Accounts Payable $ (42,047) $ (104,655) $ (194,889) $ (273,318) $ -
Current Borrowing $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Other Current Liabilities $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Subtotal Current Liabilities $ (42,047) $ (104,655) $ (194,889) $ (273,318) $ -
Long-term Liabilities $ - $ - $ - $ - $ -
Total Liabilities $ (42,047) $ (104,655) $ (194,889) $ (273,318) $ -
Investment $ 340,000 $ 640,000 $ 3,640,000 $ 3,640,000 $ 3,640,000
Paid-in Capital $ 1,440,000 $ 1,440,000 $ 1,440,000 $ 1,440,000 $ 1,440,000
Total Invested Capital $ 1,780,000 $ 2,080,000 $ 5,080,000 $ 5,080,000 $ 5,080,000
Retained Earnings-beginning $ - $ (281,795) $ (866,134) $ 515,036 $ 3,427,957
Annual Earnings $ (281,795) $ (584,339) $ 1,381,169 $ 2,912,922 $ 7,348,216
Total Owners Equity $ 1,498,205 $ 1,213,866 $ 5,595,036 $ 8,507,957 $ 15,856,173
Total Liabilities and Capital $ 1,456,158 $ 1,109,211 $ 5,400,147 $ 8,234,639 $ 15,856,173
Key ratios Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Return on Equity -19% -48% 25% 34% 46%
Return on Assets -22% -71% 27% 38% 49%
Profit Margin n/a -115% 32% 31% 40%
44. Tempting, but don’t do it
Pro-Forma Projected Annual Profit & Loss
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Revenue 0 508,875 4,307,458 9,548,532 18,411,220
Marketing 6,500 156,630 498,439 986,887 1,076,717
Sales 8,850 116,670 259,300 510,650 755,800
Engineering 210,000 628,400 1,277,050 1,763,661 2,635,296
G & A 56,445 191,514 686,249 1,805,917 2,638,459
Sub-Total: Operating
Expenses (281,795) (1,093,214) (2,721,038) (5,067,115) (7,106,272)
Income (281,795) (584,339) 1,586,420 4,481,418 11,304,948
State and Federal Tax 0 0 (205,250) (1,568,496) (3,956,732)
Income after Tax (281,795) (584,339) 1,381,169 2,912,922 7,348,216
Net Profit Margin 32% 31% 40%
45. Select Just One or Two Charts
(5,000,000)
0
5,000,000
10,000,000
15,000,000
20,000,000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Pro-Forma Revenue & Income
Revenue Income
$18,411,220
46. Bad Chart! Naughty Chart!
http://www.biostat.wisc.edu/~kbroman/topten_worstgraphs/ http://lilt.ilstu.edu/gmklass/pos138/datadisplay/badchart.h
tm
47. •The Valuation
•Future Rounds
•The Exit
Dangerous Topics
$0
$20,000,000
$40,000,000
$60,000,000
$80,000,000
$100,000,000
$120,000,000
2013 2014 2015 2016
Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5
Proforma Investment Value
3 times earnings
5 times earnings
10 times earnings
48. •Strictly optional
•Now it is typical to email the
presentation
•Provide at end not earlier
•Use PPS file and PDF not PPT or DOC
Handouts
49. •1- to 15 Minutes is perfect
•But sometimes you only have 3
• Or 2
•Practice your time
• Then practice some more
•Know what is important and what you
can drop
• It’s probably not as important as you think
Time
50. • Sales
• Beta Customers
• Contracts in negotiation
• Money raised already
• Money of your own
• Quit your day job
• Your Board or Board of Advisors
• Publicity
• Website
• Registered Copyright on your name
Proof of Commitment – Prior to Pitch
51. •Sit down
• Or stand up
•Start and manage the discussion
•Know what you want and ask for it
•Ask lots of questions
•Don’t be afraid of tough questions
• Make sure you have answers
• Never dodge the question
After the Pitch
52. •How does that sound to you?
•Is this the kind of deal you do?
•If I could do that for you, would you invest?
•If I can fix that problem for you would you
be interested?
•Is this deal size appropriate for you?
•It looks like you really like this. Is that true?
The Trial Close
54. •Yup. Yes it is.
•Tough. No one ever said it was easy.
•The odds are NOT with you.
•But mostly everyone
is rooting for you
This is a lot of stuff to learn
55. • Toastmaster
• Incubators
• Mentors
• Founders Institute
• Meetup.com
• Dale Carnegie
• “How to Win Friends and Influence People”
• Edward Tufte’s books (any)
• Nice write up of Buffer’s journey here: http://open.bufferapp.com/the-
slide-deck-we-used-to-raise-half-a-million-dollars/
Resources
56. Slides are Available on Slideshare:
http://www.slideshare.net/kenberkun/perfecting-the-pitch-
with-note-slides
Thank You
Editor's Notes
The title is a complete lie. The pitch is never perfect, you can only hope to improve it each time.
Old fart, 36 years in the industry13 years with DECFirst startup when I was 27 failed, but I paid out all debtsPrevious company was Singingfish.com the world’s first audio video search enginePrior to that I worked at another startup that lacked focus and burnt through more than $100 Million!
You have to be comfortable talking to groups and individuals if you are going to run a venture backed company. It is a requirement there is no way around it.
