12 Designing and Delivering Perfect Pitch

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Designing and Delivering the Perfect Pitch

Entrepreneurs are often unprepared to begin the process of raising capital despite having what
may appear to be a well-polished presentation. The fund-raising process often takes more time
than originally thought, and the due diligence requirements are more detailed than expected.
Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Entrepreneurs tend to focus too much on the finer points of the product or service, leaving
critical questions unanswered regarding the solution’s fit with the problem, the market, the
Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

industry, and the competitive environment. By aiming initially at reducing the perceived risk
that any investor sees in a potential investment, the entrepreneur can begin the process more
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knowledgeable of the opportunity space and more able to present objective data to answer
questions that may arise. Thus, entrepreneurs need to communicate clearly to resource
providers their capabilities, the value of their venture idea, and the benefits of engaging with the
Educational material supplied by The Case Centre
team. A “perfect pitch” comprises two elements: (1) the content—aspects of the problem being
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solved, the solution, the value proposition, the business model, and the resources required; (2)
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the communication—the delivery of the message in terms of voice, body language, appearance,
and eye contact. Both the content and the communication are essential to a “perfect pitch.” This
note outlines the steps entrepreneurs can follow to develop a perfect pitch: the feasibility
analysis, preparation for approaching investors, planning, the content, communication, and
follow up.
Before You Begin

Entrepreneurs often begin to seek investors before their venture is ready for funding. Research
shows that readiness for funding depends on the technology, market identification, and
qualifications of the management team.1 To improve your readiness for a pitch presentation, you
should first complete a feasibility analysis, which addresses the most critical elements necessary
to consider during the initial conceptualization of the venture. It focuses more intently on
identifying customers, developing competitive uniqueness, and building a business model.
Further go-to-market plans may later arise from the feasibility plan. Any further investigation of
the venture will clearly benefit from the research and opportunity shaping done during this
feasibility process.2
1 Candida Brush, Linda Edelman, and Tatiana Manolova. “Ready for Funding? Entrepreneurial Ventures and the
Pursuit of Angel Financing,” Venture Capital Journal 14, nos. 2–3 (2012): 111–29.
2 Donna Kelley, “Conducting an Early-Stage Feasibility Analysis for an Entrepreneurial Opportunity,” BAB714N
(Babson College, 2013)
This Note was prepared by Angelo Santinelli, Adjunct Lecturer, and Candida Brush, Professor, Division Chair, both in
the Entrepreneurship division at Babson College, as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either
effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. It is not intended to serve as an endorsement, sources
of primary data or illustration of effective or ineffective management.
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publication can be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written
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The feasibility analysis should answer several key questions in four major areas of investigation:
1. Product/Solution Fit
a. Does the solution solve a large and important problem?
b. Is the target customer able and willing to pay?
2. Product/Market Fit
a. Is there a large and growing market?
b. Can the market be reached efficiently?
3. Product/Industry and Competitive Fit
a. Is there significant competitive differentiation?
b. Are there large and entrenched players?
c. Are there barriers to entry/exit?

4. Business Model Fit

a. What is the required resource intensity?
b. Is there sufficient margin to be made?

