Master Your Investor Roadshow Presentation
January 22, 2024
Updated 31 May 2026
If you are preparing an investor roadshow presentation, then you’ll want to do everything to make it a success. What makes a successful roadshow presentation? How do you prepare for an IPO roadshow? What IPO roadshow support do you need? How can Benjamin Ball Associates help you with roadshow coaching?
Meet the Author: Benjamin Ball
Ben is the founder of London-based 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.
We’ve been offering roadshow presentation training for 15 years and in that time we have seen the difference between successful and unsuccessful investor roadshows. Here are some of my top tips for a successful IPO roadshow.
What Makes a Good Investor Roadshow Presentation?
What’s the one big lesson we’ve learned? When you prepare a roadshow presentation you cannot put too much effort into creating a compelling investor presentation. That means polishing how your team handles each investor meeting (not just creating prettier slides) with extensive investor pitch coaching.
Whether you are raising money, floating your business, selling a company or updating investors, your roadshow is something you must get right.
CASE STUDY – An Investor IPO Roadshow Story
The investment bank needed some help
It was a Thursday evening. The phone rang. A big international bank was calling. The CEO and CFO of MoneySupermarket.com has just presented their roadshow pitch to the bank’s sales team, and it was not good. They needed some help.
But there was a small problem: today was Thursday and the IPO roadshow started on Monday.
At 8am the next morning we sat down with the MoneySupermarket team. We asked them to run through their pitch. After a couple of minutes, we stopped. It was terrible.
What Was Wrong with Their IPO Presentation How We Fixed Their Presentation – Both CEO & CFO were tired and their enthusiasm had faded.
– The story, as told in the roadshow pitch deck, was not their story. It was the bank’s story.
– They were lost in the detail of their business, and so did not communicate the future storyWe asked them to tell us their story in their own words. As they told their story, you could see their eyes shine and their enthusiasm rise. This was a business they were truly passionate about.
– We suggested they put aside their pitch deck and tell their story in their own words
– Occasionally they would refer to a slide or a particular graph – visual aids to enhance the story
– We stopped them “turning the pages of a presentation”
– We helped them share their plans for expanding the business in an exciting way.
– We helped them sound personal, exciting and interesting.A transformed IPO roadshow presentation
- By the end of Friday they were transformed. While the underlying story was the same, now a listener could hear the enthusiasm in the voices of the speakers.
- They then had the weekend to refine and practice so they were ready to go first thing on Monday.
- A few weeks later the bank announced that the MoneySupermarket IPO was a success and the biggest IPO since Google.
These three traps: Visual Aids as Handouts; The wrong story and the wrong perspective are three common problems that plague roadshow presentations.
Successful IPO roadshows mean clear, simple & consistent investor meetings
After all, when investors judge the future of your business, they rely on the impression you make – or what others say about you. Looking across the dozens of deals we have supported, we’ve identified six key themes:
What you’ll learn with investor roadshow presentation coaching
Top Tips for Successful Investor Roadshows
1 – Look comfortable in the meetings
This is tough. During the roadshow process you have advisors. Lots of them. And they are all giving you advice. But the advice is not always consistent. How do you keep your cool and stick to what you really stand for?
CASE STUDY – Private Sale Investor Roadshow
Liz, CEO of betty TV – the UK’s leading producer of high quality, modern, factual TV. e.g. Country House Rescue, Freaky Eaters and The Joy of Teen Sex – came to us for advice. While their advisor’s management presentation told the betty story beautifully, Liz did not want ‘to turn the pages’ in front of prospective buyers.
Building on the team’s skill of pitching creative ideas, we transformed the equity story into a compelling narrative. And we coaxed these TV people to get in front of the camera for a change, so that they could see themselves pitching. As a result their 2 hour management presentation turned into a lively, engaging meeting punctuated with videos, clever visual aids and mood boards.
Five months after their first buyer meeting, Liz and her team had 4 great offers to choose from. They sold to Discovery Communications, the first independent producer that Discovery had ever bought.
“Ben and his colleagues gave us a sense of confidence to sell ourselves and our business. Their advice completely changed our pitch. This moved our presentation into a different league and undoubtedly improved the outcome and offer we secured.”
2 – Your investment story must be simple
Every business is complex. And the closer you are to the business, the more complex it looks.
But for investors, if your equity story is difficult to understand, it is less attractive.
IPO ROADSHOW CASE STUDY
A few years ago we were supporting a Swedish tech business with their IPO.
They had an amazing business, but it was highly technical. And the bank’s “Eight reasons to invest in this business” did not help. So we helped management describe their technology in terms of the benefits it brought to their customers.By developing a problem-solution approach in the presentation it was easier for investors to understand the market and the value the company delivered. After that it was simple for investors to grasp the real value of that business.
3 – How to present value and remain compliant
When under pressure, it is tough to remember all the regulatory and compliance advice you have been told. And during the roadshow you will be peppered with questions where investors want to probe beyond the prospectus and presentation.
But you need to stick to the rules.
