HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR MESSAGE- Logos and Pathos

Combining the audience’s needs  (who) and your objective (why) for giving the presentation will provide you with a general idea of what your key message should be. Now you need to be able to say it in a way that it means something:  to you and to the audience.  You need a full, explicit idea which includes a reason why the audience should listen (WIIFY)

• Your key idea should be expressed explicitly and with interest for the audience.  For example my key idea is “How to communicate explicitly in order to create more stimulating content”.  This explicitly expresses my intention.  Many presenters would however just say how. “how to be more dynamic”, or, “communicate explicitly.”
• A good message should be a complete idea with a “reason why” for the audience to listen.

Once you provide your key message you need to develop it.

• Using a combination of supporting ideas which are pathos/ feeling and logos/logical support is often the way to go.
• It is currently thought that decisions are made based on feeling and logic is used to justify the decision. Therefore both elements should be used.

Logos  – Features/Data/ Logical arguments/Proofs/Schematic charts

Pathos – Stories which illustrate qualities and benefits/Metaphors and Analogies which bring meaningful dimensions to the facts/Thought provoking questions

You want your audience to care about the content (pathos) and feel justified in doing so (logos)