Early and thorough investigation of these and other questions can help you make an informed
decision about whether or not to continue with the venture, or reshape the venture into a more
viable opportunity. Entrepreneurs often believe that they have a great idea and want to execute
quickly. The desire to execute rather than examine the feasibility of the opportunity can cause
the entrepreneur to both ignore negative signals and to omit the critical thinking necessary to
avoid wasting time, their most critical asset.3 Essentially, the entrepreneur must consider three
things: (1) feasibility—can it be made? (2) desirability—does the target audience want it? and (3)
viability—is it financially worth pursuing? A feasibility analysis requires you to talk to
customers, suppliers, and experts, and to collect data, both primary and secondary, that
validates the idea’s feasibility. Entrepreneurs who write a business plan without spending
sufficient time evaluating feasibility almost never succeed. A solid feasibility analysis will
document a problem to be solved that has a feasible and quantifiable market size, and it will
suggest a viable solution that is novel, hard to copy, but can be economically produced.
While the steps in the feasibility process appear to be sequential, the process is highly iterative,
with the goal of reducing uncertainty for both the entrepreneur and resource providers, and it
serves to help you gain knowledge of the problem and solution, as well as confidence in the
opportunity. Each iteration of the process will undoubtedly expose new questions and new
information that contributes to the entrepreneur’s ability to shape the opportunity, while
amassing knowledge that will help reduce perceived risk when presenting the idea to investors.
Feasibility analysis involves a good deal of primary and secondary research. You should
especially not ignore the value of primary research. Investors usually respond favorably to
potential customer feedback and often challenge research performed by third parties. Though
useful in gaining preliminary knowledge of a market space, secondary data is oftentimes
outmoded and can signal a lack of intellectual curiosity and depth on the part of the
entrepreneur. Customer validation is one of the first steps in any investor’s due diligence
3Donna Kelley, “Conducting an Early-Stage Feasibility Analysis for an Entrepreneurial Opportunity,” BAB714N
(Babson College, 2013)
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process, so it’s better to accelerate the process for them by speaking to potential customers early
and often. If you really want to capture an investor’s attention, present a valid purchase order
for your product idea.
Approaching Investors
Approaching investors requires a thoughtful plan and approach. Not all investors are the same,
in that some seek to invest different amounts, others seek to invest in different technologies,
while others have different outcome expectations. Taking care to understand approaches to
meeting investors, the different types, and their needs is important to successful investment.
Entrepreneurial Speed Dating

The process of meeting qualified investors more closely resembles the process that one uses

while on a dating site—carefully reviewing each individual’s likes, dislikes, and personal traits
before initiating contact. Once again, the propensity to execute often leads to using the less
efficient process of sending an executive summary, or teaser document, to a large list of

investors and waiting for a response. As with dating, your chances of meeting the right person
are greatly improved if you get a warm introduction from someone that they know and trust.
Understanding Investor Types

Understand that not all investors are equal. A careful review of an investor’s website should
easily reveal information about the individual’s portfolio of investments, investment stage and
size, as well as geographic and industry focus. If you are focusing on an angel group, most angel
groups also have websites indicating the target industry segments, as well as stage of investment
preferred. The same is true for corporate venture capitalists and institutional venture capitalists.
You should use existing networks of entrepreneurs to understand more about the personalities,
politics, and processes of various investors.
Investors may differentiate themselves based upon stage or size of investment. For instance,
most angels and some venture capital funds will focus primarily on seed- and early-stage
projects. Their investment size may range from several thousand to several million dollars.
Other investors may focus primarily on later-stage investments where the range of investment
may be in the millions or tens of millions of dollars, but some of the start-up risk may have
already been mitigated, making the valuations larger. You should understand the stage and
typical size of investment before approaching an investor.
Geographic and industry segment focus is yet another way that firms may differ. Seed- and
early-stage investors will usually have a narrow geographic focus, preferring to invest within a
short drive of their office. This is done less for convenience and more to address the hands-on
nature of seed- and early-stage investments, where an investor’s network plays a major role in
team development. Last, investors may choose to focus somewhat narrowly on specific industry
segments, such as software or telecommunications infrastructure. This may be driven by macro
forces in the industry or the background and expertise of the investors in a particular firm.
All investors have a reputation and investment process all their own. Speaking with other
entrepreneurs who have done business with the investor will reveal important data about the
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personalities within the firm and the investment process. You should understand how
investment decisions are made and who influences the decision. You should also understand the
investment process and where your project is within the process or deal funnel.
Once again, you should do your own due diligence to understand thoroughly the investors you
are considering prior to approaching them. This will save you time and minimize the risk of
appearing disorganized in your approach to finding the right partner.
Understanding Investor Needs

