communication tools for entrepreneurs: how to make your idea credible and understandable
DESCRIPTION
This lecture presents tips, examples, techniques, tools and a process for building the five essential communication documents for entrepreneurs including: * The Elevator Pitch * Executive Summary * Company Presentation * Technical White Paper * Business Plan Learn how to create these communication tools and how to use them effectively to grow your business from an idea to a funded business plan. Part of the CIBC Presents Entrepreneurship 101 lecture series: http://www.marsdd.com/ent101TRANSCRIPT
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Follow or Tweet: #ent101
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Why do we need the tools?
B-plan Exec
Summary PPT Deck
White paper
Communicate to employees
Solicit investment
Communicate to partners
Communicate to customers
Slide 2
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Communication tools: how to make your idea credible and understandable
Investors must understand what you do and who cares
Slide 3
Investment Opportunity
Clear Message
Focused Company
Strong Management &
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuOuxRD1Bc
1:32-2.28
Guest Speaker 1
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How do the tools work?
The tools EXPLAIN and ILLUSTRATE:
What is unique about your business?
Who cares?
How will you execute?
Slide 3
DIFFERENTIATED SUSTAINABLE
VALUE PROPOSITION
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Selling vs. Planning
Slide 6
VS.
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DYNAMIC
AUDIENCE-CENTRIC
EASE OF UNDERSTANDING
CONSISTENT, CONCISE, CLEAR
VISUALLY COMPELLING
No hype. Let investors become enthusiastic on his/her own
Business planning is an iterative and adaptive process
A clear, precise structure is a courtesy to those investing their time in reading the proposal
The storyline and all the facts presented must fit together and generate a well rounded impression
Acknowledge style, recognize knowledge gaps and biases
Those who allocate investment resources rarely are technical experts for the technology used in the proposal
Principles for Business Planning and Communication
FACTUAL
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YOU are the most important communication tool
Guest Speaker 2: David S. Rose, an Inc. 500 CEO and serial entrepreneur himself, who has been described by Crain’s New York Business as “the father of angel investing in New York”, and by Red Herring Magazine as the “patriarch of Silicon Alley”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzDBrMisLm0&feature=related (from 1:36-5:02)
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Make your message memorable
ENGAGE your audience
Make information meaningful to them Case studies
Address knowledge gaps Visuals, charts, graphs
Let them arrive at their own conclusions Pace your delivery
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Example Privacy technology
to close the
$15B Gap
Expanded Market for Ad Networks
New Revenue for ISPs
Total US Advertising Local National
National Local
National Local
5%
11%
25%
12%
$295 B $95 B
$200 B
2008
2014
Source: eMarketer 2008
$5B
$15B
% of Advertising Online
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Know your audience
Slide 11
Speak to your audience in language that they understand:
Institutional investor – do not speak ‘techie’, tie everything back to money
Strategic investor – may be more technical; will be interested in your ideas as they impact their business
Strategic Partner – mix of technical and business; understand how a relationship will be mutually profitable to both parties
Angel Investors - access their background; understand their interests
Customer – understand their industry and pain points
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Social media tools
Create an engaging conversation with bloggers and customers
Let peers, partners, journalists and investors “discover” your story through the social web
Show what you do through images, video, links; make it easy to find through SEO;
Many access points: LinkedIn Group, Twitter stream, YouTube, Flickr Gallery, Wikipedia
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Example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuOuxRD1Bc
2:47 – 4:22
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Example: Total Addressable Market
Source: Based on eMarketer 2008 data
Total US market for our enabling technology
$0
$400
$800
$1,200
$1,600
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Mill
ions
Local Ads
$100B
$7.5B expanded market for Ad Networks
$6B new revenue for ISPs
$1.5 Billion for our enabling technology
2014
$15B Local Gap Online Represents
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By providing 3D imaging at low cost, we aim to make the procedures of the 21st century safer, faster and cheaper with better success rates, fewer complications and shorter hospital stays.
XYZ Inc. medical device startup, is based on the premise that image guidance will be a key element in the successful deployment of emerging minimally invasive therapies over the next decade.
Example: Accessible Message
Product and Benefits
Slide 15
Opportunity
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Communication tools help you build relationships
Be strategic about what you provide and when you provide it Not everyone should see your white paper or business
plan Leave some details for later, don’t give away everything in
the first meeting
Your documentation should radiate professionalism Ensure accurate grammar, spelling, diction, illustration,
layout, etc.
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Myths and Truths TR
UTH
S… Choose what
tools to use and with whom Should entice the investor into asking for more Building your communication toolkit is an iterative process M
YTH
S… You only have
30 seconds to get an investor’s attention You should start by building your business plan Have all your tools ready to deploy
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The Tools
Slide 18
The Tools You Need to Raise Money http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-engagement-The-tools-you-need-to-raise-money
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The Elevator Pitch
Slide 19
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The Elevator Pitch
What: A 30 second overview of your business concept
Why: To get a follow–on meeting
When: In a cold call to an investor, customer, potential partner, etc. Good for networking at trade shows, business functions, etc.
Dos and Don’ts: Do not spend forever practicing and refining this – should come naturally; Figure out a few key messages you would like to get across to use as a loose
script Distribute key messages to outward facing employees – standardize message
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Slide 21
ABC Inc. is a location-based advertising company focused on bringing hyper local targeting to any website.
Through a unique privacy architecture, Inc's technology allows media companies and advertising agencies to accurately reach the most relevant and responsive demographics online.
