Insight certainty 4/5 debate potential 2/5

Kim: Pitching should target LP emotional desires and values before logic

John Kim (Kimmer) · Fundraising Mastery: The Tao of Kimmer – John Kim (EP.503) · May 25, 2026 · at 30:28

Fundraising veteran John Kim (Kimmer) breaks down how managers should apply classical rhetoric (logos, ethos, pathos) when pitching institutional allocators.

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“Here's where almost everybody gets it wrong. Everybody focuses on the logos, the logic. That is almost never where you want to start. You have to be logical. But you want to address the person's emotional desires for what they want, and then their ethical or intuitive desires, what they believe they should be doing. That is the key.”

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