Seeing the success of the Quick VC tips from Healy Jones, I am starting a new series from the prespective of an Entrepreneur:
Entrepreneur Tip #1: Get enough sleep the night before the VC pitch
From personal experience, I found that if I sleep well the night before the pitch, I do a much better job with my presentations whether it is to a VC, a partner or a customer. You will be more attentive, less nervous, more responsive, your answers will be well thought and the delivery will be smooth and to the point.
The actual numbers of hours of sleep that you really need depends on you. Research has shown that one needs about 6.5 to 7.5 hours of sleep. The other important element of a good sleep is the time at which you go to bed. Here consistency is important. You should go to sleep at the same time as you did the entire previous week. What I also found is that if I sleep before midnight, I tend to get good sleep and I need about 6.5 hours. The longer I stay up, the longer I need to sleep to get the same rest.
If you are travelling across the country to make a presentation, you need to make sure that the timezones don’t mess up your sleep. You should arrive at the hotel early enough that you get some good sleep. Last week, for instance, I was in Seattle for a big presentation and I went to bed at 9 PM PST (12 AM EST) and woke up at 4 PM PST (7 PM EST). I was well rested and ready to go. If you are overcharged and are unable to get sleep, Tylenol PM or Advil PM will do the job.