How do you do this? Practise is the only way. The time you spend role-playing investor meetings; stress testing the team with tough questions and rehearsing the roadshow will be time well-invested.
4 – Address investor concerns
Every investor will have concerns. Both buy-side and sell-side analysts will have concerns. If they don’t, they are not doing their job. So you need to address those concerns, ideally by getting on the front foot. The failed WeWork IPO is a good example of how not to reassure investors.
When we work with firms, we examine in detail what might worry investors and then incorporate these issues into the equity story. You will sound much more credible if you acknowledge the risks up front and explain what you are doing to address them.
Preparing management teams for intense investor scrutiny is a core element of our IPO roadshow training and coaching.
5 – Paint a clear picture of the future
Equity investors buy into the future, not the past. But it’s hard – the future is opaque and you are limited in what you can say.
Your past successes will reassure investors. But the most important part of your job is to convince investors that that you know where you are going and that you can maintain that success.
IPO ROADSHOW CASE STUDY
A few years ago we helped a big cinema chain float. The CEO was very impressive, but the way he told his story during the IPO presentation was all about how they had got to where they were.
We helped him transform his story and add in a clear description of the future and why his company was best positioned to capture even more value in this business.
6 – Show the quality of the team beyond CEO & CFO
Many investors may not meet anyone beyond the senior team during the float. While these individuals may be impressive, one of the key skills of a great CEO is to demonstrate they have a great team behind them. There are many ways to do this and it’s a critical part of making a successful pitch.
For example, you can use stories to show the strength and depth of the team, or you can refer to individuals in the team. The whole idea is to give investors the sense that there is a broad and strong team behind the company’s success. And make sure everyone is fully prepared to answer tough investor questions.
7 – Be consistent – everywhere
Your Roadshow story needs to resonate throughout the organisation – and beyond. The story investors hear must tie in with what staff hear, what customers hear and what they read in the press.
We help management achieve this with coaching on media interviews and public speaking coaching as well as roadshow pitch coaching.
In the end, these different strands must all tie together so that investors, staff and customers hear a clear, consistent and convincing story. In this way, you build confidence with investors, analysts and the markets.
How to improve your investor roadshow presentations
To discuss the support you can get with your IPO roadshow or major transaction, call us today. We are always happy to share ideas and discuss ways to make sure your roadshow is even more successful.
Call today to speak to Louise Angus on +44 20 7018 0922 or info@benjaminball.com.
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How to prepare for a roadshow
Frequently Asked Questions About Mastering Your Investor Roadshow
If you’re preparing for an investor roadshow – whether you run a listed company or manage a private asset business – you’ll know how much depends on how well you perform. Below are answers to the questions clients most often ask when getting ready to meet investors.
What’s the purpose of an investor roadshow?
Your roadshow is your opportunity to meet current and potential investors face to face. For quoted companies, it helps maintain market confidence and support your valuation. For private equity and other private asset managers, it’s your chance to demonstrate your track record, strategy and value creation story to limited partners or co-investors.
What should go into the presentation?
For listed companies, include strategy, recent performance and outlook. Keep your message consistent with your public disclosures.
Private asset managers should highlight fund performance, portfolio updates, case studies, pipeline and how their approach delivers returns. In both cases, clear storytelling and confident delivery will support your numbers.
How can I make a strong impression?
Be clear and energetic. Listen as much as you speak. Speak naturally, not as if you’re reading a script, and adapt your message to who’s in the room. Analysts, fund managers and family offices listen for different cues. In private equity, investors want to sense your alignment and grasp of risk as much as your ambition.
How should I handle difficult questions?
Treat them as a good sign – they show investors are engaged. Listen carefully, stay calm and answer with facts. If you don’t have the detail to hand, say you’ll follow up and do it promptly. A measured, transparent response builds confidence far better than a defensive one. Good question answering is a learned skills.
What mistakes do management teams make?
Common ones include talking too much, using jargon or dodging tough questions. Others rely on slides instead of telling a story. Investors judge not only your results but also your credibility, consistency and leadership under pressure.
Should I rehearse?
Yes – but rehearse for performance, not perfection. Practise your key points until they sound natural. Run mock sessions with your IR adviser, broker or communications coach to test both content and delivery. Make sure your CEO, CFO or partners are aligned and speaking with one clear voice.
How can I keep energy levels up on the road?
Plan well. Build in short breaks, eat properly and get enough rest. Roadshows are marathons, not sprints. A fresh, engaged management team always lands better than one running on autopilot.
What’s the single biggest factor in success?
Authenticity. Investors invest in people they trust. Combine thorough preparation with genuine conviction in your story and you’ll stand out for the right reasons.
How to improve your investor roadshow presentations
To discuss how we can help you, call us today. We are always happy to share ideas and discuss ways to make sure your roadshow is even more successful.
Call today to speak to Louise Angus on +44 20 7018 0922 or info@benjaminball.com.
Get a free quote. Speak to an expert
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Read more investor pitch coaching tips in our ultimate guide to investor presentations.
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