Political conventions for those of us who are in the Communications field are like the Olympics for sports enthusiasts! And no matter what your political affiliation or bent, there is something to learn from many of the speakers.
At the time of writing, we are only one day into the DNC convention. While it started out a bit raucous, one person rocked the first evening and perhaps will go down as the most memorable speaker. That speaker was First Lady, Michelle Obama. Her speech was a study in “how it’s done.” From the moment she walked onto the stage to the moment she exited, she got her message across with poise and professionalism. No doubt, she like Ivanka Trump last week, was the star of the evening and may have been the cornerstone for the remainder of the convention.
There are a lot of takeaways for anyone that is a speaker or speechwriter from her talk. There are three lessons that stand out above all the rest.
Lesson #1, make your speech memorable. This speech was one for the record books from the moment she opened her mouth. In classic (and a classy) manner, she outlined the problems of where we still are today by stating some of the obstacles that she and the President have faced over the past eight years. While you may disagree with the statements, one cannot disagree with how she made them.
Your listeners are bombarded with thousands of messages on a daily basis. And that makes being memorable a challenge. One thing that her speechwriter(s) did well was pepper the speech with personal anecdotes. Her 15-minute speech was replete with picturesque stories that got her point across in a memorable way.
How can you make your speech memorable like Michelle’s?
Tell stories. As Pastor and Author Rick Warren says, “Never make a point without a picture.” People may not remember your points but they will remember the stories and how those stories made them feel. People remember stories and our brains are wired for them.
Lesson #2, make your speech personal. Stories also help you connect at a deep, personal level with your audience, two illustrate this lesson.
She talked about that first day her daughters went to school after moving into the White House. She recounted them getting into the “big black SUV’s” “accompanied by big men with big guns.” She remembered how their faces were pressed up against the glass as they waved goodbye and she thought to herself “what have we done!” She identified with us as human beings because we have all been there and asked ourselves that question, “What have I done?”
A second powerful moment that made it personal was when she made the statement “Every day I wake up in a house that was built by slaves.” Because her husband is the first African-American president and she the first African-American First Lady, this was personal and poignant. A little fact check reveals that there were indeed slaves owned by certain Americans that were paid a wage to help build the White House.
Connecting your speech in personal ways allows your audience to empathize with you and you with them. Get to know your audience and remember that your message is to a person, not a crowd.
Lesson #3, make your speech graceful. Mrs. Obama’s body language was open, she smiled throughout was never shrill and refrained from personal attacks. As a matter of fact, one line will go down in history. While one may argue its merits from a political perspective, it will never be forgotten. No doubt she was seeking to combat the personal attacks against her husband regarding his birthplace, faith, and even patriotism. And her comeback to those attacks was the rock from which legends are hewn. She told her daughters, “When they go low, we go high!”
Sure there are times when the occasion calls for one to speak bluntly and forthrightly but it’s not every time. Taking the high road in one’s speech while contrasting yourself with another is both art and skill, and the First Lady did all three. She exhibited grace under pressure and stayed focused on her message.
No matter which side of the aisle you come from, this is a speech for the ages and one from which all of us can learn.
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