As the Coronavirus fades into our rear-view mirror, the shift to in person events is underway. While the cost effectiveness of Zoom meetings can’t be beat, there is nothing like a day of investor meetings which can ultimately can save you time and money.

Gifted communicators are made, not born. They make eloquence appear effortless but, the reality is—they stick to a script. During an earnings call, it’s imperative to curate the narrative and ensure specific messages are conveyed to the investment community.

A rule of thumb for great investor presentations is 10-20-30. No more than 10 slides, presented in 20 minutes in a 30-point font. If you need more than 10 slides, you are not articulating your investment thesis properly or, more importantly, efficiently. Investors do not want to be burdened with an overwhelming number of details. Tighten the message and focus on the most important aspects.

It’s impossible to anticipate all the questions that may be asked during an investor presentation, nondeal roadshow or on an earnings call despite your best efforts at preparation and due diligence. When investors ask about specific lines on the balance sheet and you can’t make a direct and factual response, it’s absolutely ok to say “Sorry, I don’t know.”

NASDAQ reports that 89% of institutional investors will visit a company’s website prior to taking a meeting. As your primary storytelling vehicle, your IR website is most effective when visitors are able to consume content in ways that are visual, intuitive, and meaningful.

In times of market volatility, doubling down on comms can help you pull ahead of the thousands of public companies clamoring for the attention of investors and the media. For small caps in particular, this is the moment to take a proactive-optimistic stance and communicate your company’s story to the investment community and the media.