Another question to be prepared for is the inevitable, “What’s in it for me?” Your investor isn’t in the investing game to give money away freely. You are one of three or four potential investments. This month.

Join Allon in episode 34 of The Successful Pitch to gain some insight into balancing why the return-on-investment opportunities far outweigh the potential risks – and how to prove you can be believed. Listen Now >

In episode 7 of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years, Allon Raiz discusses how too many entrepreneurs hand over the responsibility of their finances to an external accountant and, in effect, abdicate their responsibility when it comes to their business numbers. It is a trap that he, too, fell into when starting his entrepreneurial journey – right up until he ran out of money! The bank wouldn’t extend his overdraft, and his investors wouldn’t provide more funding. Only when he learned to embrace his finances was he able to turn things around. Listen Now > · www.raizcorp.com

Join Allon Raiz in episode 33 of The Successful Pitch. Over the next 20 episodes, Allon will take you through some common questions investors ask and what they are looking for in your answers.

This week’s question is “who else is doing something similar to you in the world?” Tune in to find out why it’s important to answer this on a global scale and which direction an investor wants you to take when you answer. Listen Now >

Pitching is a serious business, and you definitely want to put your best foot forward. But it’s important to remember to be a human – smile, make an appropriate joke, show how approachable you are. If you are enjoying yourself, your investor will too. It’s not all fun and games though. Listen to Allon in episode 32 of The Successful Pitch to learn how to balance the serious side of pitching with a warm, engaging nature. Listen Now >

The highest pressure-point of a pitch is the last sentence. Should you end on a comment, a statement or an ask? If your investor is left thinking there is more to the pitch, you know you’ve ended on a weak, fluffy note. Listen to Allon in episode 31 of The Successful Pitch to find out how to go out with a strong ending. Listen Now >

Investors come in all shapes and sizes but one thing they all have in common is that they are impatient. Start your pitch off with a bang to avoid losing their interest. Help them frame the rest of your pitch around a schema or model. Listen to Allon explain all the benefits of presenting the important stuff upfront in episode 30 of The Successful Pitch. Listen Now >

In the startup years, the adage “the customer is king” remains fresh and deliberate in your mind. They are, of course, the king (or queen) and you are here to serve.

This is the ideal narrative but every business at some point in the journey attracts a client who is abusive. It’s an important experience and a rite of passage, and how you manage this first abusive relationship will determine your business journey going forward.

As an entrepreneur, you have two main directives. The first is to provide value to your clients, and the second is to receive value from your clients.

Understanding the power differential and perhaps even sensing your desperation, some clients will take advantage of and squeeze the relationship to such an extent that it creates massive value for them and little or no value for you. The bottom line is that it’s hard to say no to a client, especially if they are your biggest.

This rite of passage is the time for entrepreneurs to develop a sense of boundaries. When you understand the dual directive and deeply believe that you deserve to be paid for the value you provide, the idea of losing a client who doesn’t respect – or pay – you becomes easier to accept.

Join Allon Raiz for episode 6 of 20 Lessons Over 20 Years to hear how to respectfully, but assertively, deal with abusive clients Listen Now > · www.raizcorp.com

Pitches should be taken seriously and preparing for a pitch is vital. Because most investors ask a handful of similar questions, it’s easy to anticipate what might be asked and overprepare your answers. The mistake made here is jumping in to answer before the investor has finished asking and sounding overly rehearsed. Join Allon Raiz in episode 29 of The Successful Pitch where he explains why a look of surprise might be in your favour. Listen Now >

The worst words you could ever use in a pitch are words that make you sound uncertain – especially during the Q&A section. They immediately convey to your investor that you are unsure and lack confidence in the knowledge surrounding your business, and the future of it. So, what do you do when you really don’t know the answer? Join Allon in episode 28 of The Successful Pitch to find out how to field these difficult questions. Listen Now >

Good investors are trained to listen and listen well. Any contradictions between your pitch deck and your voiceover have the potential to blow you out of the water. Contradictions invite hard-to-answer questions, come across as mistakes and make the investor question the validity of your entire pitch. Listen to Allon Raiz in episode 27 of The Successful Pitch where he provides two ways to mitigate these contradictions. Listen Now >