Well-crafted investor pitch can help you to sky-rocket your business. Entrepreneurs spend sufficient amount of their time preparing for the five minutes of spotlight, driven by the ambition to take the chance and to win the attention of the investors. It is important to remember that investors hear dozens of pitches on daily basis and are sick of clichés and boring presentations. If you want to stand out from the crowd, be more prepared and avoid these five phrases, which will definitely doom your next investor pitch.

We don’t know how much money we need. If you don’t even know how much money you need, it is clear that you have no idea why you need this money, that you lack strategy and that you will fail to successfully use it. Your chances of securing investment after you say these words are doomed!

We don’t have the exact numbers. It is such a waste of time for investors to speak with founders who don’t know their business metrics. Before meeting with the investors make sure that you have all the important numbers up to date – revenue, costs, valuation, and margin, – everything that matters.

Our idea is unique. Really? And most importantly – even if your idea is unique, it does not mean that can become successful profitable business, worth the money, the time and the attention of the investors.

We are still looking for technical cofounder. This can be the worst thing you can tell an investor, especially if you are a tech-oriented startup. Investors trust strong teams with members that have different expertise and complement each others’ skills. If you are still looking for the right fit for such a key position, your business will struggle to get off the ground.

We are so passionate about our business! Being passionate about the business is great, but it does not mean that it is enough. Entrepreneurs should be passionate about the work they do but they should be also realistic and flexible, ready to change direction when it is the right thing to do.