• How-to

Another pitch? Yes, that’s right. Once your company has been combed over fully by the diligence team, there will be a full partner presentation. What is the difference, you ask? Well, in the earlier pitch, you would have been presenting to one or maximum two partners. Now, you will pitch to all the partners in the firm.

VC firms typically function as investment partnerships. All investing decisions are taken as a group. Even if one of the partners is not in complete sync with the others on investing in your startup, then it is not happening. Hence, the full partner pitch is the most vital phase of your funding sojourn, but one that does not need to be necessarily scary, if you stay aware to some basic pointers.

You also have a partner
Remember the partner, an expert in your field, and the one you first pitched to? He is your biggest ally in the room. He was the one who first liked your idea and was excited enough for this presentation to happen. He has already made sure that the others are as excited. He will be your man in the room who will further interpret your pitch for others.

Jack should not come out of the box
Many entrepreneurs get into the zing of pulling a rabbit out of the hat at the last mile. Sort of a killer punch to knockout any naysayers. Don’t do that. There is a chance that they will not like what they see, as also that they might. But why try hitting sixes when all you need is singles to get by the finish line.

Never change the script
Your pitch won you your partner. He told your story to his partners. And so the partners already know your story and are also excited enough to be there. Your story is already an Oscar winner. Do not try to change the script. Stay steady and try not to mess up. That is all you have to do.

Separate the wheat from the chaff
More than likely, the others partners are not experts in your field like the first partner you pitched to. So they are less than likely to understand what you are saying when you get into the technical details of your business. Please, keep out the unnecessary details.

Scope out the skeptics
In your interactions with the partner you first pitched to, you may have got a semblance of an idea which partners are the most skeptical. Focus on them in the pitch. Make eye contact and let them know you’ve nothing to hide. Tell them with your eyes and voice that they have nothing to worry about when investing in you. Do that, and its game, set and match.

This is the sixth of a multi-part series.

©Entrepreneur July 2010

Tags:
funding, partner, partner presentation, pitch, VC, venture capital