Deck 12: Making the Pitch

Question 1

For the story of the target customer, what is the recommended focus of your presentation?

A) Describing the customers' demographics
B) Discussing where the customers are
C) Creating tension around, and the solving, the problems faced by the customer
D) Dimensionalizing only the opportunity

Answer 1

C

Question 2

What is the close in an investor pitch?

A) Asking for the funding
B) Getting a commitment to a rapid due diligence process
C) Business valuation
D) The exit

Answer 2

B

Question 3

What is the optimal number of slides to use in your presentation to potential investors?

A) 5
B) 10
C) 15
D) 20

Answer 3

B

Question 4

In terms of your presentation to investors, with regard to competitive positioning of your venture, what do investors want to see?

A) A lot of competition on a perceptual map
B) Your solution occupies some sort of "white space" on a perceptual map relative to competitors
C) That your solution is aligned exactly with your biggest competitor on the perceptual map
D) A quadrant on a perceptual map which illustrates how much money customers will spend on your product

Question 5

What is a classic mistake made by entrepreneurs when making the investment pitch?

A) Knowing their audience too well
B) Building hand-offs into the presentation
C) Reading the presentation slides
D) Asking the potential investors a question

Question 6

For your go-to-market strategy component of your investment pitch, what are the most important elements to stress?

A) The primary route to market
B) The branding activities to be pursued
C) A only
D) Both A and B

Question 7

When the investors ask for how much money you want, what is the appropriate response?

A) Walk through the specific steps within your key milestones, hard and clear
B) Simply repeat the overall amount requested
C) Tel him/her you will have to get back to them
D) Always ask for more than what you need

Question 8

When it comes to presentation style during an investment pitch it is important to _______________.

A) carefully read through your slides with your investor
B) not read your slides and instead speak to your audience
C) always stay at your lectern or podium
D) always talk at the investor audience

Question 9

How long should the optimal investor presentation last?

A) 5 minutes
B) 20 minutes
C) 30 minutes
D) 1 hour

Question 10

What is the best answer to a potential investor question about who you will be working with on the venture's IP?

A) Name a good attorney at a reputable law firm
B) Name someone on your Board of Directors
C) Say you will look into it
D) Say you haven't thought of that yet

Question 11

What is the 10/20/30 rule of PowerPoint presentations that should be remembered when making an investor pitch?

A) 10 slides, 20 point font, 30 minute presentation
B) 10 point font, 20 slides, 30 minute presentation
C) 10 slides, 20 minute presentation, 30 point font
D) None of the above

Question 12

When making your investor pitch, what is the important and often "magic word" referring to the nature of revenue for the business?

A) Recurring
B) Operating
C) High
D) Target

Question 13

When angels, VCs, and corporate investors look at your addressable market, what do they want to see that it is?

A) Substantial
B) Defined
C) Growing by 20 percent per annum
D) None of the above

Question 14

The essence of this type of story captures the attention of the investor; provides a specific user scenario that is compelling; outlines the customer's current negative outcome; creates tension; shows the solution to relieve the tension. What is this story called?

A) The business story
B) The opportunity story
C) The springboard story
D) The Zen story

Question 15

What is the key when presenting your financial projections to your potential investors?

A) Providing very detailed financials
B) Providing a very high level P&L for five years
C) Providing a base level P&L for twelve months
D) Providing complex quarterly numbers

Question 16

What are the stories that should be told in your investment presentation?

A) The story of the customer
B) The story of your team
C) The story of how you make money
D) The story of your key milestones upon financing
E) All of the above

Question 17

What is the recommended format for an investor presentation?

A) The team, the customer, the opportunity, the solution, competitive positioning, business model, financial projections, go-to-market strategy, milestones
B) Customer, opportunity, solution, business model, financials, go-to-market strategy
C) Opportunity, business model, financials, milestones
D) None of the above

Question 18

When telling the story of your business to potential investors on what should you focus?

A) Presenting very detailed financials
B) Providing the impression of a clean, powerful business model
C) Why your team can exploit the opportunity
D) Your secret sauce

Question 19

In terms of describing the major milestones and the funding of such, what should your presentation slide(s) on this topic include?

A) Milestones to achieve alpha, beta, first dollar sale and first operating profit
B) Milestones to achieve alpha, beta
C) Milestones to achieve first dollar sale and first operating profit
D) Milestones to achieve first launch only

Question 20

If a potential investor asks you about the sales cycle for the business what should you do?

A) Provide some general responses
B) Specify the number of days in the sales cycle
C) Immediately respond that it all depends
D) None of the above

Question 21

What is the best way to get a meeting with a professional investor to make your pitch?

A) Persistent phone calls
B) Persistent emails
C) Make an appointment in person
D) Get a trusted referral

Question 22

The _________ includes the type, frequency, and price-level relative to competition.

A) The revenue model
B) The customer model
C) The income model
D) The exit model

Question 23

For your project venture, what is the story you wish to tell about the customer, the customer's special problems, and you can solve them in a way that is special if not unique in the industry? What evidence will you use to back up that story? How might you respond if the investor says, "Sounds good, but I want to see this for myself?"

Question 24

For your project venture, was is the revenue and operating profit you hope to achieve, say in five years? How much money are you seeking to raise to start the business, and then, in the year or two to follow, and how much stock do you wish to provide to investors for their money? If your company is acquired at the end of five years for 4 times revenue, what will be the projected return for your investors at that time? What will be the projected value of the equity that you and your partners hold?

Question 25

Which of the following is a story you don't need to tell in an investor pitch?

A) The Story of you and your team
B) The Story of the product development
C) The Story of the target customer
D) The Story of your business