1 Why emotion matters

Emotion is not a sign of weakness or irrationality; it is a natural and essential part of human communication. Emotion helps you connect with your audience, show your passion and enthusiasm, and create a memorable impression. Emotion also influences how your audience perceives your message, how they remember it, and how they act on it. Research shows that people are more likely to be persuaded by a speaker who appeals to both their emotions and their reason, than by one who relies on either one alone.

3 How to express emotions authentically

Emotions are not something you can fake or force; they have to come from a genuine place. If you try to act out emotions that you don't feel or believe, your audience will sense your insincerity and distrust you. To express emotions authentically, you need to tap into your own personal experience, values, and beliefs, and share them with your audience in a way that is honest and respectful. You can use stories, anecdotes, examples, metaphors, or analogies to illustrate your points and evoke emotions in your audience. You can also use your voice, body language, facial expressions, and gestures to convey your emotions and reinforce your message.

4 How to balance emotion and logic

Emotion alone is not enough to persuade your audience; you also need to provide logical arguments, evidence, and facts to support your claims and recommendations. Emotion and logic are not mutually exclusive; they can work together to create a compelling presentation. However, you need to balance them carefully, so that you don't overwhelm or confuse your audience. A good way to do that is to use the following structure: start with a hook that grabs your audience's attention and interest, then present your main idea and key points with clear and concise explanations, then end with a call to action that appeals to your audience's emotions and motivates them to act.

5 How to avoid emotional pitfalls

Adding emotion to your presentation can be risky if not done well. To avoid ruining your presentation, you should find the right level of emotion that suits your personality, topic, and audience. Additionally, you need to be consistent and coherent in your emotional tone and message. It's also important to be aware of your audience's values, beliefs, and feelings to avoid using emotions that are inappropriate, disrespectful, or offensive. If you switch between different emotions or contradict yourself, you might confuse or annoy your audience. Therefore, it is essential to find the right balance of emotion to ensure a successful presentation.

6 How to practice and improve

Adding emotion to your presentation is not just a one-time thing; it is a skill that you can practice and improve over time. To do this, you can watch and analyze other speakers who use emotion effectively, seek feedback from others, record and review your own presentations, and experiment with new things. Observe how they choose, express, and balance emotions and how they avoid emotional pitfalls. Ask for constructive and honest comments on your emotional delivery, such as how they felt, what they liked, and what they would suggest for improvement. Evaluate your emotional performance by watching and listening to yourself, identify your strengths and weaknesses, and work on them. Don't be afraid to explore different emotions and techniques to see what works best for you and your audience.

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?