How do you know when it’s time to sell your business? Try asking yourself these questions:

1. Do my circumstances allow for the level of financial investment this company needs to keep it going?

2. Is my business model really viable? If not, is it going to be in the future and will I like it?

3. Do I have an amazing team of high performers? Am I willing and can I afford to recruit one?

4. What do I have more of: passion or exhaustion?

5. Will a sale solve my problems, and will someone buy us?

6. What happens if I don’t sell? What are my other options?

Have an honest conversation with yourself and your team. At the end of the day, selling your business is one of the most exciting parts of being a business owner – and it always opens the door for new opportunities.

INVESTOR NETWORKING & MENTORSHIP

Matching the right buyer with the right business is a painstaking process. In conjunction with CJK Associates, we support businesses looking to invest in or potentially acquire in the Edtech sector and can work with you throughout the whole process, from introduction through due diligence, to closure and transformation.

For businesses looking for VCs, investors or other methods of funding, we will get you pitch-ready and connect you to potential investors in the Edtech industry. We act as mentors throughout the process and will advise on how to plan growth strategy and allocate resources.

Get in touch to find out more.

Glossophobia. A cute name for a frankly crippling problem – the fear of public speaking.

There’s a theory that it’s rooted in evolution. At one point, if you found you had 20 pairs of eyes staring at you, chances are you were either going to be eaten or beaten . . . so feeling scared was definitely the correct response!

Depending on which source you believe it affects anything from 25% to 75% of us (me included!).

So how do you deal with this anxiety?

I asked my network on Linkedin what they do when they’re scared of public speaking. Their messages and advice was brilliant and included:

• Chewing gum before you stand up/go on stage to help regulate breathing
• Visualising success – run through the scenario in your head where the presentation goes well and the audience loves you
• Focus on the content of the presentation and not the audience (although I’m not sure about this one, surely the audience are the important people here?)
• Use the adrenaline and nerves to make you better (!)
• Create your own confidence by REALLY knowing your stuff
• Mindfulness
• . . . and of course the classic tactic of picturing the audience naked.

The main piece of advice though was practice, practice, practice.

How do you handle public speaking?

The ability to communicate well is an important skill for any Product or Business Development Manager. This means, among other things, that you should be able to present about your solution fluently and to different stakeholders, who will require a different level of information.

A persuasive presentation not only requires thorough preparation of content, but also good style. It takes considerable skill to come across coherently for any particular audience and to stay in control of the situation. For this purpose, the following 7 tips may offer some guidance to help you on the way to delivering a memorable presentation.

1. Show your Passion and Connect with your Audience

But time and again, the great presenters say that the most important thing is to connect with your audience, and the best way to do this is to let passion for your solution shine through.

Be enthusiastic and honest, and the audience will respond.

2. Focus on your Stakeholders Needs

As you prepare the presentation, you always need to bear in mind what your stakeholders need and what they want to know, not what you can tell them.

Don’t show your homework, just because it makes you feel good.

3. Keep it Simple: Concentrate on your Core Message

You should be able to communicate that key message very succinctly.

Always have in mind what are the core three points I want to get across?

4. Start Strongly you have 3 minutes to impress

The first three minutes, as when you first meet someone, is so important to a presentation. So smile, make eye contact and make sure the first 3 minutes of the presentation holds the stakeholders attention. Make them laugh!!

Think of a story that is relevant at the start of the presentation which will hold the audience.

5. Don’t use the presentation as a script

Don’t bore the audience by ‘Death by Powerpoint’. By all means use the presentation as a reminder, but do this in as fewer words as possible and use images if you can.

Remember you want your stakeholders to listen to you, not be deciphering what the slides are saying.

6. Tell stories

The best presenters are raconteurs , who can tell a story about the subject and keep an audiences attention. We all relate to stories, we also remember things better through stories.

Make your story funny and about you.

7. Relax and enjoy

Many people find it hard to relax and enjoy a presentation, but your body language and the speed you speak will have a major effect on the stakeholders perception if you know your subject and also if you can get a message across. Breath, and slow your delivery of the presentation down.

Remember you know more about your solution than your stakeholders