ACTIVITY 2.

ANALYSIS OF THE PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES IN AN ELEVATOR PITCH

ANALYZING “BABY GRIPPA” PITCH

Baby Grippa (the numbers indicate the stages)

[My name is Gavin Davis. The product that I’m presenting today is the Baby Grippa.]2 [I’m looking for an
investment of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds for a twenty-five percent equity stake in the product.]3
[As many of you are aware, if you have children or you’ve ever looked after them, children have large
heads, which are disproportionate to their bodies and it gives them a high center of gravity. Most high
chairs and seating environments for children are slippery, mostly for cleaning, ‘cause they’ve got to be
smooth and when a child sits on the chair, even with a harness on, the high center of gravity would push
the child down and it becomes contorted, either on the crotch strap or the crotch post. This causes distress
to a child, not least to a parent, as you are continuously lifting your child up and repositioning it in a
restaurant. Sadly, there are instances, recorded instances, of fatalities for children, as they become
submarined under the tray, or they become tangled up in the harnesses. I developed the Baby Grippa. It’s
an extremely thin, nonslip polymer pad. It’s flexible, it’s latex-free and food-safe. It is designed to stick to
any dry surface without glue.]4 [I took the product to the London baby show at Olympia late October last
year; I sold a thousand units of it and attracted the attentions of a major distributor. The product carries
a three hundred and sixty seven percent profit margin on it.]5 [Today, I’m looking for the investment to
develop the retail packaging. I’m also looking for the funding to develop a marketing strategy in the UK
periodicals and also an internet presence.]6 [Any questions?]10 (282 Words).

Missing stages: 1 (Greeting), 7 (Target customers), 8 (Recapitulation/development) and 9 (Thanking)

PERSUASIVE APPEALS IN AN ELEVATOR PITCH: EVALUATING LOGOS

If your role is LOGOS expert, see if the pith addresses these issues:

STRATEGY EXPLANATION/EXAMPLES ü/û

1. Marketing - Unique selling point: I developed the Baby Grippa.

- Market positioning: I’m also looking for the funding to
develop a marketing strategy in the UK periodicals and also an
internet presence
- Niche market: I developed the Baby Grippa.
- Customer focused
- Potential or target market
- Identified need: Most high chairs and seating environments
for children are slippery, mostly for cleaning, ‘cause they’ve got
to be smooth and when a child sits on the chair, even with a
harness on, the high center of gravity would push the child
down and it becomes contorted, either on the crotch strap or
the crotch post.
- Portability (i.e. ability to carry a benefit from one
environment to another).
- Market identification
- Branding: The product that I’m presenting today is the Baby
Grippa
 - Pricing
- Product extension possibilities
- Product characteristics: It’s an extremely thin, nonslip
polymer pad. It’s flexible, it’s latex-free and food-safe. It is
designed to stick to any dry surface without glue.
- Product benefits: The product carries a three hundred and
sixty seven percent profit margin on it.
2. Economic - Competition
or financial - Turnover
issues - Investment made
- Match funding found
- ROI (return on investment): I’m looking for an investment
of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds for a twenty-five
percent equity stake in the product.
- Demand: I took the product to the London baby show at
Olympia late October last year; I sold a thousand units of it and
attracted the attentions of a major distributor.
- Projected income/profit:
- Future projected growth: I’m also looking for the funding to
develop a marketing strategy in the UK periodicals and also an
internet presence.
- Estimated market growth
3. Innovation - Innovation/creativity of the idea: (implied) No product
like that. In fact, asked in Q-A section.
- Originality
- Exclusivity of the idea
Other issues you can take into account when evaluating the speaker’s LOGOS are:

1. Has the speaker made a statement? Does it sound true?

(By implication) He has developed a product to solve a problem that can have dramatic
consequences (combination with pathos)
2. Do the supporting claims adequately justify the main claim? Why (not)?
Children have a high center of gravity because their heads are larger than their bodied.
Characteristics of the product: thin, nonslip polimer pad, flexible, latex-free and food
safe (but see what happens
3. Does the speaker tell you why you should believe him/her? Are arguments
supported by evidence?
He mentions a problem and his product as a solution. He also says the product got the
attention of a major distributor (argument of authority). Also tries to be precise: when
he restates his utterance: there are instances, recorded instances, of fatalities for children,
4. Does the speaker relate his/her arguments to the concerns of the audience?
Yes, he addresses directly to the audience by posing the problem to them (you may
have or have had this problem; in fact, one of the business angels nods in agreement).
5. Are there counterarguments used?
No
PERSUASIVE APPEALS IN AN ELEVATOR PITCH: EVALUATING ETHOS
If your role is ETHOS expert, see if the pith addresses these issues:

