With so many things to do and so little time to do them, we’re always looking for good time-saving tips and techniques. But there are times when saving time can cost you in the long run. I’m not saying that the long way is the best way, but shortcuts aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. This is especially true when you’re talking about being effective in the areas of life that matter most. Read more »
Let’s put politics aside for a moment, shall we? I know it’s hard to objectively view a speech when the stakes are high, but the purpose of my post isn’t to debate whether President Obama’s decision is right or wrong. Instead, I would prefer to examine the speech from the perspective of an evaluator to determine what worked and didn’t work in the speech. Fair enough? Read more »
While scanning through Twitter a couple weeks ago, I came across an interesting “tweet” on the page of speaker and speaking coach, Patricia Fripp. It read …
Speakers…if you can say anything in less words it will be more memorable.
I’m sure you’ve heard the same advice in different forms from many different sources. For example
“Brevity is key”
And while this may seem like sound advice, it’s not always true. In fact, sometimes using more words will make your speech more memorable. Regardless of what “new scientific evidence” may suggest, a look at speeches of the past — the speeches we remember most — proves otherwise. Take, for example, “We shall fight on the beaches” . Here is how Churchill delivered the words …
“We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender …”
Here’s how the speech would have been delivered if “brevity” were the focus …
““We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, on the seas and oceans, with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches,
on the landing grounds,
in the fields and in the streets,
in the hills; we shall never surrender …”
Or he could have said this …
“We’ll fight everywhere until there’s nowhere left to fight!”
Had Churchill simply sought to “save words” and shorten his speech, the key message of that whole passage would have been weakened.
You may argue that “we will fight on the beaches” is the line that people remember most, but the line is memorable because the phrase “we will fight” is repeated seven times. Without the repetition (and more words being used) the phrase would not be as memorable.
There are many more historical examples of memorable phrases that we remember because more words were used, but I think this one is sufficient evidence.
If brevity isn’t the key, what is? I would say the key to being memorable is to use the right combination of words. That doesn’t mean you ignore time limits or overload your audience with information. It just means you should choose the appropriate combination of words to drive your point home and make your speeches more memorable.
I’ve often said that one of the best ways to get better at writing speeches is to read and listen to successful speeches of the past. You can find many of these speeches on the American Rhetoric website.
I received an email today from Amber Johnson, of the Accredited Online Colleges blog, letting me know that they had posted a list of “10 Historical Speeches Every Student Should Listen To”. Though I haven’t listed to every speech on the list, I think the list is solid. And although the list was created for students, I think anyone who writes and delivers speeches would benefit from it.
One of the speeches I was pleasantly surprised to see listed was “We Shall Overcome”, by Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ was not known as an effective speaker, but his speech to Congress in March of 1965 is a great example of how a well-written speech can compensate for a less-than-stellar speaker.
What speech (or speeches) would you suggest everyone listen to?
“Men may not get all they pay for in this world, but they must certainly pay for all they get.”
That is my favorite quote from Smithsonian Folkways recently-released CD, “A Voice Ringing O’er the Gale! The Oratory of Frederick Douglass.” The CD features artist and activist, Ossie Davis, delivering his interpretation of four of Douglass’s speeches. The above quote comes from the speech, “If There Is No Struggle, There Is No Progress”.
The Oratory of Frederick Douglass CD Cover
If you’re not familiar with Frederick Douglass, you owe it to yourself to become familiar with him.
There are two ways you can use repetition to create hooks that your audience will remember.
You can repeat a word or catch-phrase at key moments throughout the speech
You can repeat a word or catch-phrase in rapid succession in one section of your speech
Throughout the Speech
I once wrote a speech for one of my clients on Future Trends. The theme was “Back to the Future”. If you’re familiar with the movie, you’ll recall that the star of the show was transported back into the past and ended up interfering with the events that would have led to his being born in the future.
He had a family snapshot in his pocket that he constantly looked at because he could see his brother and sister disappearing from the picture bit by bit. He knew that if he didn’t set the proper events in motion, he would also disappear. So throughout the movie, he kept looking at the snapshot to see if he was disappearing too. The speech focused on positioning yourself for future success by examining the trends that were currently taking place.
