In an earlier article entitled, “The Investor Presentation – Your Chance to Set The Hook”, I talked about the importance of making an effective, compelling investor presentation. I mentioned that an investor presentation was an opportunity to make a great first impression, establish credibility and create trust. Today I would like to pass along some pointers that will help you do that. And remember, these pointers don’t just apply to investor presentations, they apply to any presentation.
Your slides should be used only for the purpose of supporting your verbal remarks. Your slides should not draw attention away from you. Again, they should support you, not complete with you for audience attention.
The best way to accomplish this is to keep the slides simple. Limit each slide to 3-4 bullets, use fonts that are large enough to be seen from a distance and contrast with the background of the slide.
Use as few words as possible on each slide. Try not to use industry specific jargon. You do not want to confuse your audience or leave them wondering what you are talking about.
It is important to use graphs, charts and images, but use them selectively. You will not achieve any of your business goals simply because of how clever you are at creating graphically pleasing PowerPoint slides. Also, don’t forget that the slides should be easily printable on a black and white printer.
Put energy and passion into your presentation. Have fun and relax and make your audience feel at ease. We are hard wired to enjoy a story. We’ve been listening to stories since we were born. So, use the presentation to tell a great story about your business. Try to concentrate on the 3-4 most important issues you want to discuss. Don’t try to do too much.
