Learning From Obama: Public Speaking Tips

When we talk about public speaking, the US President Barack Obama is one name that can never be skipped from the list of greatest communicators of all times. Be it his acceptance speech or his State of the Union address, Obama has been applauded every time for his free speaking style.

Obama definitely knows how to persuade audience and earn their interest, which makes learning the craft of public speaking from him, all the more essential especially when you are required to present publicly more often. So, here we are illustrating a few commonly witnessed traits of his speeches.

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Saying It With Conviction

When Obama is on stage, you surely know some explosion is going to happen. With use of gestures to punctuate every sentence and a certain tangibility and firmness in his voice, he actually delivers his point with so much conviction that you are left with no other option, but to believe him (if not completely then at least for the initial few minutes).

Adding Captivating Phrases

He has this ability to amplify words by drawing contrast that actually lets him imbue some amazing phrases in his speech. Take for instance, he once said, “the rising tides of prosperity and still waters of peace”. Such phrases instantly catch attention. Alongside using catchy lines, he is also habitual of emphasizing a specific word, time-and-again to make it the high point of speech.

Pausing to Add Weightage to Words

The US President takes indefinite pauses in the middle of his speech so as to give his audience enough time to think over his remarks. That’s not it! This technique of pausing and chunking actually gives audience some time to think over and react, thus, adding more weightage to his words.

A Story Makes a Difference

Many-a-times, Obama envelopes his message around a story, so as to hit the right cord of listeners. Say for instance, in his acceptance speech, he included the story of Anne Dixon, so as to lay emphasis on the long story of civil rights in America.

Such a tactic makes your point far more relatable and influential in front of your listeners.

Getting Personal, But How?

Getting personal in terms of Obama is all about projecting an honest picture of the current state, even if he is talking about economic crisis. An analysis of his inauguration speech shows Obama to be diligent with his word selection when getting personal. Further, he maintains a theme throughout the course of his speech.

Barack Obama is one name that will go down the history for introducing to the World the art of speaking your mind. And, there is definitely a lot to learn from him. Although nobody’s telling you to copy his persona but, at least an attempt can be made to incorporate his positives.