In the speech, I used the hook “look at the snapshot”, after every major trend was presented.
Rapid Succession
I’ve already written about anaphora and epiphora in the past, so I won’t explain them here. What I will do is draw on one section of Barack Obama’s concession speech after the New Hampshire primary.
“We’ve been asked to pause for a reality check. We’ve been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope. But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope. For when we have faced down impossible odds, when we’ve been told we’re not ready or that we shouldn’t try or that we can’t, generations of Americans have responded
with a simple creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation: Yes, we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail towards freedom through the darkest of nights: Yes, we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an
unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can.
It was the call of workers who organized, women who reached for the ballot, a president who chose the moon as our new frontier, and a king who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the promised land:
Yes, we can, to justice and equality.
Yes, we can, to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes, we can heal this nation.
Yes, we can repair this world.
Yes, we can.
And so, tomorrow, as we take the campaign south and west, as we learn that the struggles of the textile workers in Spartanburg are not so different than the plight of the dishwasher in Las Vegas, that the hopes of the little girl who goes to the crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of L.A., we will remember that there is something happening in America, that we are not as divided as our politics suggest, that we are one people, we are one nation.
And, together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story, with three words that will ring from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea: Yes, we can.”
Even if you hated the speech, there’s no doubt you remembered it. That’s the power of repetition.
Emotionally-Charged Phrases
Certain words and phrases have the ability to reach down into your soul and touch you on the deepest levels.
Some cut … others heal.
Some bring pleasure … others bring pain.
Some make you optimistic … others make you pessimistic.
But when those words are spoken, they don’t just stay in our minds, they live in our hearts.
This is one of the reasons we still remember the hook
“Read my lips: no new taxes!”
Do you ever tell people to read your lips when you’re just having a pleasant conversation? I don’t. If I’m telling someone to reading my lips, it’s because they didn’t understand what I meant the first, second or third time I said it. If I get to the point of saying “read my lips’, it’s probably the last straw!
So when George Bush spoke those words, America took notice. It was the sound bite that was played most often on television and on the radio. It was the phrase that was repeated most often when people discussed the speech. And it was the ammunition that was used against him when he wasn’t able to keep his promise.
But even if he had kept his promise, those words would still have been etched in our brains.
The words, “yes we can”, are also emotionally charged. Think back to the story of “The Little Engine That Could”. If you heard that story as a child, you can probably remember chanting the words “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.” Do you remember how much emotion you put into it?
Rhymes
Rhymes aren’t just for children. They’re fantastic for creating memorable phrases. The O.J. Simpson trial was the longest jury trial in California history. It was covered by all the major news networks. What was the most popular phrase in that whole trial?
“If the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit.”
Instant hook.
Poetry is not my strong point, so I don’t go out of my way to use it in my speeches. But if a rhyme as brilliant as Cochrane’s comes into my mind, I’m using it.
If you want to combine rhymes with another device, I would suggest combining it with repetition that’s sprinkled throughout your speech. Repeating a rhyme in rapid succession could result in two things:
A tongue twister for the speaker
An irritated audience.
The line, “if the glove doesn’t fit,you must acquit” wouldn’t have had the same level of impact if Johnny Cochrane had repeated it in the style of MLK.
Combine the Devices
If you’ll look at the examples of memorable phrases in this post and the previous one, you’ll notice that some devices were combined. When devices are combined there’s a greater likelihood the hooks will stick in the minds of those listening to you.
This past week, President Obama was criticized for not making his inauguration speech more memorable.
There were certainly quotable sections, but not the clear “hook” that Obama has been known for.
When he spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama’s memorable moment came when he said:
“There’s not a liberal America and a conservative America — there’s the United States of America.”
He did it again in 2008 in New Hampshire with three simple words:
“Yes we can.”
And during his victory speech on November 4, 2008, he said American could:
“… put their hand on the arc of history and bend it once more …”
So it’s understandable that people expected something memorable.
Making speeches more memorable by crafting sound bytes is both an art and a science. Sometimes it’s a crap shoot.
I’ve examined some of the more popular sound bytes in history and come up with six devices you can use to make your speeches more memorable.
