I urge you to review this quick guide to what makes a good presentation.   Death by PowerPoint View more presentations from Alexei Kapterev …
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There are approximately 3500 private equity funds in China. Of these a large proportion are fund raising. At the SuperReturn private equity conference in Beijing we ran a series of panels looking into best practice for private equity fund raising. As a result, we have put together a short white paper with tips from some of the leading GPs and LPs …
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Why should anyone decide to select you when you are pitching for new business?  It’s an important question that we help answer in our pitch training programmes. Win More Business When You Pitch Would you like to increase the number of pitches you win, and improve the pitching skills of your team? From our tailored training you will take away pitching tips that you can apply immediately. One global law firm told us that the partner training we developed was directly responsible for winning a new FTSE100 client. See Case Study A quick return on your investment is one of the many benefits of working with us. Read what our clients have been saying. Make the Right First Impression People …
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We have just published new case studies highlighting some of the recent work we have done. Blue Sky – preparing the ceo and team for important new business pitches Olswang – building business development skills in this distinctive international law firm Impetus – Clarifying messages and Building fundraising skills …
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  When you give a conference talk (or any other bit of public speaking) you want to sound impressive. But, too many people fall into this trap:  The way we speak and the way we write are very different.  What looks good when written is unlikely to sound good when spoken. So, if you prepare by writing a script, do it differently.  The …
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  When they work well, panel sessions are the lifeblood of any conference.  When bad, they are a disaster. But what makes a great panel session? At BBA we prepare a lot of people for panel sessions.  The real value comes from good planning. But,  if you are heading for a panel session now and want to ensure a performance that will make you stand out, do just these three things: Focus only on what really matters to this audience and give lots of practical advice.  Tell stories and give examples. Create a debate.  Disagree. Have an opinion and argue your corner.  Use lines that are quotable. Sit forward, speak up and talk directly to the audience.  Show your passion; make sure every word and every phrase …
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There is one simple mistake repeated by too many conference speakers, especially in the financial world.   We want to make sure you do not fall into the same trap. To accompany your conference talk you may want to use visual aids.  What some people do is re-use their PowerPoint slides which have worked well in their pitch books. This is a huge mistake. It’s the …
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Investors managing over $10bn in Private Equity judged the 2011 Superinvestor Quick fire Showcase in Paris yesterday. Seven funds competed by pitching their investment ideas for no more than 90 seconds  to a room packed with potential investors. QUALITY NOT QUANTITY Demonstrating that quality beats quantity every time , Simone Balch of DW Markets secured second place in this popular competition. Speaking to a packed conference hall Simone gave her carefully crafted pitch in just 45 seconds -  half the allotted time. But first prize was secured by John Cheuk of Ant Capital.  Using the whole 90 seconds he clearly laid out why there was value to be found in Japan and how Ant Cap was well placed to capture this value. …
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Private Equity firms need to communicate better with their investors (LPs) to ensure fundraising success.  This was the conclusion from the Fundraising Summit at SuperInvestor 2011 in Paris. “Communication and transparency is absolutely key” states Mark O’Hare, CEO of private equity experts Preqin.  Throughout the day funds, investors and IR experts repeated the message that times had changed. “Make your story as clear …
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Imagine I came to ask you for some help. What would you think if  I did not look you in the eye? Or if I avoided your gaze? Or if I looked down every time I said something? What impression do you get? We like people who can make eye contact (remember the last time you were flirting with someone?). We trust people who can  ”look …
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If you are a growing SME (2-250 employees) you can get Goverment money to help pay for your training. The Skills Funding Agency has a scheme where they will match training contributions up to £1000 per company. Details are available at:  Business Link Training Subsidy While the process does involve a bit of paperwork – the local representatives listed at BusinessLink will help  fill in  the forms for you. Contact us to discuss the presentation training to help with your leadership development and we can direct you to a suitable contact to access this subsidy. …
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If you want really effective presentations, you need to re-think how you prepare them.  If you, like most people, switch to PowerPoint as soon as you hear the word ‘presentation’, then we have something to show you. We suggest you completely re-engineer how you approach your presentations.  Forget PowerPoint. The best presentations start with a lot of thinking and a blank sheet of paper.  Before you write anything, you need to: Work out exactly who your audience is (e.g. it it really everyone in the room, or just those 5 people who matter? ) Be clear on what you want to achieve with your presentation (am I really going to sell the idea at this stage, or do I …
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While we all want to be liked, did you realise how important being liked is for winning new business? The Importance of Being Liked Professor Amy Cuddy, of Harvard Business School was featured in a Harvard Magazine article.   She concludes that 80% of our evaluation of people is based on both warmth AND competence.  Many professionals mistakenly focus just on demonstrating competence …
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At the How To Get Your Fund Selected Masterclass, at GAIM in Monte Carlo on Monday, a panel of investor experts created a practical list of must-dos for funds when pitching to investors. With 7000 hedge funds in the market seeking investment, it is becoming increasingly important for funds to present themselves well to get investor attention. The panel of Gemma Godfrey of Credo Capital; Neal Berger of Eagle’s View Asset Management; Jaime Castan of LGT Capital Partners and David Greenberg of the California Endowment, chaired by presentation expert Benjamin Ball of Benjamin Ball Associates answered many of the most common pitch and presentation questions asked by funds. Representing a wide range of investors, each with different needs, the …
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How do you know if your next conference talk or presentation is going to impress? To check if you are ready, use this free 10 point check list. You can test if your talk has covered the essential planning steps needed for a great talk, and you can test if you are ready to give it.  You can also use it to …
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How do you handle an Investor Speed Networking event? Here are a few tips to increase the success of your encounter. In this case, Imagine you are a fund looking for investors FIRST – WHAT NOT TO DO - Don’t rush - Don’t just pack the encounter with facts - Don’t do all the talking - Don’t aim to run through a scripted pitch INSTEAD – PREPARE USING THESE 10 STEPS: Start each encounter with an introduction and a swap of cards – learn the other person’s name Ask some questions first – for example, to an investor, ‘What type of investments are you looking for now’ Listen to the answer for clues that tie their needs with what you offer If there is clearly no fit, say so …
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With an investor pitch, the right preparation is critical. A set of carefully developed stages to get the pitch and the team ready will make your life easier and will make it more likely that the right impression is made. In one page we have summarised one practical and simple approach you can use in preparing for a pitch. This …
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We are just setting up a Facebook presence for the business.  Please click on the LIKE button.  Thank you. …
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We will be speaking at GAIM again this year. If you want a discount on the entry cost, then please use these details. If registering on the website http://www.informaglobalevents.com/FKN3A46EMSPK please quote VIP Code: FKN3A46EMSPK for the 20% discount. Regards Ben   …
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