Barack Obama came to the nation's attention
after his keynote
speech at the July 2004 Democratic
National Convention. He was confident and
inspiring and I believe that his strong
communication skills helped lead to his
victory over John McCain.
The Seven Lessons
1. Project confidence.
Audiences are drawn to powerful and
charismatic speakers. Obama has been compared
to Dr. Martin Luther King in his speaking
style and
conviction. He exudes confidence
through his steady gaze,
body language, and the rythym of his speech.
He is raising the bar for public speakers!
2. Have a clear message.
Define your objective for every presentation,
speech or meeting that you hold. What is your
purpose? Stay on track and don't go off on
tangents. Being clear and consistent helps
people understand your message.
3. Communicate in the way that your
audience wants to be communicated to.
The Obama campaign got people interested and
involved by using today's communication
technology to deliver his message via text
messaging, the web, and other media to reach
young voters, which gave him 66% of young
voters (from exit polls MSNBC).
4. Send a consistent visual image.
People do make judgments and have perceptions
by how you are dressed and groomed. Why is it
that people always dress up for the job
interview but then settle in to
casual and even sloppy when they get the job?
If you want to move forward in your career,
dress and look the part. Remember John
Kerry's fashion faux pas - continued
here
