Tag Archives: Presidential campaign

How to Go From 0 – 60 in No Time Flat by Communicating Skillfully

It’s that time again – candidates announcing they’re running for president. Last time it was the GOP who put up massive numbers of candidates. This time it’s the Democrats. There have been a number of familiar names and a lot of newbies. Seems like someone new announces every day.

But no one – no one – has received the kind of attention Pete Buttigieg has. And here’s why…

He’s a very skillful speaker and communicator. Sure, he’s smart, having checked many of the “right” boxes on his way to running for president. But his political and business experience resumé, things that would help qualify him for this very hard and demanding job, are, let’s be honest, limited to non-existent.

So why has his ascent been so metoric? Because human beings have evolved to follow leaders who inspire them and make them feel safe. It makes sense from an evolutionary POV. When the group is at risk – and early humans always were from predators, weather, and other humans – you have to immediately know whom to follow to save your life. This is what communicating skillfully is all about.

Buttigieg recognized that if he were going to have a chance to compete with much more experienced and known contenders, he’d have to do it the Obama way…

  1. Speak confidently. He seems thoughtful and considered in his reponses. This shows him as, well, thoughtful and considered instead of a loose canon or hemming and hawing.
  2. Prepare. There is nothing seat-of-the-pants about the way Buttigieg communicates. He has prepped. Probably a lot.
  3. Physical presence. He knew that to overcome the tongue-wagging about his youth (he’s only 37, one year older than the age the Constitution allows people to be president) and his small stature, he had to come across as wiser and bigger to influence how voters thought about him.
  4. Vocal presence. Buttigieg has a terrific speaking voice and he knows how to wield it.
  5. Storytelling. He uses examples from his life experiences to illustrate points. He makes us extrapolate that he can get the job done without, so far at least, including any of the messy, boring details.

These are just a very few things around communicating skillfully he does that anyone could do. It has helped him leapfrog over his equally qualified peers and, more stunningly, over his more qualified peers. You don’t think that’s fair? It is totally fair. Moreover, it’s life!

Look, Mayor Pete could be gone tomorrow. But I guarantee you even if he doesn’t ultimately become the candidate, he’s set himself up for all manner of big advances. What we’re seeing now could be just the beginning.

Communicating skillfully on every platform is the greatest marketing and personal branding tool no one wants to use. I always tell this to my clients and audiences. If you still need proof, look no further than Mayor Pete.

(Also, if you are confused about how to pronounce his name, try “Buddha Judge.” Trust me, it works.)

Bad Publicity vs. NO Publicity: Presidential Campaign Lessons

We’re finally down to two. The last ones standing. Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. And one will become President of the United States.  

After all the primary debates and most recently, the conventions, the campaigns have begun the slog toward Election Day. On the one hand, you have Clinton, who cannot seem to get out of her own way when it comes to dealing with the screw-ups of the past and Trump, who has not encountered a criticism he should not respond to. It’s reported they are the most disliked candidates in history.

And there are still 3 months to go!

So, is it really true that the only bad publicity is no publicity? Is it better to be talked about than ignored, regardless of what’s being said?

It’s complicated.

Let’s start with Hillary Clinton. In her case, bad publicity has a decidedly negative impact. The reason why goes something like this: Bad news sticks when it 1) undermines the core argument you make about yourself or 2) supports the core argument the opposition would have people believe about you.

Clinton promotes herself as experienced, knowledgeable, a steady hand, a hard worker. Therefore, it’s logical to assume a knowledgeable, experienced person would know that using a personal email server for state and often highly confidential business could create significant problems. So the actions contradict her message. (NOTE: I am not judging, only observing.) They undermine what she’d like us to believe about her and give ammunition to the opposition in their efforts to derail her candidacy by sticking her with the “poor judgment” label.

But what about Donald Trump? Have his choices undermined his candidacy? Not yet. Trump promotes himself as a business expert, strong, and not politically correct. Furthermore, he has trained the public over many years to expect little from him in terms of behaving within the usual boundaries of polite discourse. One powerful result is he is not held to that standard. He is vulnerable, of course, but he’s been very successful so far at protecting himself from news that could undermine his claims of business prowess, such as his tax returns. This also cleverly plays right into the political incorrectness theme and keeps him in the news because although it isn’t required, it’s traditional for candidates to release their returns for public evaluation, so pushing back against tradition fits.

There is one advantage for Hillary Clinton: Bad news that has come her way in recent days has not stuck because Trump is sucking up all the media space.  

So what’s the answer? Is it true that the only thing worse than bad publicity is NO publicity? Right now, if you’re Hillary Clinton, the answer is no and if you’re Donald Trump, the answer is yes.

Like I said, it’s complicated.