Certain words are forbidden: basically, soI first wrote “slowly” but changed it to slower. Whatever you are doing slow it downClearly I have trouble with theseJump up and down. You should not jingle.Getting back to you is good – it locks in the next meeting
If you’re not 10 minutes early you’re 5 minutes lateIf in doubt over dress, it shows respectDo not be afraid to call ahead and verify everything.Keep a checklist
Or you must have a very good reason why founder is not available.It has taken a long time but my partner and I rarely step on each other any more, but we did at the beginning!You will not always get your point in, but that’s ok, they won’t remember everything either
Questions are goodBut keep controlDo not be afraid to cut off people with long questionsAnswer what you need to onlyIf at some point you have to say “no more questions” then do so.I just witnessed a presentation where the presenter went off on tangents and prevented more meaningful questions from being asked.
But they can still only hold so much so save the really important stuff for last. But say it 3 times.Another meaningless diagram
Practice answering questions – get your friends to help
You can see right away I am breaking all these rules.That’s because I am teaching a class not making a presentation and those are two entirely different things.These are all the fonts you’ll ever needLocal boy made good.
Audio is particularly important to LTT and we go to great lengths to make sure it is going to work
The screen is just additional info for the audience who is really there to listen to youPick one transition, make it simple and stay with it.2 fonts per slide max. maybe 3
Just for fun, the list is endless
There is a trend to move away from bullet lists – this is good if you can do it. I haven’t succeededIt’s fine to borrow graphics but don’t pass them off as your own unless they are.Its easy to find examples of bad designHire a designer if you can afford it, they are worth it.And while you’re at it – grammar and spelling also matter.
How much you memorize is up to you. I can’t memorize so I use the slides as a hint and paraphrase each one. I don’t recommend pure memorization, questions can through you for a loopBe prepared for extemporizing
When you pitch at an angel meeting you are the entertainment.
Can you do the presentation with no slides? Yes and sometimes this is the right thing to do. But in any case you should know your material so well that you don’t need slides.There was this time in Singapore, see…
Think real hard about a demo. It must be shortNo detailsNo distractionsOnly show what makes you unique or what goes POWI NEVER do a demo during a pitch. I will do one in a sit down meeting.
Story:Why I invented Soundpaper.Be prepared to say “this is not what I am here to talk about” Let’s set another meeting for that.We always start a meeting by asking how much time we haveIf this is an event like an Angel meeting then you’ll know in advance
Passion comes from being good at what you do.
Not here to talk about business plan, funding details or types of funding, how much to raise, who to pitch and much more. I assume you have that nailed and this is about how to present it.
No sweat.
First meetings can be for information onlyOnly go for funding when you are good and readyApplies for both angels and VCsNo difference between pitching to angels or VCs that I can think ofYou are not always in it for the moneyI suppose “picking your brain” is a buzzphrase but people fall for it all the timeIt is ok to ask for a specific introductionThis may not be the right VC for you and you want to know who is.
Guy K. says 10 slides but that’s hard to do. But not too many moreThere are many such lists, this is as good as any.Exact order is not importantSome situations have their own guidelines – if they do, they use them, sorry.You always have competition even if it is the status quoMagic/technology includes IP and IP strategy
Everyone wants you to have a need but sometimes all you have is a wantHow do you prove you have a need when it is a new product?Only Steve Jobs knew that we did.Funders want to see a “need” It’s much harder to sell a “want”That’s why I talk about the medical uses of Soundpaper
The investor is not there to be your friend, she wants to make money. How?Must state a clear simply business plan
If you say you don’t have competition you will be laughed out of the roomYou’ll hear this a lot: use company logos instead of text whenever you can.
I’m not big on pictures of team members but if you can show them in action, that’s good.
Sometimes the moat is marketing but usually it is in the product or serviceThis is not an IP discussion, that’s a whole different presentation
The challenge is to present this in a meaningful and concise way.If you don’t have a calculation similar to the one shown then you probably don’t have a serious business.
Lies will come back to hauntEveryone expects a bit of optimism but nothing will hurt you more than not delivering what you promised.
The important thing is the assumptions. If someone disagrees with your numbers you ask what they don’t agree with and modify the assumptions which provide new results.A recent presentation at a business plan competition had such small revenue that we didn’t believe it. They did not win.
You are often given a format you must follow.The Hawaii Angels summary format squeezed on to one sheet. Old format.
Same as a resume, everyone gets a different versionGuy K says 10K feet. Not too high and not too low.OK to dive down occasionally but don’t stay there!
What NOT to doYou just can’t And you can’t apologize for them “I know you can’t read this but…” but you shouldn’t have shown it!
Make them big and easy to read
Valuation is very subjective and ultimately a negotiation with the investorFuture rounds are wishful thinkingThe Exit may never happen
Time flies likes an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.I hate practicing and I especially hate practicing the timing. But I do it anyway
You will not be funded if you haven’t quit your day jobOh and by the way, you can’t pay yourselfWhat is a partnership or an alliance?Better to have a simple clean landing page than no website or a site with someone else’s landing pageNames are hard you’re allowed to change it as you go
“I’ll get back” to you is fine
If it was easy anyone could do it.You have to be crazy to build a business.The world is not shark tank. The vast majority of people want you to succeed. I’ve only met a couple of VCs who were real jerks.
Join us at the Windward Entrepreneur’s Meetup on the 2nd Thursday of each month at Pinky’s in Kailua