By Greg Dardis / Guest Editorial
If the goal of a presidential announcement is to generate buzz, Donald Trump was a wild success. People are still talking about the June 16 speech in which, flanked by four American flags and dressed in a red power tie, Trump made his bid for the White House official.
“I’m really rich,” he said, by way of sharing his credentials. He announced his net worth: $8.7 billion. He defended his character: “I think I’m a nice person.” He also offered a headline-making condemnation of Mexican immigrants, prompting NBC to cut ties with him and no longer air his beauty pageants, Miss USA and Miss Universe.
It’s been a colorful season of presidential announcements, and for Iowans, with our Feb. 1, 2016, caucus looming, it’ll be a well-trafficked fall as Hillary and Jeb get folksy at the Pizza Ranch nearest you.
Despite our cynicism, there’s something to be learned by observing political speeches. Whether your next presentation is in a boardroom or a ballroom, over lunch or over Skype, your objective is the same as those running for president: to articulate your vision in a clear, compelling way. Here are eight tips to glean from our finest political orators.
- Begin conversationally. Listeners want to be eased into the meat of your speech. Acknowledge unusual weather, reference a March Madness upset, share a fun story about your introducer. When Barack Obama gave his victory speech after the 2008 Iowa caucus, he began by saying, “You know, they said this day would never come.”
- Make it personal. There’s no better way to be memorable than to share personal stories – of a daunting challenge, an inspiring boss, a supportive spouse, an eye-opening trip. The cornerstone of Hillary Clinton’s first major campaign rally, a New York City speech held June 13, was her late mother, who lived to be 92. “I wish my mother could have been with us longer. I wish she could have seen Chelsea become a mother herself. I wish she could have met Charlotte,” Clinton said, drawing a warm four-generation image.
- Be brief. Dardis Communications instructors often quote our motto to “be brief, be bright and be gone.” The best politicians embrace this. Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address was just 10 sentences.
- Call to action. The Gettysburg address also called the audience to action. “It is for us the living rather,” Lincoln said, “to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.” Your cause won’t be so noble, but any effective speech makes a case and challenges the audience to act on it. Articulate that charge in clear, bold language.
- Choose the right venue. Politicians speak at historic sites like battlefields and cathedrals, places that reinforce their themes by adding layers of history, drama and visual effect. Your options may differ considerably, but don’t underestimate the power of environment. Put considerable thought into venue whenever you have control over it. What will people associate with that venue? Where will your audience be seated? What will be behind you? What will be behind them?
- Use simple language. Avoid the temptation to thesaurus-up your presentation with glittery, multi-syllable words. Instead, embrace the plain language that rings with clarity and authenticity. Simple words can set you up for an effective play on words or inversion of structure, such as JFK’s famous challenge: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” This eloquent statement consists entirely of two-, three- and four-letter words, aside from the double use of “country.” In his June 30 presidential announcement, Gov. Chris Christie provided a memorable sound bite with equally plain words: “I mean what I say and I say what I mean.” The statement rang out with authority.
- Master your pacing. The most famous political speeches of all time are delivered with masterful pacing, speeding up occasionally to create a sense of urgency and slowing down to add impact. Good speakers do not fear silence; they embrace it.
- Adhere to one unifying theme. Be it a campaign rally, an inaugural address, a State of the Union or a farewell address like George Washington’s legendary letter to America delivered in 1796, the most effective political speeches are crafted around a central theme and adhere to that theme with discipline. You may have a lot to say, but you should be able to boil your message down to a one-sentence message. Begin with that theme in mind, and you’ll set yourself up for a speech that is easy to digest and hard to forget.
Greg Dardis is the CEO of Dardis Inc., located at 2403 Muddy Creek Lane in Coralville. For more information, visit www.dardisinc.com.
