At some point, you may have to give a presentation on your company before analysts or another professional audience. When that day comes, you want to make sure you hit all the right notes.
Longtime technology industry analyst Rob Enderle recently outlined what he likes to see in industry analyst presentations for Datamation. Substance and data should take precedence over sweeping, unsubstantiated claims, and if you can make your presentation entertaining, so much the better.
When planning a formal presentation, Enderle recommends starting with the desired result, working backwards to create the pitch, and then testing it with a few analysts to see if it hits the mark.
The best presentations drop most of their PowerPoint slides in favor of customer testimonials, physical demonstrations of products and services, and even integrated tours of labs and manufacturing locations, he notes. Third-party validation and compelling demonstrations are the goal, not promises and sweeping statements that don’t include competitive perspective or objective data.
Companies often use themselves as their benchmark, but Enderle urges them to go further. For example, while it would be great to know that quality has improved 50 percent, it would be even better to understand how the benchmark was reached and how the result compared to major competitors.
If you can back up your vision with a compelling demonstration and objective data, you can raise your profile among important influencers in your industry.
Adapted from How to Present to Industry Analysts by Rob Enderle at Datamation.