How to Create the Best Investor Presentation – persuasive techniques

Five ways to create the best investor presentation

If you want investment, you need the best investor presentation. Are you using all the tricks to be more persuasive in your investor presentations? Because investment decision-making is not totally rational, (really!). Psychological techniques can nudge even the most experienced investor.

We’ve helped hundreds of investors create investor presentations over the last 15 years. These include private equity funds, quoted companies and private company sales. In that time, we’ve picked up valuable techniques that make investor pitches more effective. We can help you too. Get in touch to discuss how we can help.

Here’s how you can create a persuasive investor presentation

1. Set high expectations to be persuasive

2. Prime your investors for persuasive investor presentations

3. Invest in design for better presentations

4. Seek our similarities with your investor

5. Use the start and the end of your pitch to persuade

1. Set high expectations

Our expectations shape our actions. This leads to those expectations being met: a self-fulfilling prophecy. That’s why placebos are so effective in treating illnesses. Because we expect to feel better after taking medicine, we do feel better.

How can you use this for more persuasive investor presentations?

From your first contact with the investor, start setting high expectations.

  • If you send an email make it concise, focused and well-written.
  • If you are using a placement advisor, influence the words they use to describe you.
  • If you have media coverage send it in advance.

These are some simple ways that you can set high expectations.

2. Prime your investors for the best investor presentations

Connected associations can influence actions, thoughts and behaviours.  For example: People were subliminally exposed to a logo for just thirteen milliseconds. They were then asked to list unusual uses for a brick. Those who were shown a logo associated with creativity (Apple) generated a higher number of uses for the brick. They also had more creative ideas than those exposed to a logo without creative associations (IBM).

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How can you use Priming for your investor presentations?

Trigger positive associations for your business by well-chosen small talk. For example, use www.onthisday.com. See if the date of your pitch coincides with the anniversary of a legendary explorer or historical event. Mention this fact while building rapport at the beginning of your pitch. You’ll activate the investors’ mental associations of successful risk-taking, adventure and legacy.

3. Invest in design

This Research shows that using an extra colour in an annual report improves an experienced investor’s ranking of that company. The effect was as just strong as when the researchers added a 20% increase to the company’s previous year’s revenue.

How do you use this for your best investor presentation?

Get professional help with the look and feel of documents you present, including your Private Equity Pitch Book. A strong first impression will set high expectations and increase the perceived value of your offer. And you’ll raise investors’ attention levels. Our in-house design team have helped transform hundreds of pitches and presentations with professional design.

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4. Seek out your similarities

Repeatedly, researchers have found that we are more likely to agree to do things if those people asking are similar to ourselves. It doesn’t matter how incidental the similarity (such as a shared date of birth), but the less common it is, the more powerful the effect.

How do you use this for your best investor presentation?

Find areas of common ground, either in your pre-pitch research or in the opening small talk. The persuasive power of similarity also extends to body language (Jacob et al, 2011). If you (subtly) lean forward when the investor does, position your hands in the same way and match their tone of voice, you are more likely to build rapport with them.

5. Leverage the start and end of your pitch

The order in which you present your information can influence investors’ perceptions.

These researchers found that the first piece of information provided was most important  when investors’ assess both the past performance and future potential of a company. In another study researchers showed investors different presentations of the past performance of two funds and asked them to choose one. One fund had better short-term results while the other had better long-term results.

When short-term results were presented last, the investors chose the fund with better short-term results and vice versa. Why?  Because people tend to over-emphasise the last piece of performance data presented to them.

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How do you use this to create the best investor presentation?

Make sure  your start and finish are particularly strong.

Position any weak arguments in the middle of your pitch.

  • If your company has better short-term results, place this information last.
  • If your company has better long-term results, finish with these.
  • If you know that your investors will be seeing a lot of pitches in a short period of time, try to secure either the first or last slots.

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These techniques may seem minor by themselves. However, their cumulative impact can make all the difference when you want to secure that crucial second meeting with an investor.

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We can support you to create and deliver persuasive investor presentations

Benjamin Ball Associates are the experts in advising and coaching for better investor pitches. We help you create and deliver more persuasive investor presentations. We advise and coach private equity firms and polish portfolio companies.

Our clients include Permira, ECI, AXA, Westbridge, Northedge and Frog Capital.

If you want to polish your performance in investor meetings or re-work your pitch documents, get in touch. We can transform the impact you make with investors. We deliver fast, effective results.

Call Louise on +44 (0)20 7018 0922 or email louise@benjaminball.com to find out more.

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Video: How Private Equity Funds can pitch, present and persuade more effectively

Paul Farrow is a Partner at Benjamin Ball Associates. In this video from SuperReturn US East, Paul discusses the common mistakes made by Private Equity funds when communicating with potential investors. He reveals the unexpected personality trait that investors look for in fund managers, and why LPs don’t want to ‘be taken through your pitch presentation’.

He shares essential advice that will improve your fund’s messaging, help you stand out and impress prospective investors. Click the play button below to watch:

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About Benjamin Ball Associates

Benjamin Ball Associates  Presentation skills coaching team

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we help our clients to communicate better. You get presentation coaching for executives.

Over 15+ years the award-winning BBA team has coached thousands of senior executives globally to present powerfully. You get access to a transformational toolbox of presentation skills & techniques to help you become a clear, confident communicator.

We’ll help you create a powerful first impression that hooks and engages your audience immediately, and we’ll transform you to deliver clearly, confidently and with impact.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email louise@benjaminball.com to find out more and discuss transforming your speeches, pitches and presentations.

Contact us for a free consultation on your coaching needs

Contact us for a chat about how we can help you with your presenting.

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Contact us for a chat about how we can help you with your presenting.

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