Speaker's Digest July 2004
In this issue:
- Kerry Chooses a Great Presenter
- It's Good to be Nervous
- Fundamentally, "uhhhh", Speaking: Eliminating, like, Non-words
Kerry Chooses a Great Presenter
July is proving to be a significant month for leaders of the Democratic Party. The month began with Senator Kerry’s selection of his one-time colleague, one-time opponent John Edwards as his running mate, and wraps up this week with their official nomination as candidates for President and Vice President at the convention in Boston.
Kerry’s decision to choose Edwards was strategically significant for those of us who are fascinated by public speaking. Whereas presidential candidates have traditionally chosen running mates that balance their tickets geographically or ideologically, Kerry said he selected Edwards because of his skill as a “campaigner.” Reporters read more into that statement: the New York Times said the new candidate for Vice President would be “a powerful new pitch man,” while Time Magazine called Edwards “a heart transplant.”
Kerry could have picked a running mate with more government experience, more knowledge of foreign policy, or even one from a key swing state. Edwards was a one-term U.S. Senator from North Carolina with a limited legislative record who would have faced a difficult reelection campaign to defend his seat. It’s clear to us that when Kerry called Edwards a great campaigner, he identified the skills that make Edwards a great public speaker: his energy, his comfort in front of crowds, and his natural ability to connect with people.
Energy. Comfort. Connection. These are all qualities that the Kerry campaign could use in spades.
Having been criticized for appearing stiff and even aloof on stage, Kerry has worked to improve his speaking style since EMS was with him in a crowded Des Moines hotel on a cold January evening. But speaking has continued to be a significant challenge for him. Edwards brings precisely that skill to the ticket, balancing Kerry’s weakness with an ability to “put more punch into a single sentence than Kerry can in an entire paragraph,” as Karen Tumulty reported earlier this month in Time.
Edwards became well known during primary season for the stump speech that he polished and delivered in locations across the country, the one in which he described two Americas: “one America that does the work, another that reaps the reward.” This simple message always concluded with Edwards’ vision of uniting people into one America. While that topic has been scrapped, it has been effectively replaced with one that effusively praises Kerry’s character: “If you have any question about what John Kerry is made of, just spend three minutes with the men who served with him in Vietnam.”
By reaching people with a believable and emotional message, Edwards is able to help voters see Kerry as more personable and likeable. Edwards’ authenticity comes through in person, on TV, and even in radio sound bytes. In short, he’s able to win the hearts of voters. He’s a great presenter.
What makes Edwards so effective in front of people?
Gets to the point. Tumulty notes that while Kerry seems to have a tendency to give mini-seminars on policy, Edwards seems able to make points in ways “that would be understood in any schoolyard.” His “Two Americas” speech delivered a complex message in a simple, understandable and effective manner.
Looks comfortable. Edwards looks like he belongs in front of large crowds of people. He seems happy to be there, smiling often, making great eye contact, and using natural-looking gestures. He uses his hands well, varies his intonation, and appears both likeable and sincere.
Connects with people: His charisma, folksy style, and believability actually rub off on Kerry, particularly when Edwards talks glowingly about Kerry as the man who should be elected president.
Knows his material. Much of Edwards’ success as a presidential candidate during primary season came from his ability to deliver his basic stump speech, making slight adjustments to the specific audiences he faced. He was passionate about his material, and had practiced it enough to know what parts would get the strongest reactions.
As the mother of all elections approaches, we’ll be interested in seeing how the Kerry-Edwards ticket continues to develop its dual personality in front of crowds. At the same time, we’ll watch how President Bush and Vice President Cheney react to the challenges as speakers.
LET US KNOW: This week has been marked by impactful speeches in the national spotlight by President Clinton, Illinois Senate candidate Barack Obama, John Edwards and a host of others. As the Democratic convention wraps up, and as the Republican convention approaches in late August, drop us a line and let us know what you thought of some of the presenters that spoke from the giant podiums in Boston and New York. Also, if you get a chance to see one of the candidates’ speeches in person during this campaign, please consider sharing your experience with the readers of Speaker’s Digest. We’ll look forward to hearing from you.
“At a funeral, the average person would rather be in the casket than giving the eulogy.”—Jerry Seinfeld, reacting to a survey finding that the fear of public speaking ranks higher in people’s minds than the fear of death.
We’ve often said that the extra adrenaline you get from the last-minute panic before speaking can be channeled into positive energy that makes speakers more effective. Now, a study by psychologists Gregory Miller from University of British Columbia and Suzanne Segerstrom from University of Kentucky indicates that there are benefits beyond the rush you get when on stage.
Miller and Segerstrom’s study, published recently in Psychological Bulletin, examined over 19,000 people over 30 years in various stressful situations, such as layoffs, taking tests, and giving speeches. According to their findings, speaking in public is like getting a good workout: it tends sets in motion the body’s defensive responses for fighting infections and healing wounds. People who regularly face this type of stress have more antibodies in their blood to fight infections—almost twice as many as subjects in the study’s control group.
Not all stresses were found to be beneficial to the immune system. Taking high-stakes tests such as the SAT or a major final exam suppresses Th1 cells, which hinders one’s immune response, and can worsen allergies. Go figure.
Sneak Preview: For more on the subject of public speaking as exercise, watch for an article in our August issue of Speaker’s Digest.
Fundamentally, "uhhhh", Speaking: Eliminating, like, Non-words
In past issues of Speaker’s Digest, we’ve written about how speakers can effectively use pauses when speaking. Yet most speakers are uncomfortable with the silence of pauses. Instead, they fill that silent space with non-words that have the power to seriously distract an audience and hurt a presentation.
You’ve heard non-words, and probably even used them: um, uh, you know, I mean, like, so, and. You can certainly think of others. These meaningless words are pauses filled with noise. Most speakers aren’t even aware of them. We’ve heard professional speakers use more than 100 non-words in a single presentation.
Perception is reality. We say it all the time. Using too many non-words gives the impression that you’re unprepared or worse yet, that you don’t know what you’re talking about!
All of us are human, and it’s pretty natural for an occasional non-word to creep into our presentations. But none of us want to undermine ourselves by unintentionally annoying our audience. It’s important to start to notice your use of non-words. In our workshops, we ask participants to snap their fingers if they hear someone use a non-word. You might try asking co-workers to let you know when they catch you saying “ummmm” or “ya know.”
The best solution for a speaker is simply to pause more often. Take a moment to think of the right word to say. This will give your audience time to think about your message, or anticipate your next point. Rather than distracting them, you’ll be winning them over.
We’ll take a pause over a non-word any day.
Frank Neilson
Sales Engineer
Bosch Rexroth Corporation