What do angel investors want to see in a pitch? It's hard to say. The only thing I know for certain, is that there are no two angels who are alike. Most angels and angel groups require slightly different pitch formats, but there are a few tips that will help entrepreneurs pitch to any angel investor. The following are eight of the most important tips for delivering a killer pitch (and FYI, here's a link to the angel investor pitch format we suggest):

1. Keep it simple. The purpose of the pitch is to entice the investor to have a second conversation, not to tell them every detail about your business.
2. Keep it short. 15 slides or less is ideal. If there is information you want to cover, but can’t fit in, develop some back pocket slides to pull up during the question and answer session.
3. Tell a good story. Try to make it as interesting as possible and weave your personality into it.
4. Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse to the point that you can do the presentation without notes or read the slides. Time yourself a few times to make sure you don’t go over the time allotted.
5. Proofread. Believe it or not, some investors consider typos to be deal breakers. Typos give a negative impression about an entrepreneur’s attention to detail and distract the audience during the pitch. Use spell check and make sure to have someone else review it.
6. Avoid technical detail and terms. Assume your audience knows absolutely nothing about your business and industry. Practice your pitch on someone like your grandma or 13 year old neighbor to see if they get it.
7. Be respectful of time limits. When an entrepreneur goes over their time limit, it gives one or all of three impressions:
   1. The entrepreneur thinks their time is more valuable than their audience’s
   2. The entrepreneur is unable to follow directions
   3. The entrepreneur did not prepare enough to be able to nail the presentation in the time allotted
8. Address the things angel investors want to see. All angel investors are different, but most angel investors are looking for these investment criteria, so your investor pitch should explain why you do and don’t meet that criteria. Additionally, here is a slide by slide angel investor pitch guide to what I (and most of the angel investors I know) want to see in a pitch.

Elizabeth Kraus is a Boulder, Colorado entrepreneur and angel investor, and co-founder of the Impact Angel Group, an angel investment group equally dedicated to making a difference and realizing a return. Prior to founding the Impact Angel Group, Kraus ran her own startups, myUsearch.com and Take it OUT! Fitness, and now spends most of her time convincing smart people that investing for social and environmental impact isn't just "feel good" investing, but is "real" investing.  She is a startup mentor and advisor, and has been very active in the Colorado effort to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem and mobilize angel investors.