In addition to the items noted above, you should understand how an investor views risk and
return. Seed- and early-stage investors accept more risk in a project and will require a higher
return for assuming that risk. This translates into a much higher degree of control, most often
gained through equity ownership and board representation. Though the expectation for returns

is much higher, seed- and early-stage investors take a long-term view with regard to the timing
of those returns. Depending upon the amount of risk that remains in the business, later stage

investors might accept a less than controlling share of equity, but will usually seek other
mechanisms of control and subsequently expect a smaller return, but one that will occur in the

relatively near future. Here again, it pays to understand each investor’s needs and expectations
for ownership, control, and the timing and size of returns before scheduling a meeting.
Funding Sources and Amounts

Financing Definition Typical Amounts Who Typically Plays

Round
Seed Prove a concept/qualify for $25,000–500,000 Individual Angels
start-up capital Angel Groups
Start-up Complete product $500,000–3,000,000 Select Individual Angels

development and initial Angel Groups
marketing Early-stage Venture
Capitalists
First Initiate full-scale $1,500,000– Venture Capitalists
manufacturing and sales 5,000,000
Second Working capital for initial $3,000,000– Venture Capitalists

business expansion 10,000,000 Private Placement Firms
Third Expansion capital to $5,000,000– Venture Capitalists

achieve break-even 30,000,000 Private Placement Firms
Bridge Financing to allow 3,000,000– Mezzanine Financing Firms

company to go public in 20,000,000 Private Placement Firms
6–12 months Investment Bankers
Source: VSS Project Angel Investors: a joint HBS/MIT study on Angel Investors; definitions taken from
Pratt’s Venture Capital Guide ©1999 MIT Entrepreneurship Center
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Prior to meeting with an investor, most require the submission of a “pitch deck,” executive
summary, and financial statements. If you are applying to an angel group, this will usually be to
an online website where members of the angel group will review the documents and rate it. Your
application may possibly be “desk rejected” at this point, if the reviewers believe that the
business is too early for funding, or does not fit the strategic focus of the group. In other cases,
an application may be desk rejected because it is not appropriate for equity funding, but rather
more appropriate for grant funding, debt financing, or family and friends. When you are invited
to attend a pitch meeting, you will need to think about both the “content” and the
“communication” aspects of the pitch.
The Content

The “content” of your pitch includes several components, described below:

x Executive Summary: The executive summary provides a vehicle for describing a new
business idea in a clear, concise manner. If your summary is well done, anyone who

hears it should be able to understand, and even paraphrase, the nature of the
opportunity after hearing it. If not, then the summary needs further refinement.
The executive summary is essentially your value proposition. The value proposition is the
foundation of any new business idea and must be carefully thought through and
prepared. It must answer five critical questions: What is it? Who is it for? Why do they
need it? How does it work? What makes it unique? The question of uniqueness is often
poorly described. You should apply a few simple rules when considering what makes
your product or service unique: Can it be easily copied or purchased? Does the
uniqueness resonate with the target customer and alleviate their pain? Can you
substantiate the benefits delivered by the product or service?4 You should also note the
extent to which you have achieved milestones, such as prototyping, beta testing, or
customer sales. Note that a value proposition is not a tag line or mission statement. This
is your opportunity to set the hook that makes your audience anxious to learn more
about the product, market, and business model.
x Team: Though we recommend that you begin by having each key member attending the
meeting do a 90-second personal Rocket Pitch, it is also important to summarize on a
slide the backgrounds on the team. In many instances, the entire core team will not be
present at an investor presentation; therefore, fully documenting their positions and
backgrounds is useful. Demonstrating that you can recruit a high-caliber team is the
most effective way to reduce perceived risk. The extent to which you can quantify the
experience of the team, and directly relate the team’s experience to this venture is very
important. You need to provide an answer to the question, “why is this team uniquely
qualified to run this venture?”
Small photos of the core members are useful in allowing the investor to recall each
individual. As stated previously, investors are hoping to make easy connections between
your team and their network; therefore, provide details with regard to education,
employers, positions, roles and responsibilities, and accomplishments.
4 James
C. Anderson, James A. Narus, and Wouter van Rossum, “Customer Value Propositions in Business Markets,”
Harvard Business Review 84, no. 3 (March 2006): 90–99.
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x Market Opportunity: Begin by describing the market problem or pain that customers
experience currently or in the future. Communicate the size and importance of the
problem, using numbers to quantify. Sometimes a story to illustrate or describe the
problem can be useful. Provide information on the market size and growth for each
market segment and identify your entry point into the market and how market
penetration might evolve over time. A well thought through market analysis, where the
assumptions are based upon objective data and clearly documented, goes a long way to
convince investors that you have studied the market in detail and understand the forces
that will drive growth and demand for your offering. Merely showing an analysis
performed by a third party without knowledge of the underlying assumptions used to
develop the market analysis is a mediocre substitute for your own critical analysis. If you

