Your pitch book: “Necessary evil” or profit center?

In talking to investment managers, we get the feeling that many consider their pitch book to be a necessary evil—something that they need to have, but don’t really value.  They regard it as “just another cost of doing business.”

But, we also know many investment managers who see it as a business builder rather than a cost.  And we agree.

We’ve seen how creating a new pitch book gives our clients an opportunity to re-focus their marketing mojo and make sure their marketing program stacks up well against the competition.

An Opportunity to Hone Your Story…
Creating an effective pitch book is not just about presenting your story better—it’s an opportunity to present a better story.  The process forces you to simplify things, clarify how you make money for investors, and make sure you’re differentiating yourself in the marketplace (all easier said than done).  It’s also an opportunity to get everyone in your firm telling the same story.  Few things raise an investor’s concern more than hearing conflicting perspectives from different people in the same firm.

Burnish Your Image…
Working on your pitch book also gives you a chance to re-examine and reshape your image.  We encourage our clients to picture their firm the way they envision it five years from now.  And then we help them create marketing materials that give them a jump-start on achieving that future image today.

And just as important, your pitch book can more than pay for itself…

And, Add to Your Bottom Line
It’s farfetched to propose that a good pitch book by itself will bring you more investors and bigger investments.  But astute managers understand that when they’re pitching a prospect, the prospect is usually looking for reasons NOT to invest in their offering.

So, a truly good pitch book—one that not only presents a convincing case, but also avoids giving investors any grounds for rejection—can probably help you land some prospects you might otherwise lose.  And, if you sign up just one or two of these investors, your pitch book will not only pay for itself, but also bring profits to the bottom line that you would not have otherwise achieved.

So stop looking for reasons NOT to create a compelling, differentiating pitch book!