Communicating Effectively: The Story of Jack & Jill

                              "Jack & Jill went up the hill

                               To fetch a pail of water

                              Jack fell down and broke his crown

                              And Jill came tumbling after"

                                                  -Old English Nursery Rhyme

One of the most common problems I face in my everyday VC life is figuring out what someone is trying to tell me.  This is true in web sites I visit, presentations made to me on company strategy, pitches for money, phone calls, among other media-including youtube.  It is frustrating to devote the time trying to get ready for a meeting or webinar when the background materials are unclear or misleading.

Most people who have worked with me have had me recite the "Jack & Jill" rhyme to them, normally after I have read a poorly designed business model, pitch or strategy presentation.  The reason is because I have not understood the "simple story" the presentation was trying to communicate.  Too often, mountains of statisticscs on market sizing, competitor share, future growth, etc. obscure the fundamental story that needs to be presented, such as what is the business model or what strategy are you proposing.

Here are three simple rules to make sure that your presentations are effective at communicating ideas that sell the reader:

1. Write the simple story first-spend a lot of time trying to get the key ideas and their flow down on a single piece of paper before you draft the 50 pages of Power Point. You can and should spend many hours getting this story correct. For ideas on what the simple story should contain and how to organize it, see my earlier post on Elevator Pitches.
2. Flesh it out with your team-whether your team is a great group of advisor's, your fellow founders or just some friends, spend the time reviewing your simple story with them.  Ask what they think about the believability of the story line, whether the idea will play well with potential customers, is fund able, etc.  Be sure and go through as many simple story iterations with your supporters as they can stand.
3. Try it out with a friendly buyer-ask a current (or potential)customer, VC or even a competitor's customer to review the simple story. Often, this can be the most valuable feedback mechanism on how well your story is communicating.  It is certainly easier for someone to review a few pages outlining the simple story first, then later seeing the simple story in the context of customer needs, competitor solutions and market sizing analyses.

So, next time you think about taking pen to paper, or more likely fingers to keyboard, remember to draft the simple story first.  Your probability of success will rise dramatically if you follow the above rules and make sure you communicate the essence of your proposition clearly and concisely.

Comments

[Idetrorce]

very interesting, but I don't agree with you
Idetrorce

Well, Idetrorce, tell us why you don't agree. We are always interested in learning new things