How can you make your conference presentation appeal to both emotions and logic?

1 Know your audience

The first step to appeal to both emotions and logic is to know who you are talking to. What are their backgrounds, interests, goals, challenges, and expectations? What are their values, beliefs, and emotions? How do they prefer to receive and process information? By doing some audience analysis before your presentation, you can tailor your content, tone, and style to fit their needs and preferences. You can also anticipate their questions, objections, or concerns, and address them in your presentation.

2 Use stories and examples

One of the most effective ways to appeal to emotions is to use stories and examples that illustrate your points and connect with your audience. Stories and examples can help you create a narrative, build rapport, and evoke empathy. They can also make your presentation more concrete, vivid, and memorable. Choose stories and examples that are relevant, relatable, and realistic for your audience. Use them to show how your topic affects them personally or professionally, or how it can help them solve a problem or achieve a goal.

3 Provide evidence and data

Another way to appeal to logic is to provide evidence and data that support your claims and arguments. Evidence and data can help you establish your credibility, authority, and accuracy. They can also help you persuade your audience that your solution or recommendation is feasible, effective, and beneficial. Choose evidence and data that are reliable, valid, and up-to-date. Use them to show how your topic is based on facts, research, or best practices. Present them in a clear, concise, and visual way, using charts, graphs, or tables.

4 Use emotional language and tone

The words you use and the way you say them can also influence how your audience feels and thinks about your topic. To appeal to emotions, use emotional language and tone that match your purpose and audience. For example, you can use positive words to inspire, motivate, or praise your audience, or negative words to warn, challenge, or criticize them. You can also use rhetorical devices, such as metaphors, analogies, or repetition, to create an impact. Adjust your tone to convey enthusiasm, passion, or confidence, or to show empathy, respect, or humor.

5 Use logical structure and transitions

To appeal to logic, use a logical structure and transitions that guide your audience through your presentation. A logical structure and transitions can help you organize your ideas, clarify your message, and highlight your main points. They can also help you create a flow, coherence, and consistency in your presentation. Use a clear introduction, body, and conclusion, and divide your content into sections or subtopics. Use transitions to connect your sections or subtopics, and to signal the purpose, direction, or relationship of your ideas.

6 Balance emotions and logic

The final tip is to balance emotions and logic throughout your presentation. Don't rely on one aspect more than the other, or switch from one to another abruptly. Instead, use both aspects to complement and reinforce each other, and to create a persuasive and engaging presentation. For example, you can start with a story or an example that appeals to emotions, then follow with evidence or data that appeals to logic, or vice versa. You can also use emotional language and tone to deliver your evidence or data, or use logical structure and transitions to frame your stories or examples.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?