Rhetoric Logos: Cut the Sales Talk

In Rhetoric, Logosis essentially the rational or logical appeal of your language. Complementing the authoritative appeal of Ethos and the emotional appeal of Pathos, Logos is the way you use your messages to convey that your product, service, or brand as a whole is a logically superior choice.

In some ways, this is basic—you simply use your words to illustrate the superiority of your business. But this idea leads too many people into an endless loop of sales talk and industry buzzwords. If you’re going to win over new prospects and keep your best customers interested, you’re going to have to use Logos more naturally.

Cutting the Sales Talk—Be Natural!

Traditional sales talk isn’t going to win anybody’s favor. Persuading someone with logic has become less of a structural and informative appeal and more of a display of recycled buzzwords and recited elevator speeches. Don’t let yourself sound like an infomercial—instead, you’ll need to try a more natural, personal approach. Use facts, figures, analytic data, or even customer reviews, but don’t force them down your prospects’ throats, and don’t make them the focal point of your presentation. Write and speak conversationally or professionally—if you try too hard to make a sale or convince an audience of your products’ quality, people will feel like you’re trying to trick them. 

Employing Subtlety

Much like in Ethos, subtlety is almost always the best approach. You don’t want your logical appeal to be like a monument, a towering, artificial attention-hogging edifice that overshadows everything else. Instead, you want your Logos to be like a field—naturally surrounding the other elements of your persuasion. It should blend in organically, helping to form a comfortable environment without overpowering the other elements or seeming unnatural.

Some companies will need a strong Logos, and some will need it weaker in favor of Ethos and Pathos, but you’ll never want to let it turn your words robotic and unappealing. Instead of simply funneling everyone into a close, really step up the humanness of your message and be tactful when using Logos.