Investor Pitch 

How to get a second meeting

Ignite Business Growth

Brant CooperDavid Kaplanwww.xleratesolutions.com

XLerate Solutions

The Goal

Use your network to get a 1st meeting. No one ever received a check at their 1st meeting

Your goal is to get a second meeting!

Success Factors

Quality of IdeaDepth of KnowledgeStrength of Character

Unrealistic objectivesUnclear value propositionHalf-baked business planPoor homeworkArrogance

Failure Factors

Have This Preparedfor the 1st Meeting

10-15 slide deck10 Back-up slidesIntimate knowledge of your proposed business

It Doesn’t Hurt to Also Have This

Product Milestones achievedA tested business modelEvidence that the model can be monetizedCustomer ROI validationRelevant Board of Advisors

Do’s

Simple, but defendableTalk to the slides in15 minutes Defend vision, but demonstrate flexibilityExpose assumptions

Don'ts

Be unpreparedMake claims you can’t substantiateDiscuss valuationUnderestimate competitionOverestimate market

Deck Template

You’re telling a story Change flow if necessary for your story Don’t confuse narrative w/ slide content

Less is more, especially for each slide Add another slide before inundating one slide But, do you really need another slide?

“Quick hits” nice to have, but not mustsIce, Ice, baby: Concise, Precise, Entice

Slide 1 Introduction

“Elevator Pitch” What business you are in? What market do you compete in? What will your business accomplish?

Quick hit: Significant company milestone or proven metric to date

[Slide Objective: Positioning of proposed business in viewer’s mind]

Slide 2 Market Need

What’s the pain you are solving? Who is ideal customer? How are they faring without you? What is the pain costing them?

• Revenue? Expenses? Market Share? Time? Risk?

Why is your solution a must have? How will you overcome the inertia coefficient?

Quick hit: Personal appeal to viewer; can you evoke personal experience in audience?

[Slide Objective: Answer why are you in business?]

Slide 3 Your Solution

What is your solution to the problem? What is unique? What is your exceptional value to the paying

customer? What is your exceptional value to customer

influencers? What is the paying customer’s result after your

product?• Revenue? Expenses? Market Share? Time? Risk?

Quick hit: Provide an real life ROI example

[Slide Objective: Answer why you?]

Slide 4 Technology

How does your solution work? In laymen’s terms, what is your unique mix that

produces your claimed benefits? Where do you fit into the existing market ecosystem? How does the product fit into customer processes? What is protected IP?

Quick hit: Demo or show something compelling

[Slide Objective: What is the secret sauce?]

Slide 5 Market

What is the total addressable market (TAM) [provide data sources]?

What is the growth trend? What are other relevant trends? What is the small* niche you will first target and how

much is it worth?

*Small is better than big.

Quick hit: Evidence that you can dominate small niche

[Slide Objective: What is the long & short term size of the opportunity?]

Slide 6 Business Model

How does your customer buy?How much will they pay?How will your business scale?Do you have a channel strategy?What are your key performance metrics vs.

competition?Where is break even?

Quick hit: Have real metrics that support model

[Slide Objective: How will you make money?]

Slide 7Competition

Diagram competitive landscapeWhere do you fit in?

Compare based on customers’ decision making criteria (Price, Quality, Convenience, Technology, Brand)

Re-iterate what you have that they don’t

[Slide Objective: How will you crush competition?

Quick hit: Customer quote

Slide 8 Go-To-Market

What segment are you focusing on and why?Show specific tactics to acquire leads and move

them through the pipelineDemonstrate knowledge of buyers’ processDemonstrate how you will test and validate go-

to-market assumptions

[Slide Objective: What are your tactics out of the gate?]

Quick hit: Expose acquisition and conversion metrics assumptions

Slide 9 Company Team

TeamManagement team members key strengths

and achievementsBoard of advisor members (if this is a

strength)OK to mention needs

Quick hit: Tie experience to opportunity: why did this team come together for this opportunity?

[Slide Objective: Right team for the job?]

Slide 10 Financials

Realistic financial plan5 Year estimates – graph is a mustDefine critical milestonesDo not copy and paste spreadsheet!

Quick hit: Expose key assumptions and key revenue drivers

[Slide Objective: Realistic revenue projection]

Slide 11Funding

How much investment are you seeking? Where will the money be put to use?

(i.e. Pie: 35% R&D, 25% Marketing, 15% production...etc)

How long will the money last?What specifically have you already achieved?What specifically will you achieve with money?

[Slide Objective: How much to achieve what?]

Quick hit: What will you achieve with this round that will make investors want to participate in 2nd round?

2009 2010 2011 2012

Strategic Planning

Phase IDevelopment

1st Customer Ship

Pilot Test

X Customers

2013

IPO

MassProduction (I)

ProjectMilestones

FinancialMilestones

Fund Raising (I)US$ 1 M

Fund Raising (II)US$ 1.5M

Slide 12 Corporate Development

[Slide Objective: Development over time]

MarketMilestones

Slide 13 Summary

List the strengths unique to your company3-5 points that you want from your

audience to remember when they leave the room

Ask for another meetingLeave something behind, e.g., copy of

deck

[Slide Objective: Close!]

Quick hit: Leave login to demo/beta

About XLerate

Business PlanningMarketing and sales support

XLerate is:David Kaplan, Founder and PrincipalBrant Cooper, Principal

• Blog: http://market-by-numbers.com• Twiiter: http://twitter.com/brantcooper