You’ve only got one chance to make the right impression. Present the right story, and your potential licensing partner will be interested. Show them the wrong one, and they’ll walk away.
Your presentation aims to get a “yes, we’re interested” answer. Your presentation must be concise and tell the right story. To help you make the best impression, here’s a list of 5 keys to a successful licensing presentation:
- Use the Right Information: Even if your IP is very technical, don’t make your presentation “tech-heavy.” Remember, you will likely be marketing, sales, and business development, folks. Keep it simple and focused on how and why your IP is valuable to their business.
- Show them the Money: The bigger the problem your IP solves, the more money it can make. That is what a potential partner is licensing. Will it increase revenues, lower costs, reduce liability, or make their current products more valuable? I like to use graphs to show the numbers. It’s easier to grasp and show than a bunch of numbers on a spreadsheet. One last critical point. Don’t overhype your IP value proposition. Nothing puts off a potential licensing partner faster than a lot of hot air hype.
- Focus on what matters: Don’t veer off to the road of irrelevancy and into blind alleys of pointlessness. Here is an example of what is relevant and what isn’t. ” XYZ Magazine featured our IP in its 100 Coolest Things of the Year special.” That is worth focusing on because it shows public interest in your IP. Now here’s what’s not relevant. “It took six months to develop the prototype.” Also, make sure your IP fits with the licensee’s business. If they produce mass-market products and your IP is a niche product, it will not fit their business model. By staying laser-focused on what matters, you make it easier for your partner to determine if it’s worth licensing your IP.
- Make it Logical: Deliver the presentation in a logical sequence, with each slide or point building upon earlier ones. I’ve met with inventors who immediately start telling me how much their invention will make before telling me how their IP works. Don’t start talking about the market or profitability before explaining your IP. It won’t make sense if the licensee doesn’t know how or what your IP does. You’ll also explain it to them once they understand your IP.
- Keep it short: You’re not telling your life story. Don’t waste time telling the history of how you developed your IP. Your licensing partner is only interested in why your IP is valuable to them. If you’re using Powerpoint, keep it to 8 – 10 slides. Any more, and you’ll lose people’s attention. Use pictures to show and tell your IP story. Remember, potential licensing partners are running a business. Their time is valuable, and they’ll quickly lose interest unless you get right to the point.
Always remember most presentations will not be in person. That’s why your presentation must stand on its own and prove your IP’s value to its business. Do your homework, and make sure your IP fits the licensee’s business. Most importantly, keep it short and to the point and ensure you detail how and why they’ll make money with your IP.
Rand Brenner Author
Rand Brenner is an IP professional whose passion is helping inventors, startups, and businesses of all sizes use licensing to turn their IP into income-producing products, services, and technologies. His decades of experience run the gamut from medical devices to food technology to consumer products. He’s licensed some of the biggest Hollywood entertainment blockbusters including the Batman Movies (1 and 2), and the number one kid\'s action TV show, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Rand speaks about licensing and is a featured speaker at investment conferences, trade shows, colleges, and startup events. He’s a published writer with articles appearing in several prestigious trade magazines including The Licensing Journal, Intellectual Property Magazine, and License India.