Master the art of listening when pitching your startup to investors.
When you pitch to investors, balance between talking and listening. Conversation with investors, like any effective communication process, is listening and reflecting. Listening is critical, as the listening process reveals patterns of opposition on the part of the potential investor, including insights that are important to take on the road.
The objections are the biggest treasure an entrepreneur can get in a presentation. But if you are in an automatic mode of telling your story, which many potential investors have already heard, you will not be attentive enough to hear the "why not". So next time, when you are making a presentation to investors, maintain a balance: put in significant energy and intensify moments like the pain of the target market, the crazy vision underlying your solution, etc. And in between take a break and listen. The wisdom of listening can be the difference between success and failure.