14 Apr 2008
How does he do it?
We know your secret Mr ObamaAre you told everyday that you’re a stupendous speech-maker with a magical command of the English language? If you are then your name is probably Barack Obama, Democratic Presidential hopeful.
We asked Nick Smallman to highlight some of Obama’s techniques – and those too of Jon Favreau, Obama’s 26-year old head speech-writer. Here's a selection of Nick's pointers. First Obama:
• In the main he uses his Chest Voice. The chest is where your passionate voice is formed. It’s the voice you use when you’re speaking “from the heart”.
• He’s accomplished at using Pauses. They allow the audience time to let his message sink in. And he's accomplished too at emphasising Key Words to drive his message home.
• There’s a sense of Musical Composition about his delivery. A sense of structure. Listen to his set-piece speeches closely enough and you’ll discern a clear beginning, middle and end, with the pace of each section quicker than the last; the sense of urgency in each section greater than the last. Until the very end when the message you're intended to take away is revealed (and repeated) in some memorable phrase. This structure appeals to the brain in the same way as a similarly-constructed musical composition would appeal. It’s clever.
Then Favreau:
• Parallel Construction saves words, clarifies ideas and gives your message vitality, power, balance and rhythm. It also helps your listener (or reader) to get your point. Favreau knows how to use it:
“I made a different judgment … I thought our priority … I spoke out against … I worried about …”
(Obama: Iowa: 12-09-07.)
• He also makes good use of Threes which keep the listener’s attention (the point being that the listener instinctively knows that after the first two points, there is certainly going to be a third):
“I’m not talking about the budget deficit. I’m not talking about the trade deficit. I’m talking about the moral deficit …”.
(Obama: Jericho Speech: 21-01-08.)
• And finally, he’s an expert at using Plain Language. He does, after all, have at least one excellent teacher of the art. Try this:
“The news from Iraq is very bad.”
(Obama: Beginning of "Floor" Statement: 13-03-07.)
“The news from France is very bad …”
(Churchill: Beginning of WW2 Radio Broadcast: 17-06-40.)
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