STRATEGY EXPLANATION/EXAMPLES ü/û

1. Exclusivity contracts Pitching exclusivity contract already negotiated. û

2. Knowledge of financials
3. Product demos
4. Expertise/experience
5. Financial/time
investment
6. Lack of technical jargon
7. Name-dropping
8. Customer/client-focus
9. The above-and-beyond
10. Competition
11. Other (new)
Using appropriate technical language and figures to ü
substantiate the claims made.
Demonstrating a prototype of the product, a mock- ü
up or the actual product and allowing the venture
capitalists to interact with the product.
Showing their expertise in a specific area either by ü
their capacity to innovate and create something (implied)
new or by their professional experience and success
to date as an entrepreneur.
Explaining the amount of time and money already û
invested in their idea.
Avoiding technical jargon and explaining their idea ü
in clear, concise, layperson’s terms.
Some financial terms: equity stake,
But at times, uses formal language: sitting
environments (instead of high chairs), contorted
(instead of twisted), causes distress (for
bothers/make children nervous), repositioning
Making reference to key institutions, shops or ü
organizations that already stock or sell their
product: at Olymplia last year
Understanding the customer needs and ü
expectations and demonstrating this:
This causes distress to a child, not least to a parent, as
you are continuously lifting your child up and
repositioning it in a restaurant.
Outlining not only the benefits of the product but û
also stressing the added value and possible
product extensions.
Analyzing either the competitors or the lack of û
competition on the market.
Invites further clarifications (to make reliable): Any
questions?

Other issues you can take into account when evaluating the speaker’s ethos are:

- Expertise: Does the speaker know his/her subject? Does he/she have the sources and
research to back up what he/she says?
He knows about children sitting needs (distorted because of their higher center of
gravity)
 - Trustworthiness: Does the speaker seem like people you would trust? Why or why
not?
The speaker sounds like a concerned parent that has developed the product to avoid
dangerous situations.
- Make a list of three things the speaker is doing that influence the perception of his/her
character:
o Chooses a topic that matters to him (probably has children)
o Composure: is not agitated when he talks
o Demonstrates integrity: particularly when he is caught not having realized that
the pad can easily tear and that could provoke choking (terrible consequences)
- Is the speaker a good communicator? Yes: clear diction, uses body language
appropriately, no hesitation, preparation is obvious but extemporaneous delivery.
- Does the speaker connect with the audience? Yes (eye gaze)
- Does the speaker create a sense of mastery that gains your respect for him/her? Yes
- Does the speaker show interest for the audience? Yes (As many of you are aware)
- Does the speaker sound too eager to persuade? No

PERSUASIVE APPEALS IN AN ELEVATOR PITCH: EVALUATING PATHOS

If your role is PATHOS expert, see if the pith addresses these issues:

STRATEGY EXPLANATION/EXAMPLES ü/û

1. You-statements Generic, impersonal you to invite the audience to

imagine themselves in a situation (e.g. you have a
chance to buy this product every day).
As many of you are aware, if you have children or you’ve
ever looked after them, children have large heads, which
are disproportionate to their bodies and it gives them a
high center of gravity.
2. Storytelling Telling a story creates an emotional connection with
the audience (e.g. how the pitcher got the idea, how
she developed it and all the actions she took to bring
the product to market).
This causes distress to a child, not least to a parent, as you
are continuously lifting your child up and repositioning it in
a restaurant.
3. Making comparisons Comparing the unknown product and a known entity
(e.g. the entrepreneur makes a price comparison
between two entities)
4. Revealing personal or The entrepreneur can refer to professional life
professional details achievements or to personal likes.
5. Introducing other people Entrepreneurs may introduce each other.
 6. Building up expectation Using phrases such as today is your special day, the
entrepreneur can build expectations: Today, I’m
looking for the investment to develop the retail packaging
7. Offering future vision The entrepreneur offers the future growth potential
and a future vision of success.
8. Have/have-not statement The entrepreneur stresses the complementarity of
his expertise (what he has) and the venture
capitalists’ business acumen (what he needs).
9. Others Any other appeals to emotion to move the investors.
Appeal to negative emotions: Sadly, there are
instances, recorded instances, of fatalities for children, as
they become submarined under the tray, or they become
tangled up in the harnesses.

Other issues you can take into account when evaluating the speaker’s pathos are:

- What emotions did the speech evoke for you? Why do you think it evoked these
emotions?
Negative emotions mainly.
- Does the speaker try to make you feel guilty?
Indirectly: if you don’t buy my product, you may be guilty of casualty.
- Is the speaker trying to manipulate me through your feelings?
In a sense, because he has pointed out a problem you may not have even noticed.
- Is emotion being used ethically?
In general, yes. There is no manipulation or false evidence, at least they sound as true
because he says “fatalities” have been recorded.
See: https://www.leesfield.com/files/ToySafetyDec1999Vol4No6.pdf for evidence
- Is the speaker using fear to motivate me to act for his/her own profit rather than for
my own good?
We can’t know. He seems truly concerned (his body language: frown eyebrows)
- Focus on language: what compelling (convincente, persuasivo) phrases, imagery, and
ideas are used?
As many of you are aware
His description of how the baby can slip on the chair is very vivid.
Latex-free and food safeà sounds professional and concerned.
Become submarined under the trayà creative use of language “submarined” is
certainly a neologism (it is into brackets in above reference). It is a vivid term, you can
imagine the movement the child suffers and how he can get killed, strangled by the
tray.