have collected customer data, testimonials, and primary market research, include it as
well.

x Product Description: Where there is customer pain, there must be a remedy (i.e.,

your product or solution). Explain, at a high level, how your product or solution
alleviates customer pain. Highlight key features and functionality that contribute to your
differentiation and deliver upon the value proposition, but avoid getting overly technical
at this stage. Investors will want to understand the degree of difficulty in developing your
solution, the timeline, and the risks introduced by new technology or other key
resources. They will also want to understand how thoroughly and efficiently your
solution alleviates the customer pain and what other alternatives the customer might
have to what you are offering. If your product is highly technical, avoid using
complicated terminology and try to communicate the essence of the product in simpler
terms.
x Competition and Positioning: Discuss any direct competitors, substitutes, and

potential new entrants to your market. Highlight the customer’s criteria for selection of a
solution and differentiate your product or service from others. You can use various
graphical techniques to demonstrate product comparisons and market positioning. Be
able to answer questions about the size, market share, technology, and competitive
aspects of closest substitutes and competitors.
x Substantiation and Benefits: Nothing makes a statement about the value of a new
idea like a purchase order. Many a great company has been built by selling an idea prior
to the actual development of the product. If customers are willing to provide you with a
provisional purchase order, this validates immediate need and willingness to pay.
Producing a purchase order is not always an option; however, several other means exist
to substantiate need and demonstrate potential benefits of your product or service.
Investors want to know that you have spoken to many potential customers to validate
your idea. Surveys, focus groups, interview results, or case studies are all ways to show
the completeness of your analysis of the feasibility of your idea. Spreadsheets,
calculators, or other quantitative tools are helpful, but avoid excessive details in favor of
a clear articulation of your assumptions and results. Summarize your findings and make
the detailed analysis available in the appendices.
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x Business Model: The business model should describe channels, necessary resources
and capabilities, partnerships, key metrics for business success, and cost and revenue
drivers and streams.
By this point, the investors should have a thorough understanding of the

problem/solution fit, market opportunity, and industry and competitive landscape and
positioning. Their attention will now turn toward understanding whether the team has
thought through how to capture value. This presents another opportunity to lower
perceived risk by clearly articulating the go-to-market requirements, strategy and tactics,
measurements, and contingencies. They will want to understand the resource intensity
(cost drivers) involved and the potential reward (revenue streams). An understanding of
proposed pricing, contribution margin, and a simple break-even analysis will assist
investors in comprehending the risk-reward ratio of your project.

x Plans and Key Milestones: Depending upon the sum required to fund a company

through cash flow break-even, it is doubtful that an investor will want to provide all of
the necessary funds at once. Investors prefer to allocate capital at multiple times (Series),

as the team achieves critical milestones that remove risk from the investment. You
should document the timing of development and funds required to meet these
milestones. In most instances, 80% of the required funds will be driven by headcount.
Reasonable estimates of timing and scaling of headcount reveals whether or not the team
has proper expectations and experience in delivering a product and building a company.
Including a timeline as an illustration is a good idea.
x Financials: The initial meeting requires a high-level projection of cash flow. However,
we recommend that any entrepreneur carefully construct a complete set of pro forma
financial statements (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow). You should clearly
document all key assumptions, and the statements should be interconnected, making
scenario analysis simple to perform should assumptions be challenged or changed. Be
able to answer questions and justify your assumptions.
Preparing a book that includes the assumptions and at least three scenarios (optimistic,
likely, pessimistic) of your pro forma statements will demonstrate to investors a
thorough understanding of risks and contingencies.
x The Ask: Last, is the call to action, or what you would like the investor to consider or do
after you complete the pitch. End the presentation by coming full circle by summarizing
the opportunity in similar fashion to the executive summary and asking for the specific
amount of funds required to achieve the first set of milestones. Remember that in most
cases the market will determine the valuation and investors will negotiate terms. We do
not recommend that you specify terms or discuss your valuation expectations at this
point in the relationship. It rarely pays to negotiate with oneself.
The content recommended above is one way to construct an investor pitch, although you will
find that much of what we covered will be required information by any investor. You should
understand prior to meeting with an investor how they evaluate new projects, and you should
tailor your presentation to address their needs.
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The Communication
Research shows that people make up their minds in less than 90 seconds as to whether they
want to know more about an idea.5 It often takes from 7 to 20 seconds to create a first
impression, and nearly 93% of a first impression is based on non-verbal communication (sitting,
standing, eye contact, body language, tone of voice, and physical aspects such as clothing).6
Investors can be put off very quickly when entrepreneurs speak too fast or too softly, lack
enthusiasm, read slides, avoid eye contact, rely on technical jargon, or gesture excessively. The
reality is that entrepreneurs who manage impressions and convey confidence and social
adaptability are more likely to be persuasive.7
This means that you have to establish a positive impression about your business very quickly. In
fact, you can improve your chances of creating a positive first impression by your tone of voice,

enthusiastic presentation, and confident delivery.

Preparation
Even though you may have prepared and practiced the content and communication for your
pitch carefully, remember that many factors can influence the investor’s ability to understand
your message. We all listen differently—some with our head, others with our heart, and others
with our gut.8 This means that some listeners will be attracted to the analytics and facts in your
presentation, while others will be listening to the “story” and emotional aspects, while still
others will be making instinctive judgments and assumptions about whether the investment is
right for them based on other factors such as their portfolio or their own coaching talents.
Further, much can interfere with the communication of the message—for instance, the time of
day, whether people are hungry or tired, the acoustics in the room, and what people have on
their minds. To be successful, your preparation should include the following:
x Inquire about the set-up of the room, lay out, and technology support.
x Determine the number of people in the audience, and do your homework on
these individuals to the extent possible.
x Bring hard copies of your presentation.
x If relevant, bring a prototype.
x Determine roles for each team member.
x Anticipate questions and have answers to these prepared.
x Use the minutes before the presentation to observe the audience.
5 Manuela N. Hoehn-Weiss, Candida G. Brush, and Robert A. Baron, “Putting Your Best Foot Forward?: Assessments
of Entrepreneurial Social Competence from Two Perspectives,” The Journal of Private Equity 7, no. 4 (2004): 17–26.
6 Jon Yenesel, “Statistics Show How to Make a Lasting First Impression,” Planet Mortgage web site,
http://realestatemarbles.com/jonyenesel/2011/04/27/statistics-show-how-to-make-a-lasting-first-impression,
accessed April 2011.
7 Manuela N. Hoehn-Weiss, Candida G. Brush, and Robert A. Baron, “Putting Your Best Foot Forward?: Assessments
of Entrepreneurial Social Competence from Two Perspectives,” The Journal of Private Equity 7, no. 4 (2004): 17–26.
8 David Dotlitch, Peter Cairo, and Stephen Rhinesmith, Head, Heart, and Guts: How the World’s Best Companies
Develop Complete Leaders (San Francisco: John Wiley, 2006).
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The Hook
Your pitch should begin with a one-minute statement of who you are, your business name, and a
“hook” to motivate the audience to want to know more. Among the variety of attention-getting
hooks are a quick story, a dilemma, a poll, or a startling fact. For example, you might say:
My name is Martha Jones, and I am the founder and CEO of Museum Online. How
many of you like to buy novel one-of-a-kind gifts for your friends and loved ones, but
have limited time to search for these items? I’m here to tell you about Museum Online, a
website where you can shop from Museum Stores around the world, finding the perfect
one-of-a-kind gift.
Your hook should be short, concise and related to the purpose of your business venture, the
value proposition, or the problem you are solving. It is designed to engage the audience and get

