You've secured your investor meeting – fantastic! Now, let's nail the meeting. Here’s what you need to do and avoid:

You’ve got an investor meeting – congratulations! And now you have to win that meeting. Here’s what you should do and what you should avoid:

👽 First, don't dominate the conversation. Investors hate long pitches. Keep it to 10-15 minutes. Use the rest of the time for dialogue. Let them ask questions. 

🤸🏻‍♂️ Second, be flexible. Don’t stick to your structure pitch. Engage your audience when you can. If you’re asked a question, answer it directly. Make it a conversation, not a monologue. 

📖 Start with your founder's story. That’s very important. You explain why you’re building what you’re building, even better when it’s a personal story rather than a general mission, like: “I was affected by this thing, and I want to solve it.”

🥷🏻 Ask questions yourself. If you don’t, you look inexperienced and uninterested. Question your investors so that they qualify themselves. Ask about their investment criteria, and ask for their feedback on your pitch. Ask them: "What are your thoughts on what I'm presenting?" Ask them: "Under what conditions would you consider investing?" Even if they say no, understanding their reasoning can help you refine your pitch for the future.

It’s a case of ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst.’ For face-to-face meetings, print out your pitch materials ahead of time. Make sure every aspect of the technology works, so you’re not scrambling on the day of the meeting. For online meetings, double-check your tech and have your pitch ready.

🦕 Have an idea of the questions that will come up. If you are getting the same question 30 per cent of the time, know what you are going to show on the appendix slide to answer those questions. For example, what is your competitive moat? It was not clear in the pitch, but here’s where you can elaborate on it.