When I'm asked to single out the one element that needs to be improved the most to promote Italian startups in an international context, I have no doubts.
It's not the lack of innovative projects, nor the right teams nor the lack of funds invested in startups in Italy. It is the lack of engaging presentation skills!
If there's something that we Italians have to deliberately work on is the ability to sell our projects at their best.
The vast majority of startups that I see presenting, after having studied their business plan, tend to highly under-sell what they have.
What is even more concerning is the general lack of awareness that this is the area where the CEOs have to work the most, way more than the financials or their marketing strategy!
Thus, we are planning to provide as much mentoring as possible on this topic for both our GYM startups and finalists of the business plan competition.
A few days ago we provided the first Communication Skills module. The GYM startups had the chance to interact with a real guru on the subject: Elisabetta Ghisini, ex McKinsey, then Stanford Business School communication instructor and founder of Verba-International.
She provided a 3hr workshop, followed by 1:1 sessions with every startup.
The videos of the workshop follow, and here's the presentation (PDF) (thanks Elisabetta!).
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COMMUNICATING THE US WAY - PRESENTING TO US VCs
Part 1 [17:39] - Audience Analysis, Goals
Part 2 [34:33] - Realistic Objectives, Presentation Structure (Business Card Model)
Part 3 [17:38] - Presentation Skills, Style, Body Language
Part 4 [12:16] - Energetic Delivery
Part 5 [ 7:38] - Importance of Q&A, Language
Part 7 [14:56] - Meeting Management, Elements of successful meetings, Networking
Part 8 [12:46] - Cross Cultural communication
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4 comments:
I had the opportunity to have the 1:1 session with Elisabetta and I was really impressed by the Elisabetta ability to give feedbacks that have not only improved my presentation slides, styles and speech, but have helped me a lot to feel confortable with a challenging task such as presenting an entire business plan in only 7 minutes to US VCs. Great job indeed!
Hi, great lessons. Just a note: miss the part 6.
I'm not able to find it. Have you published it?
Thanks a lot
oh, Part6 is the session with feedback on Augusto and Giorgia impromptu presentations.
We'll keep those just for them ;-)
Thanks again for the recording of the lesson. I hope you will continue this way.
I am an entrapreneur (really soon) of Turin (Italy) and I learned a lot of thing by this presentation, and I am not a total newbe, I've done some courses at university and with other associations, but this give good extra information.
Soon I'll submit you my business plan, with this lesson in my cultural baggage ;)
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