They fail to capture the audience's attention with bullet points listing the stock's investment merits. If the company has announced a hot new product under development, here is the place to describe it and to tell why it will take away market share from the competition. Or if the company has entered into a new strategic partnership which will propel revenue growth, put this in a bullet point up front. A surprising number of companies do not appreciate the power of handouts. If the presentation is in a handout, the money manager needn't take as many notes.
Many companies are fearful that the audience pays less attention if it can rely on a handout.
My opinion is that the handout will pay for itself when the investor gets back to the office and is trying to sort out what he or she learned that day. Sometimes the handout can't include all the presentation for competitive reasons, but the information it can supply will help sell the company's investment potential. Industry conferences present a unique opportunity to introduce the company to investors who may be otherwise unreachable. Nowadays, when a company's stock price can help finance acquisitions as well as to attract and retain key employees, the opportunity to reach new investors to support the stock price isn't to be underrated. This series of articles is sponsored by PR Newswire in an effort to help foster a greater understanding of issues facing the investor relations community.