Tag Archives: Address to Congress

What We can learn from politicians about winning business

Every 4 years, I dust off and update my special presentation, Pennsylvania Ave. to Wall St.: The Best Communicator & Connector Wins (or Main St. or Silicon Valley, etc. – clients’ choice). I do it to show corporate audiences how the candidates for president use persuasion techniques to win votes and how business people can use the same techniques to win business.

So I’ve been absolutely fascinated by the reaction to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s recent speech on the House floor. Now, to appreciate and learn from the techniques she used, you have to leave your politics at the door.

Ok?

Ok, here they are…

First, it was under 10 minutes. She was given an hour. That’s one way to exceed expectations – to be given significant time to speak, then making it much shorter. Also it is hard to be short and succinct, while staying compelling – it’s much easier to speak for longer. When I did my TEDx earlier this year, I had 12 minutes. It took me a long time and a lot of work to get it right. So start thinking about how you can keep remarks short as well as engaging.

Second, it was very personal. She let us in a bit by telling us some things about herself, such as having had past jobs as a waiter and bartender. She told us a little about her parents and their expectations of her. These personal stories enable us to connect with her. She is now a member of Congress. So it’s aspirational, gives us hope that if she can do it, we can do it. Sharing some of your struggles is an excellent way to develop followership. No one lives a perfect life.

Third, this was a fairly formal speech and so she was able to utilize some fairly formal rhetorical techniques including repetition of a word or phrase to emphasize an idea and add rhythm to a speech. There are technical names for these techniques and have been famously used by Martin Luther King in his I Have a Dream speech and by Winston Churchill in his We Shall Fight speech. Not surprisingly, AOC used this technique more loosely. which is fitting for her, but it was just as effective.

Finally, her delivery – it was calm and deliberate. Her rate of speech was about 130 words per minute, which is good, moderate rate, giving people time to digest what she was saying. She used notes, which I always advise, and referred to them when she needed to, taking her time while glancing down, not using uhs and ums or other filler to fill the silence during those transitions. Instead, she was quiet. This  demonstrated a level of control and projected confidence.

These are just a few of the things AOC did that made for a successful speech – whether you agree with her or not. That isn’t my point. Here’s what is: Her ability to communicate has clearly opened doors for her, gotten people to pay attention. I guarantee if you get better at this it will do the same for you.

Trump Knows Presentation IS Everything

President Trump accomplished a major reset of his presidency with his speech before a joint session of Congress. And he did it in an age-old way: his presentation skills. He knows either by accident or design, presentation is everything.

The first thing I look for during presidential addresses is whether the president “showed” leadership. In other words, was the president’s presentation consistent with his words? Was what he said supported by how he said it? In the speech before a joint session of Congress, my assessment is he failed more than he succeeded, but he succeeded just enough to change people’s minds.

For example, since by now we all know he rarely sticks to a script, doing so this time was a win.

First, the president dressed for the occasion. His clothing fit well and the colors were elegant. Good style, dress, and adornment make the both the wearer and the observer feel confident.

The speech itself was more poetic. It used a number of rhetorical devices that in the hands of a Reagan or Obama, would have sent that thing soaring, yet he did not deliver it in a way that did it justice. There was little passion evident in his delivery. He bridles at using the teleprompter. Still, this was better delivered than former teleprompter speeches.

His speaking voice, which is not a high quality male speaking voice to begin with, was flat or singsong in its intonation through most of the speech. It came alive only during the Harley-Davidson story because he clearly enjoyed telling it and he even exhibited some humor.

Regarding humor, it would behoove him to use more, particularly of the self-directed variety. This would make him more likeable and relatable.

The president exhibited more generosity and grace than in the past, reflecting the grandeur and majesty of a formal address delivered to a joint session of Congress.

Here is a cardinal rule of communication that many smart people eschew: If the way you look and sound contradicts what you say, people will believe the way you look and sound instead of what you say.

Both Ronald Reagan, affectionately remembered as “the great communicator,” and Barack Obama, who moved arenas of people with soaring rhetoric, understood this rule very well. They knew they were in a unique position to heal the country’s divisions. Even the president’s biggest fans expect him to give voice to the anxieties of all Americans, to lift us all up so we can begin to unite.

The ability to deliver a powerful speech is the essence of leadership.

President Trump got much closer with this one, single speech.