The Successful Pitch

An investor is always going to probe the amount of money you’re asking them to invest. They want to make sure you’ve correctly gauged what you need to scale your business and that you’re not going to come back to them in six months or a year to ask for more. In the 52nd and final episode of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allon Raiz talks about how you should respond when a potential investor asks what you would do with way more money than you’ve asked for in your pitch. Listen Now >

An increase in the size of the market could present your company with an opportunity to take advantage of favourable market conditions. Conversely, a declining market could pose a serious threat to your business. During your pitch, potential investors will want to see if you are prepared for both scenarios. Remember, there are opportunities in declining markets as well! In episode 51 of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allon Raiz explores market growth and decline as it relates to your investor pitch. Listen Now >

In a pitch, you have to be able to communicate your vision for your business to your potential investor. You need to strike a balance between being too aspirational and unrealistic and not having any growth plans at all. Investors always strive to get a good return on their investment. They are looking to scale startup businesses but are also aware of the risks that startups face. You need to effectively communicate your growth plans and how you intend to mitigate the risks that are associated with growth. In episode 50 of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allon Raiz offers his advice on how to go about answering the question, “Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?” Listen Now >

Investors want to make sure you are aware of all the risks that may affect your business – which you may not have mentioned during your actual pitch. They need to know you’ve considered all possible risks and they especially want to know which are the ones that give you sleepless nights. When answering this question, you need to be honest. In episode 49 of The Successful Pitch podcast series, Allon Raiz offers his advice on answering this challenging question. Listen Now >

Dealing with competition is an inevitable part of business. It’s simply a fact that when your business begins to thrive, new competitors will emerge and they will want a piece of the market pie. You need to show your potential investors during your pitch that you have strategies in place to build defensive “moats” to keep the competition at bay. In episode 48 of The Successful Pitch, Allon Raiz explains the term “moats” and helps you prepare for questions about handling your competitors. Listen Now >

Do you have a plan in place if anything happens to you, the business founder? This may be an uncomfortable question but one you should definitely be prepared for when you’re pitching to potential investors. Investors will want to know that you have thoroughly thought through how your business will continue operating in your absence and that you have put solid plans in place. In episode 47 of The Successful Pitch series Allon Raiz offers his advice on how you should approach answering this question during your pitch. Listen Now >

When you’re delivering an investor pitch, it’s vital to show your potential investors that you are aware of who your indirect competitors are. These are businesses who may entice your target audience to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere, even if it’s on a different product or service. Knowing your indirect competitors can help you strategise and stay ahead. In episode 46 of The Successful Pitch series, Allon Raiz offers some insights on dealing with this often-neglected aspect of running a business. Listen Now >

It’s important for you to be able to show potential investors that parties who are doing business with you have given you some form of commitment. Investors always try to mitigate their risk so if you can produce letters of intent during your pitch, it will increase your chances of getting funding. Allon Raiz talks about the importance of letters of intent in episode 45 of The Success Pitch podcast series.

Who would be your first ten staff hires? By asking this question, investors want to establish if you have a thorough understanding of the operational requirements of the various functions in your growing business and the respective roles that must be filled. Listen to episode 44 of The Successful Pitch series to hear Allon Raiz’ advice on how to answer this question during your pitch.

Attracting and retaining the right calibre of staff is a fundamental component of scaling a business. It’s vital to invest in the right people by hiring top talent with expandable and diverse skill sets. A growing business also needs a staff complement to match its increasing operational demands. Be prepared to answer the question of how you will attract and maintain skills as your business expands. Tune in to episode 43 of The Successful Pitch series where Allon Raiz will highlight the important points to mention when answering questions about your team during your pitch.