There have been many important speeches from presidents of the United States throughout my career as an executive speech coach. But I’ve never watched one like tonight’s speech by President Bush.
It was one of the only presidential speeches that I would categorize as a speech which needed to educate us. Only by educating us, could the president PERSUADE us that his plan was the right one for these dire economic circumstances.
Our individual and collective financial futures are at stake and most of us couldn’t tell what a mortgage backed security was if it was Fed Ex-ed to our front door. But mortgage-backed securities, as well as other complex financial terms and issues, needed to be explained to us in simple terms.
Continue reading "Bush Needs Visual Aids to Sell Bailout Plan"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of. Leave a Comment
Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, took the stage Wednesday night and wowed everyone in her audience, including many watching her on TV—like me. Her speech ranked up there with those of Joe Biden, Fred Thompson and Michele (yes, Michele, not Barack) Obama.
Just as Joe Biden set the stakes high for his “boss,” Barack Obama, to overwhelm the audience with substance and style, Palin has set the stakes high for John McCain to take the crowd on a trip into the future of our country. I don’t think Obama’s speech lived up to that. Will McCain’s?
Palin showed strength, warmth, and humor in a wonderfully worded speech. Her comments were naturally spoken, not shouted like way too many political speakers.
Continue reading "Another VP Candidate Hits a Home Run with Speech"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in General articles. Leave a Comment
Disclaimer: This is a NON-partisan blog. Its purpose is to point out the good, the bad and the ugly of giving speeches.
Day 1 of GOP convention
Best speaker: Fred Thompson. Worst speaker: Bill Gross
If you have any uncommitted time, google “Fred Thompson’s GOP Convention Speech” and watch it. He is a master, as you might expect from this senator-turned-actor-turned-presidential-candidate-turned-supporting-politician. He gets an A ++.
Here are the positives you need to think about in your speeches before large crowds. And some of these pointers might surprise you.
1. He used “but,” “uh,” and “and” throughout his speech. While there are speech coaches worldwide who will tell you to eliminate those words from your speech persona (and I do, too, if they’re an annoying habit) … his speech sounded so conversational with these 3 tiny words included. Reason: There are very few people who never use these words in every day conversation.
Continue reading "GOP Thompson Demonstrates 9 Speaking Tips"
Posted by Jean Palmer Heck in Analyses of, Good and Great Speeches. Leave a Comment
