A business associate of mine, Ken Jaray, is an Angel investor and earned his personal fortune as a very successful trial lawyer. When I asked him what was the most significant factor that contributed to his phenomenal success in the courtroom, he replied that it was his ability to connect to the jury on a personal and emotional level. As an Angel investor and legal counsel for several start-ups, he now applies these same skills to small business. Today I’m thrilled to present a guest post he wrote specifically for my audience.
By Ken Jaray
As a former trial lawyer, I spent 35 years trying to figure out why some jury’s give people money for their injuries and others get nothing. Some people who are very deserving often walk away from the courthouse disappointed and frustrated by the legal system. I have come to realize that although many cases are presented well, they are often loaded with facts, content, and logic.
A more persuasive approach is to frame the presentation in a context that emotionally resonates with the person you are trying to influence. In the case of a negligence jury trial, the context is the fact that without a system that compensates someone injured through the negligence of another, we would have a much more dangerous driving experience. In fact, all of us and our families would be put at greater risk of suffering a debilitating life-long injury when someone speeding along while texting smashes into our car.
These same principles can easily be applied when pitching your company to investors, potential employees, and others. First, make it emotionally relevant to the person you are presenting to. Second, use visual images to help put the pitch in context rather than lots of words or figures. Third, follow the keep it simple principle. Often too much information is presented for the listener to grasp the important points.
Ken Jaray (Ken@kenjaray.com) is a local angel investor and the founder of Invest Local, a Pikes Peak Region based organization dedicated to helping people invest in their local economy by connecting with companies they are passionate about helping succeed. Ken is also the Mayor of Manitou Springs Colorado.
