Jo Opot, Former Head of Leadership & Strategic Partnerships, East Africa, Acumen 

Before the meeting

One of the things I like to do with any deck I send is actually send it a day before the meeting and say, "We will be reviewing this tomorrow." And in that note highlight, "here are two or three things that I think would be very pertinent for you."

Come to the meeting, and at times people feel the need to go through every slide. You don't have to. Go to the most pertinent things, and make sure you're developing a relationship where they keep on asking, "Tell me more. I am curious about this."

If the whole meeting ends up and it's been you speaking for 50 minutes, that's a fail.

After the meeting

When you've finished that conversation, when you've given your pitch, make sure you've set a time for a follow-up conversation. If you've been doing the "tell me more," you should have a follow-up conversation.

Also, make sure you have a date tied to that and something that you can offer them that is really helpful as opposed to it solely being about, "We'll be reviewing my numbers in detail."

Follow-up tips

Kevin Munday, CEO, City Year UK

In my experience, it's sometimes easy to get a first meeting, but harder to get the follow-up. I've learned three things that can help.

• Firstly, try to follow up straight away with some of the things that they're most interested in whilst the iron is hot. 

• Secondly, invite them out to see your work. Often, they'll be really tempted to be able to get close to the front line and see the difference that you're making.

• Thirdly, use any relationships you've got. Often, one of our trustees or one of our other supporters knows someone. If someone could give a reference for you, it helps reinforce all of the things that you've already said.

Key takeaways 

• During the initial meeting, focus on the most pertinent information in your pitch and encourage dialogue

• Set up follow-up conversations right away while you’re still fresh in their minds

• Invite investors to experience your work 

• Leverage your network for referrals to reinforce your message and credibility