1. Failing to plan…

A road show needs to be planned. Planning should start about 6 weeks before. A checklist helps to keep the overview. First, you should determine who will go on the roadshow. Then you have to identify the right contact persons.

Always expect the unexpected. Sometimes the right location is not available. Or cancellations hail in turbulent markets. Then appointments have to be postponed or arranged as conference calls.

Therefore, the schedule has to be designed with foresight. You need sufficient time buffers between meetings. For roadshows lasting several days, a “buffer day” in the middle of the tour has proven to be a good idea. And don’t panic: Experience shows that the schedule fills up only a week before. Investors receive many requests for meetings and do not want to commit themselves too early.

2. You need a story to tell

Tell a convincing “story”. Tell who you are, why you do what you do and what drives you. “Be passionate”. Investors want to see a management team that “burns” for its company, believes in its business model and can communicate this convincingly.

So, you should be able to answer the W questions. And be authentic. Why do you run the company? For example because YOU have solutions for customers that they would not get without you.

One example: Why did you start a car sharing company? Because you learned something about hotel occupancy rates in your studies. If you manage a hotel with an occupancy rate of only 5 percent, you have failed. But cars are only used 5% of the time. The rest of the time they stand around uselessly. That’s where you saw the potential in car sharing.

3. Polish your slides

Develop a clean, concise presentation of maximum 15 minutes — in simple, easy to understand English. Test it on people who are NOT from the field: If they understand it, analysts, investors and reporters will understand it. Three keywords are clarity, consistency and focus.

Internalize this presentation and tell it in different ways with twists and examples. Keep it simple when dealing with complex topics and pick up your meeting partners’ thoughts where they stand. Use metaphors.

4. Actively join the conversation

Be prepared for questions, but also ask your questions. Listen carefully. Try to understand the different investors. Find out which factors influence the valuation of your company.

Take the lead in the discussion and get the investors on board. You want the shareholders to come to you and stay on board for a long time. Therefore, you need to talk about strategy. What are the three- and five-year plans? A conversation is not a one-way street. Use the investor’s know-how and get concrete feedback on your vision. Later, when you meet the investors again, you can build on their ideas.

5. Build trust

Establish a durable relationship. If you want to realize your plans, you need investors as long-term partners. No matter if it is about capital measures or trust in good corporate management.

The decisive selection criterion, apart from the pure figures, is always management quality. Investors trust you with your money, so convince them with confidence. Don’t be frustrated if you have met an investor many times before, and he still hasn’t invested. As long as he meets you, your company is important to him. Maybe he is just waiting for the right moment to join in. And when the time comes, all the road shows will have been worthwhile and the probability is high that this relationship will last for a long time.

Bonus-Tipp: Rely on a strong partner

A strong partner like cometis can help you with every step of your road show organization: from identifying the right investors and organizing meetings, preparing your story and presentation training to obtaining feedback. Click here for more info