their attention at the beginning of your pitch.

The Delivery

The delivery includes several aspects that require thought and practice.
x Voice: during your practice sessions, ask a friend or colleague to comment on whether
you are pacing the presentation too fast or two slow. Practice pausing between slides,
and make sure that your voice projects and that you are not speaking too fast. The tone
of your voice should be enthusiastic.
x Eyes: you should make eye contact with the audience. Do not read your notes or read
your slides.
x Position: ideally you will be able to advance your slides remotely, which will allow you
to stand in the front engaging the audience from a standing position. Try not to move
around too much.
x Hands: keep hand gestures to a minimum, since these can be distracting.
x Things: if you have a prototype or product to demonstrate, pick the appropriate time to
show it.
x Listening: be attuned to audience reactions—physical (what are they doing?), visual

(are they watching you?), and emotional (expressions).
The Slides
Your slides should be simple and clear. Keep words to a minimum, avoid animations, and make
no more than two points per slide. Use a consistent color scheme and font. Do not put in
detailed financial charts; instead, use summaries of numbers or graphs. Avoid cute pictures,
sounds, and flying graphics.
The first slide should include your name, company name, and logo. Assume that each slide will
take about two minutes to present, so from 10 to15 slides would be appropriate for a 20-minute
presentation. Do not try to cover everything. Deliver the summary slide within three minutes or
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less. Do not read your slides. Instead, consider two or three main points that you want the slide
to convey and focus on delivering those points. The ability to communicate the idea and its value
in about three minutes is an essential tool of the skilled entrepreneur.9
The Investor Pitch

An initial meeting with an investor is generally scheduled to take 45 minutes. The meeting might
go longer if the investor is genuinely interested in your project, but it can be cut much shorter as
well if the entrepreneur fails to capture the attention and interest of those present at the
meeting. Always remember that time is an investor’s most important asset and a commodity
that they are generally ruthless about protecting. Therefore, you must understand time
limitations and expectations for the first meeting and be prepared to address the investor’s most
important issues in a brief, yet compelling, presentation that takes no more than 20 or 30

minutes to deliver.

Your pitch should be delivered in 10 to 15 carefully constructed slides, including the title slide
and the Ask slide. Keep in mind that the purpose of your initial meeting is to get a follow-on

meeting. You can place additional information about the product, market, industry, competitors,
and customers in an appendix, referring to it as needed or in another meeting.
Following are some tips to help you produce a compelling story that addresses the concerns of
your investor audience.
Go Big, Then Go Small

Setting out to tell your story in 10 or 15 slides is a challenging task, so don’t limit yourself at first.
Begin by first trying to build a compelling presentation without regard for length. Then begin
the process of culling and combining information with an eye toward answering only those
concerns that will get you to the second meeting. Focus on answering the following key
questions:
x Market: Is there a potentially large and growing problem and opportunity to be

addressed?
x Idea: Do you have a compelling, differentiated, and cost-efficient solution to the

problem that is difficult to replicate easily?
x People: Does the core team have the skills and knowledge to build a company that can
deliver the product and maximize the opportunity?
x Risk/Return: Are the risks understood and manageable and is the financial reward
worth the risk?
9 “Rocket Pitch,” Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurial Educators Program.

