time with your business plan and loan package. Open the discussion by talking about your personal business and/or employment history. Highlight your community involvement while trying to discover common interests and acquaintances. Maybe you both have children in Little League, maybe you both belong to the Rotary Club or the Symphony Association or the Volunteer Fire Department. Who you are in the community and what you have accomplished in other jobs or businesses is an important part of the loan application process.     While its important to be businesslike, its also important to take your time. After all, you want to avoid giving the banker the impression that youre in a hurry or are desperate-he is not going to approve your plan immediately under any circumstances. Expect lots of checking and probably a series of meetings. But never forget that to get a loan, you have to ask for it. As part of each meeting with the bank, ask politely but specifically about the status of your loan.     Here are a few things to emphasize when talking to bankers: Your other bank business. If you dont already patronize the bank in question, make sure the lending officer knows you plan to do so if you get the loan.     Security. Remember that the banker wants to lend money, not invest it. Tell the banker how sure he is to get his money back with interest. If you can offer collateral for the loan, emphasize it. (See the discussion of bank loans in Chapter 4, Sections C6 and D2.)     Be realistic. Your banker wants to beassured about your knowledge and enthusiasm about your business. But he also needs to know that you have your feet on the ground. If you puff too hard, the banker is almost sure to be turned off.     Be persistent. There are lots of banks. People who work with small businesses in your area can probably suggest the banks that are most likely to lend to your type of business. If you are turned down by one bank, make sure you understand why you were rejected. If its realistic, change the items in your proposal that caused this rejection. Pay extra attention to aspects of your plan that continue to receive negative comments.     5. Equity Investors(Venture Capitalists)     I use the term "venture capitalist" a bit loosely to include people who invest relatively small amounts of equity financing. These may be relatives, acquaintances or anyone else with money to invest in what looks to be a profitable business.     As you should know from reading the discussion in Chapter 4, Sections C7 and D5, the primary distinction between a venture capitalist and a lender involves risk, security and amount of return. The venture capitalist is traditionally willing to take more risk in exchange for a chance to make a large profit. Here are some suggestions:     Prepare a summary of what you are offering. In addition to the business plan you have already designed, you need to tell the equity investor both what you are offering (partnership, limited partnership, shares in a corporation, etc.) and what the projected return is.     Do not promise a certain return. Especially if your potential investor is unsophisticated, emphasize in writing that there is always some risk associated with a high potential return. Make certain the investor knows your projections are just that-projections. In short, never guarantee a return that you may not be able to deliver. The person putting up the money should even understand there is a possibility she may lose the entire investment if things go very badly.