> How to Inspire People Like Obama
> By Carmine Gallo

> Public speaking skills are critical to the success of every leader. Over
> the past several years, I have been interviewing, observing, and writing
> about business, academic, and political leaders who have the ability to
> influence their audience – leaders who fire up the rest of us. Whatever
> your political leanings, Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is one of them. For
> a look at what makes Obama’s public speaking skills so effective, I
> outline four techniques this Presidential hopeful has mastered and explain
> ways to use them in your own repertoire.

> 1. Hold Out Hope

> Like Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., John F. Kennedy, and
> Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama speaks in the uplifting rhetoric of hope.
> After his defeat in New Hampshire, Obama’s political oratory was so
> hopeful he sounded more like a winner than a runner–up. Obama knew a
> hopeful message would embolden his supporters. In a speech on Jan. 8,
> 2008, Obama said, “We know the battle ahead will be long. But always
> remember, no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in
> the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change… We have
> 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.”

> You are the leader people want to believe in. Your customers and employees
> are bombarded by bad news – the credit crunch, a housing slump, an
> economic slowdown – but they are eager to hear something positive. That
> doesn’t mean leaders stick their heads in the sand – far from it.
> Inspiring leaders acknowledge the situation but also remind people of
> reasons to be optimistic.

> 2. Use Rhetorical Devices

> Many observers say Obama sounds like King. This is because he uses some of
> the same techniques that made King an electrifying speaker.

> Parallel structure. We can thank the ancient Greeks for this rhetorical
> tool – they called it “anaphora.” It simply means repeating the same word
> or expression at the beginning of successive sentences or phrases. One of
> the most famous examples is King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. “I have a
> dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning
> of its creed…. I have a dream that… I have a dream…” Obama uses the same
> device frequently. In his Iowa victory speech on Jan. 3, Obama said, “You
> have done what the cynics said we couldn’t do. You have done what the
> state of New Hampshire can do in five days. You have done what America can
> do in this new year.”

> Anaphora’s sister technique is called “epistrophe.” It is the repetition
> of a word or expression at the end of successive sentences or phrases. For
> example, in Obama’s New Hampshire speech, the expression “Yes, we can”
> rallied thousands of supporters when used like this, “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 for distant shores and pioneers who
> pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness: Yes, we can.”

> Alliteration. Both Kennedy and King were fond of this device that strings
> together words starting with similar sounds. At the 2004 Democratic
> National Convention keynote speech that brought Obama to prominence, he
> said, “Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in
> a politics of hope?” In 2005, during a commencement speech at Knox
> College, Obama described America as “a place where destiny was not a
> destination, but a journey to be shared and shaped…” When speaking at the
> Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in August, 2006, Obama proclaimed, “The
> history of America is one of tragedy turned into triumph.” In January’s
> New Hampshire speech, Obama used alliteration again: “We have been told we
> cannot do this by a chorus of cynics.”

> Rich Imagery. Persuasive speakers have long understood the power of
> imagery to stir emotions – the creation of mental pictures through the
> words. In his 2004 speech, Obama described what he meant by the audacity
> of hope: “It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom
> songs, the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores, the hope of
> a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta, the hope of
> a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds, the hope of a skinny kid
> with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.”

> 3. Exude Confidence

> In debates Obama appears unflappable, answering tough questions while
> maintaining strong eye contact. He doesn’t fidget or shake his head when
> listening to sharp attacks from his opponents. While seated, he leans
> slightly forward. People will make an impression of you after only a few
> seconds. Pay attention to what your body is saying. Communicate
> confidence, competence, and control.

> 4. Use Dynamic Vocal Delivery

> A monotonous speaking style lulls the listener to sleep, regardless of the
> power of the content. Obama knows how to enhance his delivery. Consider
> these three aspects of his delivery.

> Pacing. Obama varies the speed at which he speaks. Very few sentences are
> delivered at exactly the same pace.

> Volume. In his victory speech after the Iowa caucuses, Obama raised the
> volume of his speech with each sentence in the following paragraph: “We
> are one nation. We are one people. And our time for change has come.”

> Pauses. Nothing is as dramatic as a well–placed pause, and Obama knows it.
> He pauses at key moments to make a memorable impact.

> Obama connects with millions of people thanks to his public speaking
> skills. Consider learning from him to influence your own audience.

> Carmine Gallo is a communications coach for the world's most admired
> brands. His book, "Fire Them Up!", contains insights from top business
> leaders who inspire through the language of motivation.
> http://www.carminegallo.com/