How do you rehearse investor presentations?  Why are rehearsals essential for investor communications?  How do the best senior management team prepare to speak to investors? What is the best way to practice a listed company investor presentation?

Learn what you need to do to ready your presentation to investors.  This advice is based on the Benjamin Ball Associates 20+ years of experience preparing quoted companies in the UK and Europe for results presentations, roadshows and capital markets days.  This advice is essential for CEOs, CFOs, for senior management and for IR teams.

Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball

Ben is the founder of Benjamin Ball Associates and leads the presentation coaching and pitch deck creation teams. Formerly a corporate financier in the City of London, for 20+ years he’s helped businesses win with better pitches and presentations, particularly investor pitches. He is a regular speaker and a guest lecturer at Columbia Business School and UCL London.  Follow Ben on LinkedIn or visit the contact page. 

What a listed company investor pitch means to you

Delivering a well-organised investor presentation is one of the most powerful tools you have to build investor confidence. Whether it’s an investor day, analyst day, or regular investor relations meeting, your presentation shapes how potential investors see you, your business model, your growth potential and your competitive advantage.

But even the strongest plan can fall flat if the presentation isn’t properly rehearsed. Without the right practice sessions, teams risk unclear key messages, regulatory slip-ups, or an uneven delivery that distracts from the story you want to tell.

This step-by-step guide shares the best ways to rehearse an investor presentation so you make a lasting impression and communicate a clear, confident investment thesis.

Why rehearsal matters for listed companies

Investor presentations aren’t just meetings. They’re regulated communications where every word is examined. Analysts, journalists, staff and competitors will all be watching. A single misplaced comment can move your share price or even trigger an RNS announcement.

That’s why quoted companies must treat rehearsal as seriously as the presentation itself. It’s your chance to check that:

• Your messages are clear and consistent
• You give shareholders and analysts the information they need
• Nothing in your script or slides breaches disclosure rules
• Your delivery comes across as confident and credible

Practising with experts, who understand both financial markets and communication strategy, helps you achieve this. They’ll identify powerful phrases, test your messaging, and help you sound authentic and impressive.

Practising under realistic conditions helps you:

• Deliver a smooth presentation within the allotted time
• Keep your key points clear and compliant
• Demonstrate confidence through voice, pacing and body language

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we prepare management teams for investor conversations every week.  We support management teams with refined messages, polished presentations and confident answers to tough questions.

To learn more, speak to Louise Angus, Director, Client Services Director and discuss how we can help you rehearse investor presentations.

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Rehearsing investor presentations sharpens your equity story

Every investor presentation tells a story. The question is whether yours is clear and compelling.

Your equity story should explain:

• What makes your business valuable
• Why it’s well-positioned to grow
• How your strategy delivers sustainable returns

When you rehearse with a critical audience, you quickly see what lands and what doesn’t. Does your narrative make sense to someone outside your company? Can investors repeat your core message in one sentence? Do your numbers support your growth story?

Rehearsal helps you simplify, strengthen and humanise your message — until it resonates with investors and analysts alike.

Read: How to Clarify Your Equity Story

Rehearsal protects you from disclosing price-sensitive information

When you know your business inside out, it’s easy to slip into revealing too much. A small comment about current trading, guidance or client wins could count as price-sensitive — even if you didn’t mean it that way.

Rehearsing with a seasoned presentation coach or investor relations adviser gives you a safety net. They’ll help you:

• Identify red-flag statements before they cause trouble
• Clarify how to answer difficult questions without crossing the line
• Build confidence so you can handle unexpected topics smoothly

You’ll sound authoritative without over-sharing — a balance that investors respect.

Read: Investor Presentation Coaching

How to rehearse investor presentations effectively

Here’s how to make your rehearsal time count.

1. First, get your messaging right

At the heart of every investor communication is a tight set of investor messages.  One of the biggest mistakes companies make is having complicated or confusing messages – or no messages. 

Just giving investors data is not enough.  You need to help them understand what this data means.  For big events such as Capital Markets Day you need to be sure your messages run clearly through all presentations – like a red thread.  That why, when we support clients, we always start by nagging away at the messages until we know they can’t be improved. 

2. Keep working at your presentation materials

Once you have your investor messaging right, your materials need to communicate these clearly.  And for quoted companies you have the unique challenge of your materials being visuals aids during your presentation and then becoming documents of record.  Designing great materials is a real art.  Our team has been doing this for 20+ years.

3. Recreate the real environment

Run through your presentation in the same setting you’ll use on the day. If it’s a webcast, test your audio, camera and slides in advance. If it’s in person, practise standing, moving and using the clicker. The aim is to make the experience as real and natural as possible.

4. Rehearse with experts, not just colleagues

Internal teams can become blind to their own messaging. A professional coach or investor relations specialist will hear what investors will hear. They’ll tell you where your story feels vague or where your language could cause confusion or risk.  And an outsider will probably be better at giving the CEO or CFO necessary tough feedback.

5. Challenge every point

Ask “so what?” after every sentence and every slide. If you can’t answer that quickly and clearly, it probably doesn’t belong in your deck. Investors care about what drives future value — not internal detail.