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Inductive versus Deductive

Given their focus on using time efficiently, investors have a tendency to be impatient. Give them
a hard copy of a presentation and you’ll notice that they can’t help but read ahead. This can
become a distraction for both them and you. It is also best to organize your pitch in an inductive
versus deductive fashion. Capture their interest up front by clearly articulating your value
proposition and the people involved in delivering the product or service. Then you can provide
the supporting data in the following slides. This is often preferred to the deductive approach
where you drag the investors through all of your supporting data with the hope of wowing them
with your conclusion. Investors may find the deductive or slow reveal approach to presenting
frustrating.
Begin with People

Remember that investors are betting on the team first and the market and idea second. Be sure
to allow the investors to obtain a good understanding of the roles and backgrounds of key team

members. Your Team slide should contain the name, position, and supporting information to
justify the position in the company. Be sure to address skills, accomplishments, and former

employers. This achieves two goals: (1) it allows the investor to gauge whether the proposed role
in the new company is a logical progression or a stretch for the individual listed; (2) it allows the
investor to make connections with regard to people in their network that can later be called for
due diligence on the individual.

Each key member of the team should practice and be able to do a personal Rocket Pitch that
takes no more than 90 seconds and covers education, former employers, roles and
responsibilities, and relevant accomplishments. Be careful not to use up too much of the allotted
meeting time or you run the risk of losing all or some of the participants in the meeting to other
scheduled engagements.
Finally, practice your presentation in a realistic setting. Entrepreneurs who have been through
the fund-raising process can be a good audience. Anticipate ahead of time the type of questions
that you will be asked and be prepared to answer them and provide supporting materials from
your appendices. Also be prepared to have the flow of your presentation interrupted several
times. Be flexible and answer the investors’ questions; then return to the presentation rather
than asking them to be patient. Designate someone on your team to take notes of questions,
reactions, and suggestions and review them after the meeting. Use what you learn to revise and
improve your presentation.
Finally, be passionate and genuinely excited about your idea, but avoid gimmicks. If you have
done a good job of answering the investors’ questions, there is a good chance of a second
meeting. Ask for some immediate feedback. Remember that time is not your friend and a quick
NO is often better than a prolonged MAYBE.
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Designing and Delivering the Perfect Pitch

Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

Before You Begin

(Babson College, 2013)

Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

Entrepreneurial Speed Dating

Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

Understanding Investor Types

Understanding Investor Needs

Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

Funding Sources and Amounts

Financing Definition Typical Amounts Who Typically Plays

Start-up Complete product $500,000–3,000,000 Select Individual Angels

Second Working capital for initial $3,000,000– Venture Capitalists

Third Expansion capital to $5,000,000– Venture Capitalists

Bridge Financing to allow 3,000,000– Mezzanine Financing Firms

Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

Usage permitted only within these parameters otherwise contact info@thecasecentre.org

Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

x Competition and Positioning: Discuss any direct competitors, substitutes, and

By this point, the investors should have a thorough understanding of the

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Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

Including a timeline as an illustration is a good idea.

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Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Develop Complete Leaders (San Francisco: John Wiley, 2006).

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Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

Purchased for use on the SEE Dubai, at Babson College.

of your voice should be enthusiastic.

x Hands: keep hand gestures to a minimum, since these can be distracting.

x Listening: be attuned to audience reactions—physical (what are they doing?), visual

The Investor Pitch

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Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

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Go Big, Then Go Small

x Market: Is there a potentially large and growing problem and opportunity to be

x Idea: Do you have a compelling, differentiated, and cost-efficient solution to the

9 “Rocket Pitch,” Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurial Educators Program.

Inductive versus Deductive

Begin with People

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Taught by Heidi M Neck, from 4-Feb-2019 to 4-Aug-2019. Order ref F344589.

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due diligence on the individual.

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