ANTITHESIS
Antithesis is the use of two contrasting words, phrases or sentences placed directly opposite one another.
Antithesis is used in the phrases:
“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.” — JFK
“Give me liberty or give me death!” — Patrick Henry
From literature, we’re all familiar with the phrase:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …”
ALLITERATION
Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in neighboring words or syllables.
The most famous line Martin Luther King Jr. ever spoke was:
“I have a dream … that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Notice how the sound of the hard “c” punctuates the sentence.
Also note that the phrase combines antithesis with alliteration.
not be judged by … but by …
LISTS OF THREE
Although there are different names for it (Triad, Lists of Three), the device is still the same … so are the results. Using a list of three words or phrases in succession is a time-tested technique for creating memorable hooks.
Lists of three that are embedded in our brains are:
Of the people
By the people
For the people
Life
Liberty
And the pursuit of happiness
I came
I saw
I conquered
Father
Son
Holy Ghost
Faith
Hope
Love
Winston Churchill has been quoted as saying:
“I have nothing to offer but blood, sweat and tears.”
What he actually said was:
“I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”
Don’t you agree that the list of three sounds better than the list of four?
Here’s a list of three Churchill combined with antithesis:
“Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few”
In the coming days, I’ll follow up with another post detailing the final three devices you can use to make your speeches more memorable.
In stark contrast to the 43rd President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama spoke clearly, concisely, and confidently to the millions of people listening to him deliver his inaugural address.
His task was a difficult one. Even though those in attendance and around the world were anxious to hear soaring rhetoric and words of inspiration, Obama’s message was a little more serious. The moments of inspiration were there, but they were always balanced out by the reminder of the obstacles America faces as a nation.
Every time he spoke of America’s ability to succeed, he spoke about the need to to roll up your sleeves and work.
Whenever he spoke of the past success of Americans, he would reference the sacrifice required to achieve success.
I don’t think he delivered the message Americans wanted to hear, but he certainly delivered the message they needed to hear.
A few things impressed me about President Obama on this occasion:
1.) He showed more emotion and used more gestures than I’ve seen him use in a long time. In an effort to appear more “presidential”, Obama had been using fewer gestures and downplaying the energy that marked his speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
2.) He said a lot by saying a little. Everyone knows how significant this inauguration was. Race was (and still is) a contentious issue in America. He was able to sum up all of the feelings about race in one sentence …
a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
3.) He was courteous to to Bush, but he didn’t let him off the hook. I can only imagine how George W. Bush was feeling as he listened to Obama say:
we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals
4.) He hammered his point home. This speech was about the American people rolling up their sleeves and getting to work on fixing what ails the country. If you didn’t get that message, you didn’t really listen to the speech.
All that being said, there is one thing I think would have capped this speech off perfectly. I’m guessing most of those watching and listening were expecting it, too.
Yes we can!
Since he was talking about the difficult times and challenges America has to face, I think it would have been fitting to end his address with the words that inspired America and caught the attention of the world. Maybe President Obama or his speechwriters thought the phrase was a little tired, but I think it would have been a more powerful ending than the one he used.
The speech won’t be remembered alongside FDR’s or JFK’s inaugurals as an all-time great. But the success of the speech will be measured by how hard the American people work in the coming weeks, months and years of Obama’s administration.
I love antithesis. Apparently, so does Barack Obama. Listen to a few of his speeches and you’ll notice his penchant for the rhetorical device.
At a news conference in Chicago, Obama said:
“If we are going to make the investments we need, we also have to be willing to shed the spending that we don’t need,”
“In these challenging times, when we’re facing both rising deficits and a sinking economy, budget reform is not an option. It’s a necessity,”
It doesn’t hurt that he slipped in a triad while he was at it.
When I listen to him speak, I can’t help being reminded of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech. The entire speech was filled with antithesis. Here’s just a small sample from his opening.
“We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom — symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning – signifying renewal, as well as change.”
Notice how Kennedy also combined antithesis with a triad.
If you want to keep improving as a speaker, study the speakers of the past and present that have captured the attention of the world. You’ll notice they used similar techniques even though their speaking styles may be different. The old techniques always have and always will work in speaking.
As I’ve said in previous posts, “history repeats itself in public speaking”.
