Management Team

You've heard it said, "They're investing in the management team, not the idea." It is essential to project confidence and to speak with clarity throughout the entire presentation.

• The management team must possess and also project strong domain expertise. Potential investors will not back a team that seems to be learning the ropes about an industry
• What attracts the investor is the jockey—not the horse. Talk about yourself with confidence, and convince them that you are an A player with an A team
• Always talk about your background and accomplishments. Often, people tend to skip it to avoid the discomfort of talking about themselves. You are the leader of the company. You must sell yourself.
• Emphasize tangible accomplishments (e.g., grew sales x% from $X thousand to $X million, raised $X million in venture capital for previous start-up which was then sold to this company for $X million). Your team’s past accomplishments will sell better than job titles, responsibilities and cumulative years of experience
• Determine which milestones are most critical for your business to successfully make it to the next phase of operations, and tailor the presentation of your management team to the task at hand by highlighting those accomplishments that illustrate that your team can reach those goals