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To effectively present your development plan, it is essential to create a clear, concise pitch tailored to different audiences. Many presentations are now limited to five minutes, which requires getting to the heart of the matter with conviction to inspire confidence. An effective pitch includes a captivating story illustrated by high-quality visual aids and a communicative passion. It should also be supported by solid data on the need, the proposed solution, the target market, the team, the business model, the competition, and your financial projections.
E. Krieger
I could have titled this article « 50 Shades of Pitches« , but it’s not about a seduction operation that ends with an excited investor offering you gold, silver, or cryptocurrencies.
Your development plan can be presented to very diverse audiences. Its format and presentation length vary, from a summary in less than a minute to a much more detailed presentation.
In the programs I am involved in, the duration of this presentation is 5 minutes. This means that it is now essential to get to the point to inspire confidence and make your audience want to delve deeper into the subject.
Even if it does not guarantee success, presenting your development plan is a rite of passage for entrepreneurs wishing to integrate into an entrepreneurial community and strengthen their credibility.
The required elements of the business plan
François Pelen, co-founder of the Groupe Point Vision, describes the « pitch » as a series of compulsory elements like in a figure skating competition where technique is elevated by the talent of the competitors.
Dr. Pelen’s value proposition was clear and supported by considerable fieldwork with both patients and practitioners in the ophthalmology sector. This clarity, combined with the entrepreneur’s speaking skills, allowed him to « raise €700k with a PowerPoint. » The combination of form and substance was particularly successful, marking the beginning of the « Point Vision » saga.
Never short on metaphors, my colleague Frédéric Iselin states that the support for a successful pitch is akin to an impressionist painting that must convey the essence with elegance without overwhelming your audience. Between figure skating and impressionism, we are well served!
A successful « pitch » follows rules that can be summarized through advice on form and substance.
On the form side
- Clarity and conciseness: your pitch should be as clear as it is impactful. To be understandable « even by your grandparents, » speak without technical jargon or acronyms.
- Narrative structure and storytelling: tell a « business story » that engages your audience by highlighting the concrete benefits your company will bring to identified customers. Start with a captivating introduction that presents the identified problem, your solution, your target market, your business model, and your team.
- Quality of support: use professional and clean visuals, with illustrations that summarize your point and make your pitch more dynamic.
- Passion and ease of speaking: your enthusiasm will be contagious and persuade your audience of your company’s potential. Practice presenting your business plan in front of colleagues.
For Victor Hugo, « form is the substance that rises to the surface, » and it will largely determine the perception of your business project. However, the substance must also be impeccable, particularly the presentation of your value proposition and your customers.
On the substance side
The main dimensions of your business plan should be based on data that « de-risks » the key assumptions and reassures the most demanding interlocutors:
- Genesis of the company, vision, and mission: explain the trigger for the creation, your company’s mission, and your vision of development opportunities.
- Identified need and proposed solution: emphasize the fieldwork done to identify the important problem your company solves and find the first customers. Explain how your product or service addresses the identified problem for a typical customer.
- Target market and growth potential: clearly define your target market. How many potential customers express the stated need? Who are your commercial contacts? What is already your commercial « pipeline »? Avoid vagueness, which poorly conceals the absence of fieldwork.
- Founders, managers, and strategic committee: present your team members, their skills, and respective backgrounds, both for operational associates and members of your strategic and/or scientific committee.
- Value proposition and business model: what is the value created in terms of time, money, and quality compared to the initial problematic situation? What is the amount of a typical transaction, and how do you market your offer?
- Competition and competitive advantages: who is your closest competitor in the targeted segment, and how do you differentiate yourself from this or these competitors? A vague competitive analysis is often the symptom of a shaky business plan.
- Commercial action plan and development schedule: what are your main technical and commercial milestones, and what are your potential funding needs at each stage? What is the scalability of your business model from a technical and commercial standpoint?
- Financial projections and required funding: present your financial projections directly linked to the number of customers and key assumptions of sales prices, costs, investments, and working capital needs. How is this attractive to a partner or investor?
Beyond the strict sense of the pitch
Everything you say or omit to mention will be analyzed by observers who have often seen hundreds of similar presentations and participated, as partners or advisors, in the development of several companies. Some weak signals will lead them to draw parallels with previously encountered strategic situations.
The post-pitch question phase is also crucial for gauging a team. Some entrepreneurs sometimes monopolize the conversation to the dismay of associates who are reduced to playing the role of bystanders… Conversely, when faced with a united team that masters the main technical, commercial, human, and financial levers of its development, the credibility of the project is considerably reinforced.
Good luck with the preparation of your next pitch sessions!