6. Polish delivery without sounding rehearsed

You want to sound fluent, not scripted. Rehearse enough to know your flow and key phrases, then practise speaking naturally. Use pauses, vary your tone and look comfortable. Investors respond to leaders who sound in control but human.  An outsider can equip you with the tools that great public speakers use – which will make you look much more impressive.

7. Get your start, end and structure right

Great investor presentations share certain essential elements.  These include a strong start, a clear structure and a powerful end.  Working with communication experts you can make sure that your presentation is clear, effective and it makes the impact you want.

8. Practise the Q&A until it’s second nature

Many CEOs and CFOs stumble during Q&A because they haven’t rehearsed it properly. Prepare a list of likely questions, including tough ones about performance, strategy and risks. Practise answering clearly, briefly and carefully. Learn the techniques that the best communicators use.  You’ll look much more impressive.

9. Keep building these skills

Like a great tennis player, the greatest presenters are constantly looking for marginal improvements.  Just a few small changes can make all the difference when you are fighting for investor attention and for capital.  That’s why some clients have called us every year for 10+ years. 

The difference between a presentation and a performance

The best investor presentations don’t just inform — they inspire confidence. That comes from practice.

When your story is clear, your delivery calm and your responses measured, you project leadership. Investors believe you understand your business and your market. And that belief supports valuation as much as any financial metric.

Put simply: rehearsal isn’t about memorising lines. It’s about shaping perception.

REHEARSING INVESTOR PRESENTATION CASE STUDY
Immediate Impact on Share Price

A few years ago, we worked with a $1bn Finnish chemical company to prepare them for their capital markets day. With coaching, we helped them achieve a number of things:

• they simplified their story for investors
• their investor proposition was clearer and addressed analyst concerns
• slides were tidied and unified
• the management team were coached to give compelling presentations

With our help they saw a 10% uplift in their share price – despite no new news. It was the same information they had presented before, but structured clearly and presented persuasively.

Work with experts who understand investor communications

At Benjamin Ball Associates, we’ve coached leadership teams in the UK from FTSE and AIM companies to deliver compelling, compliant investor presentations. Across Europe we’ve worked with management teams in the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Norway and Denmark. 

Our clients rehearse their results announcements, capital markets days and roadshows until their story is sharp and their delivery feels effortless.

If you’d like to rehearse your next investor presentation with an experienced external eye, get in touch with our team.

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Key Takeaways

• Rehearsal is essential for any quoted company presenting to investors
• Practising with experts helps you avoid disclosing price-sensitive information
• A strong rehearsal sharpens your equity story and boosts confidence
• Recreate real conditions, challenge your message and prepare for Q&A
• Work with experienced investor presentation coaches to perform at your best

Speak to an expert. Get a free consultation

Why Choose Us:
Transform your pitches and presentations with tailored coaching

We can help you present brilliantly. Thousands of people have benefitted from our tailored in-house coaching and advice – and we can help you too.

“I honestly thought it was the most valuable 3 hours I’ve spent with anyone in a long time.”

Mick May, CEO, Blue Sky

For 15+ years we’ve been the trusted choice for leading businesses and executives throughout the UK, Europe and the Middle East. We’ll help you improve corporate presentations through presentation coaching, public speaking training and expert advice on pitching to investors.

Some recent clients

Unlock your full potential and take your presentations to the next level.

Speak to Louise on +44 20 7018 0922 or email info@benjaminball.com to transform your speeches, pitches and presentations.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If you’d like to rehearse your next investor presentation with an experienced external eye, get in touch with our team.

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People Also Ask

How do you rehearse an investor presentation effectively?

Recreate the real setting, run full practice sessions out loud and rehearse your Q&A. Work with expert coaches to refine your key messages and avoid price-sensitive comments.

What should an investor presentation include?

A clear investment thesis, your business model, market opportunity, growth potential and key metrics. Strong visual aids and a simple narrative help investors follow the main points.

How many times should you practise an investor presentation?

Most teams need several rehearsals. Early sessions shape the story, later sessions polish delivery and timing. Aim for a smooth, confident performance without sounding scripted.

How do you build a compelling equity story?

Explain what makes your company valuable, why you’ll grow and how you stand out. Use clear data, real examples and a narrative that links strategy to results.

How do you prepare for investor Q&A?

List likely questions about performance, competition and market opportunities, then rehearse short, confident answers. Stay factual and avoid speculation that could be seen as price-sensitive.

Why do quoted companies need expert rehearsal support?

External advisers understand disclosure rules, investor expectations and common pitfalls. They help you fine-tune your narrative, sharpen your delivery and stay compliant.

What is the best way to practise body language for an investor presentation?

Record yourself or rehearse in front of a mirror to check posture, pacing and eye contact. Aim for calm, open body language that supports a clear and confident message.

How long should an investor presentation be?

Most investor presentations run 20–30 minutes, depending on the event. Your aim is to cover the key points clearly and leave time for meaningful Q&A.

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Read our Ultimate Guide to Investor Presentations