When preparing for a presentation, most speakers focus on their content and slides.

That’s important—but it’s not enough. The real question you must ask yourself is: Who is my audience, and why should they care?

Your content may be brilliant, but your impact depends on the relationship you build with your listeners. Do they feel you understand them? Do they trust that your ideas are relevant to their world? That connection—both intellectual and emotional—is what transforms a presentation from forgettable to persuasive.

Intellectual and Emotional Connection

There are two ways to connect:

• Intellectually, through logical arguments, statistics, and well-structured reasoning. Logic makes people think.
• Emotionally, this is achieved through stories, you-focused language, and authenticity. Emotion makes people act.

The most powerful presentations do both.

Four Ways to Connect Emotionally

1. Tell Stories. Stories make ideas authentic and memorable. They help your audience see themselves in your message.
2. Use “You-Focused” Language. Compare these two openings: “I want to talk about our strategy” versus “You will discover three ways this strategy will make your job easier.” Which one would you rather hear?
3. Be an Audience Advocate. Frame your ideas from their perspective. Employees care more about job security than shareholder value. Shift your language to what matters most to them.
4. Make Eye Contact. Eye contact builds trust and confidence. In person, hold each person’s gaze for a complete thought. In virtual meetings, treat your webcam like a trusted colleague.

A Real-World Example

A sales manager at San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel had just eight minutes to convince a convention committee to award them a $500,000 contract. We crafted this opening together:

“In the next eight minutes, you will decide that the best choice for your association and members is to bring your convention to San Francisco and the Fairmont Hotel.”

Notice the five uses of “you” or “your” and only one mention of the hotel. That balance builds an instant emotional connection. He then delivered logical reasons to support the decision and closed with a powerful emotional vision of attendees fondly remembering San Francisco years later. The committee awarded him the contract.

Connection Requires Effort

Even small gestures count. When I delivered presentations in Taiwan, I learned my opening in Mandarin. Audiences appreciated the effort, even though my interpreter translated the rest. The attempt itself created goodwill and respect.

Remember

Yes, your content is essential. However, if you want to be remembered, repeated, and acted upon, focus on your audience first. When you make them the hero of your presentation, you win their attention—and their trust.

“The way you captivate an audience with a story is nothing short of remarkable.” Michelle Kabele, Channel Marketing, Zebra Technologies

“Your tailored approach—before, during, and after our sessions—directly led to bigger wins and more sales.” Scott Hamilton, Vice President of Sales, Distech Controls