How advice to those pitching VC’s applies to all presenters

Rebecca Lynn wrote a very good article on what should be in a presentation to venture capital firms (VC’s) on CNET here. Now I know most of us don’t present to venture capitalists, but there are some lessons here for all presenters.

First, start with the conclusion. Research published in John Medina’s book “Brain Rules” reinforces Rebecca’s suggestion to start with “your best stuff.” Don’t wade through a lot of data or details before getting to the conclusion.

Second, everything else in your presentation needs to support the conclusion you started with. Notice how each slide Rebecca suggests goes back to supporting the first slide. Audiences want to see how the details support your initial statement.

Third, be prepared to go in a non-linear order. Rebecca suggests that if the presentation goes well, you probably won’t make it past slide 2 before they want to go off in another direction. If appropriate, let the audience drive the sequence of the presentation by designing it as a non-linear presentation or at minimum know how to jump to any slide in your presentation.

Good ideas to keep in mind for any presentation, not just those to VC’s.