Are YOU ready to hit the money trail?

Are YOU ready to hit the money trail?? Really ready?? You've probably read dozens of articles loaded with tips on how to make the most polished presentation. The right number of slides, points per page, font, “winning’ templates, as if the package is the most important thing.? BUT it's not! A good looking presentation matters, but before that can happen, there are a few things that can make a difference in creating the most compelling, targeted message.??

So, here are three things that will help you lay the best foundation for a "yes" from investors.??

1)? Define your business so that it is understandable to a sixth grader or a grandparent.? That means no jargon, no insider phrases or alphabet soup.? Focus on problems solved and benefits delivered.? This forces you to answer questions that are about an actual business model, not just a technology or product design that you believe in and love, but deliverables that will need to be understood that may be the source of questions when you actually present.? Each time you revisit such basics, you increase your ability to present your business to anyone at any time and expand your own understanding of the whole business proposition.

??????????> Why it matters: The desire to impress leads many to overload with details they consider exciting, unique, and important BUT to an investor the details that matter are those that simply and clearly show how the business model will make money and the more moving parts there are the less credible/manageable things seem. Simplify, simplify, simplify!??????

2)? Create an "Ideal Investor Profile".? This is just like an "ideal customer profile" and reminds you that you are marketing your proposal, selling your concept as the basis for a profitable enterprise. What do you want from your investors --- NOT money, that's a given --- but how active/passive? Mentors? Directors? Network access? Finding team members? What else? That Ideal Investor then becomes the target of a real due diligence. What have they invested in already? How has their portfolio fared? What role have they played? What are their hot buttons? Look beyond the obvious and search out news pieces about the principals, their backgrounds, even their hobbies.? A nascent materials company seeking funding might capitalize on the tech transfer from the America's Cup if the VC is an avid sailor or might use the potential application of the material in prosthetics if the VC is on the board of a healthcare or veterans organization.? The ability to find and subtly use a VC's personal triggers may be the most powerful differentiating factor in a highly competitive search for capital.? Investors hear many presentations ---? most having teams with fine credentials --- but if those assumed capabilities can be put into a larger context that subliminally shows you as more business-savvy than others seeking investment you have an advantage.

???????????> Why it matters: without a clear picture of your target and an in-depth understanding of?their goals, motivations, and triggers is at the heart of business and whether you are marketing your investment opportunity or, once funded, your product/service, the principle remains the same — you MUST know how to meet THEIR needs.? It’s not their?job to “get it”, it’s your job to make it matter to them by tailoring your message to them.???

3)? Understand the competitive environment and acknowledge the reality that ALL business is competitive. There is no such thing as a business that has no competition.? It is a huge red flag when someone seeking an infusion of capital says there is no competition.? Even if you are truly that amazing thing that no one else has ever imagined before, the world got along without you, so even the habit of yesterday can be your competition.? Columbus’s competition was the belief that the world was flat, yet the trigger for Ferdinand and Isabella was not the excitement of a round world but the potential for wealth from trade IF Columbus could deliver on a business model of new trade opportunities whether the world proved to be round, flat, or triangular.???

??????????>? Why it matters: presenting a story that shows you have looked at the business world?in which you will play with a critical and realistic eye is a huge boost to your credibility?and elevates your status as a business builder, not just someone enamored of your product or service. It shows that when problems arise — and they will — you will not?turn a blind eye, but will confront and adapt. The fact that you have gotten a hearing from a serious investor?means your technical bona fides are established and now you are proving that you can see beyond your passion and build a real business. Since more than half of start-ups fail due to business/marketing inadequacies while less than 10% fail due to technology issues (Statista, 2020) showing business acumen is key.???

David Simpson III? www.SimpsonAndPartners.net ? ? ?