What happened to the Orators?
What happened to the Orators?
Gone are the days of Henry, Webster, and Lincoln.
I was sitting in my networking meeting when the gentleman beside me, Aaron, said, “Can I borrow your book? I’m going to do it like you today.” I said sure, but I wasn’t sure what he meant. We were at the introduction period of the meeting, where each person stood up and speaks for sixty seconds about their business. We were sitting at the far end of the room near the front. Most people stand at their chairs and speak; I, on the other hand, walk to the front of the room. One by one, each person spoke, and I kept wondering what Aaron would do with my book and what he meant by doing it like me today. Then the time came.
Aaron stood up and walked to the front of the room. In a booming voice, he said, “I’m Aaron, and I want to talk to you about insurance.” He held the book up, “Most insurance contracts are about the size of this book, and I know most people don’t have time to read them. That’s why you need a good agent. Someone who takes the time to go through it with you.” When he sat down he said, “ I’ve been watching you, and I wanted to try and speak like you today. You command a room, and I think I’m starting to understand why.” I said you’re right, you did a great job, and if you want more guidance, I am happy to give you tips on how to speak in public. We said this all in a whisper during the meeting so the exact words may differ.
It got me thinking. Where have all the great Orators gone? Where are the Daniel Websters, Patrick Henrys, and Abraham Lincolns? Most politicians read their speeches off teleprompters now; they do not perform them. They are not public speakers as much as they are public readers. There is nothing wrong with public reading, it presents its own set of challenges, but it doesn’t captivate an audience like a speaker who can pierce the eyes of everyone in the room. Reading off a screen doesn’t inspire the listener as a well-prepared orator does.
When I got home I started to organize my thoughts. I wanted to write a simple set of instructions that could help others speak in public. I have studied some of the great public speakers in history, from Henry to Bryant, and here is what I have learned.
A strong public speaker crafts a story around their message. They memorize the details by being rigorously prepared for the topic. Then they tell a story. The metaphors may change from speech to speech, but the message stays the same. Lincoln was exemplary at this during the Lincoln-Douglas debates. TR did this from the Bully Pulpit and FDR did it through his Firside Chats.
Public speaking is all about confidence, and confidence comes with being prepared.
Write it down. Know what you’re going to say and write it down, so it can be practiced. Write it like a story. The first sentence is the introduction. The middle is the meat of what you’re looking to communicate. And the end is a conclusion. What do you want the listener to take away?
Keep it concise. If you have a lot to say, it’s hard to remember it all. When planning what to say, try to keep it limited to 1-3 bullet points. If you communicate too much information at once the listener will get lost and struggle to follow.
Practice it out loud. Practicing out loud helps build confidence but also shines a light on sentences that are wordy or hard to say. Sometimes saying certain words together can be tricky. Practicing out loud allows us to catch these mistakes. It also allows you to manage your time and keep a good pace when speaking. If you speak too fast the listener will struggle to keep up. If you speak too slowly they will fall asleep.
This is a basic outline of how to speak in public. There are, of course, other factors, like how to control the volume of your voice and the importance of eye contact. But those will be learned over time with practice.
Why do our politicians read off of teleprompters as opposed to performing speeches? It’s probably a combination of things. Most of them either lack the confidence and skill set to speak, or they are not well-versed in what they want to speak about. When you hear a candidate fumbling over words and rambling off on tangents, it means they either lack information or they did not prepare properly—either way, they should do better before deciding to run for office. Running for office is one of the most important leadership positions we have in our society, and too many people are focused on repeating sound bites as opposed to saying something of value.
Aaron could replicate my style and command the room because he is deeply knowledgeable about the topic at hand; insurance. He knew what he was speaking about, and he had a plan on how to say it. This skill does not come naturally to everyone but can be cultivated with hard work and understanding. If you’ve followed me on my journey, you’ve probably noticed how my voice has changed. I’ve left all my old videos up on Instagram and Facebook. You can go back and see what I sounded like a year ago compared to now. Part of the change is practice, I am not a person who feels comfortable with a room full of strangers staring at me or looking into a camera. The other part is preparedness. To feel comfortable I need to know my topic.
If you’re passionate about our country and deeply knowledgeable about our history and government then you should be a leader running for office. Our country needs people who are rigorously prepared for office and who have something valuable to share as opposed to sound bites like, build the wall, return power to the people, or save democracy. How does building a wall solve immigration? How do you return power to the people? How do you save democracy when you are a democratic republic and democracy is not threatened?
If you want to learn more, go to madisonianrepublicans.com, and let’s have a conversation. We can provide the information you need to run for a local office, and we can give you the communication tools to have your message heard. If you don’t want the pressure of running for office, then you could join our volunteer staff and help others make the change our community needs.