So you've got a grand plan for a financial company. You've put a lot of thought into it, researched the market, come up with some numbers, and you know what you need to get started. So how do you sell the banks on your idea?
More and more people are turning to entrepreneurship. The bank is the one cute girl in the Navy school, getting swarmed by dozens of dudes, so how do you convince her of what you already know -- that you're more worthwhile than any of these other half-baked schmucks? I'm not saying you should bring flowers or serenade the teller window. Let's just drop the romantic analogy. You need a pitch book.
A pitch book is a bit of an archaic name for something which has evolved with the digital age, but "pitch slideshow" just doesn't have the same ring to it. And it's all about the ring. Your pitch book is basically an advertisement -- or closer to an infomercial -- for your future company. It should contain, in simple, straightforward language, the general idea for your service, what need it fills, how it differs from potential competitors, and how you'll go about with implementation.
This should be pretty specific, and in many cases statistical. For instance, a chart containing the price and service breakdowns of you versus your competitors, or a pew study that demonstrates the presence of your niche, or the specific investment you're asking for and what exactly you plan to do with all their precious money.
This is all essential to your pitch, but it still sounds pretty boring. What we've mentioned so far doesn't exactly make you jump out from the crowd, though it does give your investors an idea of what it is you're up to (and your idea is good in itself, right?), and it also gives them something to keep. The fools behind you talked themselves up pretty well, but without visuals or something to hold on to, that information has all but evaporated from the investors immediate consciousness. Sure, they've got some notes jotted next to an impressive doodle, but when you've left the office, they get to keep the pitch book. Maybe it sits open in their browser for the evening. Maybe they just need something to read on the pot. But either way, persistence of information is an important thing. So that's a good start.
Going back to the dating analogy, you've gotta make yourself look gooood. Make it clean, organized, tastefully flashy but not over the top, make it match. This might be an area where you want some outside help. You're financial planners, after all, not artists. If you don't already have a graphic designer in your black book, there are plenty of services that actually specialize in pitch book design. You ever see local used car dealership commercials where the owner is yelling at you in a junky suit? Yeah, let's not do that. Remember: It's all in the pitch.
