Convincing someone to lend you millions of dollars to fund your weeks-old business idea is no easy task. When you take into account the fact that an average venture capital investor will potentially see thousands of pitches in a year, it becomes exponentially harder to prove your business as a worthy investment.

If you think you’ve reached the point where you can no longer bootstrap, and you need to raise capital, make sure you do your research. You should understand the implications of taking VC, know who you want to pitch to, and how to present the value of your company.

Pitching a VC investor is not an exact science, but TechRepublic Premium presents some ways you can help your pitch stand out. The download includes expert advice from Sarah Lamont, investor at F-Prime Capital and advocate at FinTech Sandbox, and Jim Wolfe, Associate Professor, Management at Costello College of Business at George Mason University.

Featured text from the guide:

Be authentic

The biggest turn-off for a VC investor is an entrepreneur who is trying to be something they are not. Being yourself makes the pitching process easier because you are simply communicating what you believe. It takes the “salesperson” pressure off and helps you relax. Now, if you don’t truly believe in what you’re pitching, cut your losses and walk away because this isn’t going to end well for anyone involved.

Investors want to know who you are and what you’ve done before you ask for money.

Think about it as a dating relationship. If you misrepresent yourself in the beginning, you’ll see problems down the road as your relationship deepens. Being persuasive is a major part of being an entrepreneur, but you want to be careful to persuade investors to invest in you and your idea. Don’t just tell them what you think they want to hear.

Get the right tips for a perfect pitch with our seven-page PDF. This is available for download at just $9. Alternatively, enjoy complimentary access with a Premium annual subscription.

TIME SAVED: Crafting this content required 14 hours of dedicated writing, editing, and research.