HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations (HBR Guide Series)

Balance Analytical and Emotional Appeal

Now that you’ve outlined your message, consider how you’ll appeal to people’s minds and hearts.

Strike the wrong balance of analytical and emotional content in your presentation, and you risk alienating the audience and diminishing your credibility. But how do you get it right? Take your cues from the topic and the audience.

Certain topics—like layoffs and product launches—are inherently charged and naturally lend themselves to emotional appeal. Others—like science, engineering, and finance—invite more analytic treatment.

Weigh the subject against the group you’re addressing. Suppose you’re making a case for personnel cuts to a group of managers who’ll soon have to decide which direct reports to let go. ...