Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, crafted the secret to successful communication. Although he documented the secret well over 2000 years ago, it continues to be relevant today. It involves a speaker communicating to an audience via three appeals: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Pretty words, aren’t they? And here is what they mean:

Ethos is an appeal to the audience based on the character and credibility of the speaker.

Pathos is an appeal to the audience based on emotions.

Logos is an appeal to the audience based on logic and rationality.

Before real communication can exist, your listeners must accept these three appeals from the speaker.  Appeals are essential whether you are addressing a jury in an opening statement at trial, presenting the annual budget at a board meeting, interviewing for a new job, or auditioning for the school play.  It is the speaker’s task to figure out how to use these three tools effectively to convey information or a specific message. Here are some tips to figure it out:

Ethos: Analyze and know your audience. Know your topic thoroughly. Get out there and network in your field. Follow the rules of basic human decency that your mother taught you.

Pathos: Tell a good story. Use descriptions and situations in your presentation that are compelling, easy to identify with, and easy to recognize.

Logos: Carefully research your topic. Choose strong facts as the basis of your presentation.

Of these three appeals, I believe that Ethos is the most powerful because it flows directly from the speaker to the listener. Ethos is based largely on the total package of how the speaker is perceived and includes talent, idiosyncrasies, passion, mannerisms, intellect, voice, and appearance. If the speaker fails in establishing ethos, the audience will be unimpressed with logos and unmoved by pathos.

Think of ethos as your personal style and use your physical appearance, posture, voice, and eye contact to establish good character and credibility.