An explain article

Some time ago, I was contacted by our current client Bridgestone. They were dissatisfied with their then-current presentation agency and sales presentation. A conversation with product management quickly revealed where the issues were. The current presentation materials were entirely unsuitable for a sales process that involves multiple stages and target groups and for a product that must prove itself in a highly competitive market.

What makes the sales process so complex? Quite simply: The tire manufacturer rarely comes into direct contact with the end customer, but mostly only with the dealer. It is primarily up to the dealer to ensure the sales of the corresponding tires are correct. Therefore, it must be made easy for the dealer to win over customers for themselves and Bridgestone. The right content is needed for both the dealer and the end customer. This problem was solved with a modular setup and a jump sheet. Within the presentation, it is possible to interactively access content such as marketing support, product range, or news. This allows the sales team to present during the conversations with the dealer and also provides the dealer with relevant content for the end customer. Since conversations sometimes last five minutes but also an hour, presentations can be adjusted flexibly.

A key factor for a successful sales presentation is, of course, the story. With just three slides, the product was given an emotional touch: Tires are indeed more than just four round pieces of rubber. Due to the simplicity and brevity of the argument and the story, anyone can deliver the presentation with little preparation.

Thus, this presentation exhibits the essential features for use in sales: Modularity, scalability, and storytelling.

The topic of investor presentations has also reached the public since the success of the TV show 'Shark Tank.' Every week, the future of start-ups is decided here, and a central criterion is the presentation. I often watch this show myself and am amazed at how often good ideas are destroyed by a poor presentation. And likely, the future of a company as well.

Every time, I think of a quote that I have also used in several presentations. It comes from Gregory Berns, who says the following:

And he's right – if you don't manage to convince investors in the presentation, then the idea is worthless. It is all the more important to know how to pitch. Whether it's start-ups presenting to investors or large corporations presenting to shareholders. The presentation may decide success or downfall.

At this point, I want to contradict an obvious assumption: Investors are not number-driven robots. Investors are, first and foremost, humans and human brains all function pretty much the same. The Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman described this functionality simply in his book 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' There is basically a fast, emotional system and a slow, logical system. However, to reach the logical system, you must first get past the emotional system.

And this is also the reason why you should proceed differently than widely recommended to convincingly persuade investors. It's not just about facts, diagrams, and tables, but primarily about uniqueness. Unique stories, unique ideas, and, of course, a unique opportunity for the investor.

Since every idea is different, there can be no general recipe for the right investor presentation. But I would like to share a few parameters that should not be missing and will certainly have positive effects on the investor presentation.