Founders have an important job – they have to articulate a vision of the business to potential customers and investors that is inspiring, convincing and memorable. A strong vision should be presented in a way that is clear, concise and compelling. It should also be backed up by well thought-out, strategic ideas that demonstrate the potential of your business.
For founders, there’s no one-size-fits all approach to delivering their inspiring vision. Each founder is unique and brings his or her own style and skills to the table. However, there are some key steps that all founders should take in order to ensure their vision is communicated effectively. Here are some top tips on how to present your vision like a great founder.
Write up a Compelling Vision Summary
The most important foundation for communicating your vision is having a clear and concise written summary. You’ll need to explain what problem your business will solve and how it will solve it. While it can be tempting to put very complex ideas into your vision statement, keep it simple. Share the hero’s journey and the ultimate transformation you will be delivering to your customers.
Make sure that your vision statement is highly organized and easy to understand. It should be no more than a few paragraphs long, so lay out your argument in a logical manner and use keyword phrases to help readers comprehend what you are saying more quickly.
Create a Presentation That Inspires
Once you have your vision statement written, it’s time to present it. The success of your presentation will depend heavily on the content, visuals, and stories that you use to communicate the vision.
Start by clarifying why this business is important in the world and why it should be the driving focus of all stakeholders. Then, use powerful stories, persuasive visuals and meaningful statistics to demonstrate the potential of your business.
Finally, use great transitions between major points in order to drive home the idea and make sure it resonates with the audience. Investing the time and effort to create a great presentation can make a huge difference to how people perceive your business and its larger vision.
Tailor Your Pitch to Different Audiences
The ability to present a compelling vision to any audience is a must-have skill for all founders. That’s why it’s important to tailor your pitch for different audiences.
For example, you may want to focus more on the product for tech investors, while for non-technical customers you may want to focus more on the customer’s daily life before and after using the product.
Make sure to use language and stories that are appropriate to the specific audience, and ensure that the goal of introducing your vision is accomplished.
Focus on the Outcome, Not What You Need
Most investors, customers and even employees don’t want to hear what you need. Instead, they want to focus on the outcome.
Focus on the world they are walking into when they join your business or invest in you, rather than what you need. Keep the conversation focused on delivering value, opportunity, and growth to others.
Build Momentum and Promote Your Vision
Once you’ve delivered your compelling speech, you need to keep the momentum going. Share your vision with relevant audiences whenever possible.
You can do this through content marketing, networking events, demo days, press releases, AV materials and presentations.
Additionally, Set aside time each day to email or call people you think might be interested in the business, and make sure you answer any questions or queries in detail.
Grow Your Network and Your Reputation
Having a great competitive advantage, networking with relevant stakeholders and creating a compelling story are all essential if you want to present your vision to everyone around you.
Set yourself goals to attend more events and make more connections. When you meet someone, make sure you tell them about your business and get their contact details.
You should also create a platform for yourself to promote and support your business via personal branding and social media channels.
Get Feedback and Make Adjustments as Necessary
Communicating an inspiring vision for your business is complex, and usually requires some form of adjustment or refinement after the initial presentation.
Always ask for feedback from customers and investors and use it to improve and refine your vision presentation. This will ensure that your vision presentation is always getting better, and that stakeholders have a good understanding of the game plan.
The ability of a founder to effectively communicate his or her vision is essential if they are to convince potential supporters to invest in their business.
However, communicating a clear, concise and compelling vision is not a one-time job. It requires ongoing effort and refinement.
By following the tips outlined here, such as writing a compelling vision statement, preparing a captivating presentation, networking strategically and frequently seeking feedback, you will be well on your way to presenting a great vision that will inspire and motivate investors, customers and employees alike.
