How to Make Your Slides Click with Investors

When preparing to impress potential investors, the way you choose to communicate your new business plan (or stress your ongoing record of success) can be as important as the content itself. A strong PowerPoint presentation of the right length, paired with a dynamic design, and well-rehearsed delivery can make the difference between securing investment capital…or watching opportunity slip away with the click of a slide.

Success can often be measured in presentation length
Current wisdom suggests that effective funding presentations should last between 20 and 30 minutes, plus time for Q&A. This translates to 12-14 slides, allowing approximately 2 minutes for each slide to be presented. After that, you may well lose your audience – and your chance.

Make sure there aren’t any “cheap seats” in the room
Don’t lose momentum by filling a slide with text that is too small. You don’t have to fit everything but the kitchen-sink onto the screen. And, you shouldn’t. You should verbalize some of the information and support it with printed materials. No one will understand your slide if they can’t read it, and that means they won’t connect with your message – or you.

Balance the bells and whistles with the basics
A catchy presentation can capture the viewers’ attention – at least for a few minutes. But, once you’ve got that attention, you need to use it to communicate facts, figures, and basic financial information. It’s great to entertain as you inform, but be careful not to let the graphics, animations, or even the lunch you are serving with the presentation be more memorable than the business opportunity you are presenting (unless, of course, you are looking for investments in a catering venue, in which case, the food is your best presentation).

Keep it fresh
Presentation styles and capabilities change rapidly. So, if you are using a PowerPoint template designed a few years ago, chances are it will have a “been there, done that” quality to it that you don’t want to convey to potential investors. It pays to seek out fresh design talent and use updated presentation technology so your company looks more cutting-edge and less like yesterday’s news.

Your investors will want to see that you have the right business strategy, technical expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit necessary to bring success to your company before they invest (or continue to do so). But a significant factor in your success will be how well you can build trust and foster a positive “gut impulse” that will make investors feel like they can’t afford to pass up the opportunity your company represents. So, it pays to invest in a high quality PowerPoint presentation, delivered by a presenter who can bring your company’s vision to life and create enthusiasm for it.