Tapping Into Your Emotions to Enhance Your Message

Have you ever been inspired to care about an issue after hearing a charity’s social message? Have you ever noticed the way the crowd reacts after a rousing speech at a political rally? Why do you think these messages have such an effect? In both instances emotionality played a major role. 

Emotion is a powerful tool that can be used to engage and persuade your audience. It also makes your message one that audiences will remember. As the speaker, your own emotions can impact the audience. They will feel what you feel and this can make people trust you and believe in your message. Nop presentation is complete by simply sharing data and facts. If you really want to win over your audience and give them something to remember, you must tap into their emotions. As Maya Angelou once said, “People will forget what you said and people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.†Here are a few tips to help use emotion effectively in your presentation. 

1. Know Your Audience

Before you craft your presentation, you need to know who you are talking to, what they care about, and what emotions they might have. Research their needs, expectations, and challenges and tailor your message to address those needs. Use stories, anecdotes, and examples that they can relate to in order to help illustrate your points. 

2. Use Your Voice

Your voice is one of the most powerful tools you can use as a presenter. You can convey emotion through your tone, pitch, volume, and pace. For instance, you can pause to emphasize points or get your audience to think for a moment. You can also speak in a lower, slower tone to convey seriousness or urgency while a higher pitched, faster pace can convey excitement and enthusiasm. 

3. Body Language

Another way to communicate emotion is through your body language. You can use gestures, facial expressions, eye contact, posture, and movement to show confidence, passion, enthusiasm, sincerity, seriousness, or concern. 

4. Storytelling

Storytelling is one of the most powerful communication methods and is a great way to create an emotional connection with your audience. A compelling narrative can help your audience relate to your message and feel invested in it. You can also use personal experiences to add even more authenticity and get the audience even more engaged. 

5. Use Visuals

As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.†Visuals such as images, photographs, videos, charts, and graphs help enhance your presentation and evoke emotion. Choose visuals that are relevant and support your message and emotion.