What’s the common advice you will hear if you want to win in politics, war or sports like basketball or martial arts? Aim for the heart. However, this notion comes in different flavors. But that’s the essence. In the words of Blaise Pascal, “The heart has its reasons which reason knows not of.”

In war or any competitive sports, famous military strategists like Sun Tzu emphasize the need to break the morale of the enemy to ensure victory. Take away the spirit of a team and they will definitely lose. Aim for the heart, my friends.

On the other hand, this concept is more apparent in the ongoing US Presidential campaigns, particularly Obama’s passionate and catchy “Yes We Can” slogan. In fact, some even tout him as the next Nike of politics. Why? Because he appeals more to our emotions, not reasons. Aim for the heart, my friends.

There’s even an old experiment conducted in 1935 to study the contrast between emotional and rational appeal in political persuasion. Judging from my line of thinking, the result is quite obvious – emotions influence people.

The same is true for entrepreneurs, experienced or startups. It’s disappointing that some are still solely pitching about affordability and limiting market segmentation in terms of demographics. To make matters worse, some do not bother finding out the real sales drivers – the needs and motivations of the target customers. So, the next time you craft your message try to add more emotional hooks.