Cutting through the clutter with a powerful Executive Summary

Entrepreneurs in today’s market should aim for the highest possible hit-rate when seeking to connect to with customers, partners, media, investors, etc. to avoid drowning in all the noise.

This ups the ante on effective digital packaging and communication. Introductory e-mails matter. Websites matter. Linked In profiles matter. Blogs matter… Having a powerful hook matters!

Successful entrepreneurs know this and have an uncanny ability to get people’s attention when it counts.

Even so, one place many entrepreneurs routinely fall short is the now ambiguous “executive summary”, an overused term which, like “vision” and “mission statement”, don’t mean much no more.

IBC recommends | Venture Hacks for entrepreneurs

Here’s a tip while you chew on that chocolate croissant: if you’re an entrepreneur raising money for your startup/emerging brand (from VCs or angel investors), spend some time on Venture Hacks.

The straight-up funding tips at Venture Hacks are spot on and will save even finance-savvy entrepreneurs lots of headache, time and $$.

I also recommend the site for angel investors seeking practical investing tips and insights into both the entrepreneur and VC mindset.

A framework for pitching your Big Idea

At some point, many of us end up pitching our big idea to an angel investor, strategic partner or VC. These are usually defining moments…

A good pitch is hard to pull off and usually takes a lot of prep. Over the years I’ve developed a framework from which most of my pitches flow.

(Note: my audience, usually an angel investor or two over b’fast or lunch, is less formal than VCs, has a bit more time and wants a bit more narrative.)

Before I produce a PowerPoint slide deck (usually 8-10 slides), I jot down notes in a plain-text editor like the one I’m using now…

The framework I use for these notes goes something like this:

1. Executive Summary. I like to use this to frame the story, from my gut. The last bullet on the slide should be the “ask”. Sometimes, all it takes for a great first meeting is a good ES slide.
2. Problem/Opportunity. As succinctly - and powerfully - as you can, define the big problem/opportunity you are going to address (two sides of the same coin).
3. Solution. Now describe your solution. How are you are going to capitalize on the big opportunity? What makes your solution the one. #3 should hit #2 squarely on the head.