A Good Close Makes the Man: Publicly Traded Companies Included
Posted by
Beth Kurth on Thu, Jan 19, 2012 @ 09:45 AM
I saw an interesting presentation by Frank Abagnale last week. He’s the real life con man portrayed as a likeable scamp in the movie “Catch Me if You Can.” He is still a likeable guy, now closer to 60 years old than the 17 at which he started scamming. And he is still spot on when it comes to telling a compelling story. I am smiling as I recall his story of dressing up as a security guard, taping an ‘out of order’ sign to the after hours bank drop, and collecting bags of money from late-night workers.
His con man career combined this remarkable ability to tell a tale with an equally remarkable skill, and determination, to pose as someone else. Be it a Pan Am pilot, Stanford-trained doctor or uniformed security guard. The speech that Abagnale gave was very, very entertaining. Duly noted he started his career as a scammer only to support himself when the shock of his parents’ divorce incited him to run away. Duly noted he never put anyone in danger – never flew a plane, never even rode on a Pan Am plane (instead choosing airlines where no one could ask Pan Am details that would betray his cover). Duly noted also he paid for his crimes with prison time in not one, but two countries.
And yet I left the presentation thinking of Abagnale less as a likeable scamp, and more as a well-intentioned moralizer. Why? Because he closed his presentation with parenting advice. “Make sure you hug your children every night.” “Fathers make sure your children know how much you love them.” All good advice to be sure. But discordant from the presentation itself.
Which made me think how crucial it is to have a good close. Especially with an opportunity to hold investor meetings face-to-face where all the attention is yours. Think carefully about the take-away. Is the investor presentation designed to highlight a turnaround, introduce a new product or spotlight a buying opportunity? Having a well-prepared close, not just at the end of the formal presentation, but also to conclude the Q&A session, can make all the difference. Make sure the audience ends up with your close.