PAIN POINT A need for…
The Elevator Pitch
VALUE PROPOSITION
Allow one to…
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The Executive Summary
Slide 22
The Executive Summary http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-engagement-The-executive-summary.html
The Executive Summary Template http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-engagement-Executive-summary-template
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The Executive Summary
What: 3-5 page summary of your technology, product, sales plan, revenue path and
financial requirements
Why: A ‘teaser’ document meant to generate a request for more information or a
meeting Readers will want to get their head around the concepts quickly
When: When you have a ‘warm’ intro or an invitation to contact someone Integral first interaction with an investor Rides the line between confidential and non-confidential – some degree of
trust
Dos and Don’ts: Has to have the right emphasis given the maturity of the business concept Keep it current
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The Whitepaper
Slide 24
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The Whitepaper
What: A fairly concise layman’s summary of your technology, product(s), the
uniqueness of the technology and products and the value proposition
Why: Helps investors to understand how a concept or technology works
When: After investors are curious about details or have bought into the big picture
business vision
Dos and Don’ts: Put the whitepaper on your website Don’t go so deep as to give away all of your trade secrets/IP – consult your IP
professional Keep it as short as possible and fully explain all acronyms
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The PowerPoint
Slide 26
Elements of a Pitch Deck http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-engagement-Elements-of-a-pitch-deck
Building a Strong Presentation http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-engagement--Building-a-strong-presentation.html
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The PowerPoint
What: A ~15 slide outline of the key aspects of your business plan
Why: Provides an overview of the business plan in point form Allows people to absorb a lot of key information in a short period of time
When: Usually the second piece of information an investor receives after the executive
summary Investors love these because they can flip through them very fast and get highlights
Dos and Don’ts: Critical document in the fundraising process – present a sound story; make it look
good Practice speaking to it, preferably in front of friendly people who will ask lots of
questions Use graphics as much as possible
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The Business Plan
Slide 28
The Business Plan http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-engagement-The-business-plan.html
The Business Plan Template http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Investor-Engagement-Business-Plan-Template
Business Plans for SE and SPBs http://www.marsdd.com/entrepreneurs-toolkit/articles/Business-plans-for-SEs-and-SPBs
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The Business Plan
What: A rigorously prepared and executable description of how you will build your
business
Why: This is your roadmap for how you are going to build your business Describes roles and responsibilities for building various aspects of the business
When: When you have assembled enough solid information to write it Highly proprietary; later stages of diligence Wait for the investor to to ask for it
Dos and Don’ts: Often made a condition of financing or a board action item Re-write with every major change in strategic direction Avoid the temptation to turn this into a sales tool – preserve its integrity as an
execution plan
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How to create your toolkit?
Do not start by building your business plan You will not have the information you need You will examine issues out of priority You will expose lack of understanding
Use the PowerPoint Deck as receptacle for all ideas and information that comes to light – easy to manipulate, organize and adapt
Build your executive summary and eventually your business plan based on your PowerPoint deck
Give investors your exec summary and offer to walk them through the PowerPoint slides in person or on the phone
Develop visual assets (diagrams, videos) to use on-line and in your pitch deck
Slide 30
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Advice from the Trenches
Practice, Practice, Practice
Different versions for different people Management vs. finance vs. technical
Version control
The main idea of all of this is to entice investors/partners to take a deeper look
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Advice from the Trenches
Do not overload the documentation Try to get across a few key messages instead of telling
the whole story Your audience will only absorb the key messages
Templates exist for all of these documents Don’t re-invent the wheel MaRS has developed templates based on extensive
review of industry best practice materials
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Building Your Message
Idea# 1: “Don’t Dive Straight into the Technology” (Value Proposition)
Don’t start with technology. Everyone has this. Instead create context.
Understand your customer’s pain points and show them how you offer a value proposition that is FASTER, CHEAPER, BETTER
Idea #2: Maintain A Degree of Focus & Consistency in your Message (Brand)
Focus on just a few of the really good things you can do and lead with these points.
Idea #3: “Personify your People” (Profiles)
Profile Managers Backgrounds - Creates context for potential clients and investors.
Idea #4: “Provide Proof of Results” (Case Studies)
Tell a story. Focus on Results and the overall customer experience. Use testimonials.
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Business Plan
Executive Summary Company & Opportunity Summary Product & Technology Market Size and Growth Sales and Marketing Plan Competitive Overview Operations Plan Management Team Financials & Investment Requirements
Outline
Slide 34
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PowerPoint/Investor Deck
Outline
Company Description (1 paragraph) Company Overview, Management & Vision
(2-3 slides) Need & Existing Solutions (1-2 slides) Technology, Products and Product Rollout
(2-3 slides) Market Opportunity (1 Slide ,Graphical) Competitive Overview (1 Slide , Largely
Graphical) Sales Strategy & Channels (2-3 slides) Partnerships and/or Partnerships strategy
( 1 slide) Financials & Path to Liquidity (2-3 Slides
(Largely Graphical)
Slide 35
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Executive Summary
Company Description (1 paragraph) Basic Need & Company Solution
(1 paragraph) Technology and Product(s) (1 paragraph;
diagram) Value Proposition (couple of bullets) Market Size and Growth (diagram) Sales Plan (1 paragraph) Competitive Advantages (couple of bullets) Management (detailed bullets) Revenue Growth Projections (diagram) Financing Requirements (1 paragraph)
Outline
Slide 36
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkuOuxRD1Bc
4:58-6.24
Be Yourself and Have Fun
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Veronika Litinski Advisor, MaRS Discovery District T 416-673-8113 E [email protected] W www.marsdd.com