Fwd: Please tell me you didn't send that version to anyone ...

Do you sometimes send things out before they're ready? We all do. In fact, I do my best proof-reading after I hit SEND. Part of my job is to call my clients to deliver one of these Very Important Messages: Please tell me this version hasn't gone out. Wait a second, where's the real one ...because this CAN'T be it. Who told you to do it this way? No, really. Give me their number. I'm going to call them and tell them never to talk you again. Earlier this month, I popped open a pitch deck for a friend who needed to raise money, about $3 million in 3 weeks. And after shuffling through the slides, I sent it back with DO NOT SEND THIS TO ANYONE in the email. This pitch is so off-track. But "off-track" can mean a lot of things to different people. If you talk to a professional, who does this all the time, this is what off-track means: There are too many ideas   And no single line of focus   It starts with one premise, then swerves into another, before weaving back to the original idea which it changes midway through the next slide. This is a distracted pitch that doesn't know where it's going, and it's not ready to "go out." "But Oren, how do I know when a presentation is ready?" Good question! Let's spend a few minutes evaluating what you are working on now, before it goes out. First, take off the beer goggles If you're lost in a presentation, first clear your head of the investment of time you've already put in. Just because you put time and money into something is not a guarantee that you deserve to have something good come out. So take off the beer goggles and take a hard look at the pitch that you actually ended up with. Evaluate what's really there. Here's how to test whether something belongs -- There are only SIX things that actually belong in a pitch, so ask yourself whether it is one of these: big idea story (why now) product information and features clear benefits use case/demo financials/ return-on-investment next steps If it's not one of those, take it out. Mission statement? Take it out. More than one chart or graph? ... remove. Quotes ... delete them all. I bet it's an improvement. If it's not one of these six things, it BETTER not be any of these four. These NEVER belong in a pitch: your sob story how you lost everything or never had anything to start with   more than 2 product slides   anything that looks like a pie chart, regression analysis, venn diagram, stacked area chart or other "data visualization" image   stock photography The best presentations I've ever seen aren't presentations at all. They're one-slide to cover a few product particulars and just you, giving the complete story with style, boldness and just the right amount of detail to keep buyers interested. You already have all the convincing elements you need to close any sale or deal. You have a big idea (and why now) You have a product with features & benefits. You have a great company. And of course, YOU are the best person in your industry to work with. What else do you need? Definitely not a bunch of slides to make it confusing and complicated. If you do need a little help putting your big ideas into an amazing presentation, let's get it done. (large projects only please.) I'm an investment banker and dealmaker. If you're working on something big and interesting, connect with me here.          SHARE. If you found any value in this newsletter, or it made you laugh or smile, forward it to colleagues and friends who might be interested. They'll thank you and so will I. SUBSCRIBE. If you received this newsletter from a friend, and would like to subscribe (it's fr/ee!), just enter your name and email address in the box on my blog. If you wish to stop receiving our emails or change your subscription options, please Manage Your Subscription Pitch Industries, 5825 Avenida Encinas #110, Carlsbad, CA 92008