If you’ve tried to get a loan from the bank for your business lately, you know it’s no slam-dunk. The promos for SBA loans and loans for minority or women owned businesses sounds great, but when you get nose-to-nose with a banker it’s another story.

Some of the reasons that make it seem so difficult are that many lending officers feel that they’re lending you their money instead of the bank’s. They take almost personal responsibility for maximizing repayment.

Another is that they are particularly suspect of new ventures. Since 4 out of 5 or 80% fail within the first three years, many lenders require a three-year history of doing business.

Lastly, with all the bank merging and acquisitions that have taken place the decision-making process has been moved far off-site from the local branch. Add all of these reasons up, and you had better be prepared to razzle-dazzle the banker.

Here are some tips to make lending you more attractive to the bank. First, start with a two-part presentation. Initially submit a brief overview of your loan request. In this overview include: