The Power of Emotion: Lesson from the Solicitor General

 This morning on Politico, J. Lester Feder explores the question:

Did Verrilli choke? And does it really matter?

Feder quotes Arnold & Porter's Lisa Blatt, a former assistant to Verrilli:

Blatt said she was primarily surprised that Verrilli "didn't seem that excited to be up there." Given that this is one of the biggest cases in modern history, she said, "I would think it would be a blast to be up there."

Clearly, Verrilli's lack of excitement made just as much if not more of an impact than his actual substance. This is an unfortunate but easily avoidable mistake.

From the Green Room: People remember how they felt when they listen to you even more than the information they learned. 

No matter how unprepared or nervous you are, try to communicate positive emotion. At the very least, people will remember something positive from your presentation. 

How to Dress on Camera: Advice from Rachel Maddow

Today on NPR's Fresh Air, Terri Gross interviewed Rachel Maddow:



About two thirds of the way through the interview, Terry Gross asks Maddow why she chooses to dress the way she does on TV.

Maddow replies, "My idea about what I look like on television is essentially that I don't want you to not notice what I look like on television. I have this basic idea that what I am proud of...is based entirely on how good my argument is and how good the interview is and how well I say what I want to say... I want to create a neutral visual experience."

From the Green Room: Don't wear anything that will distract the audience from hearing what you have to say.

Lesson from Rick Santorum: Don't Dart Your Eyes

Rick Santorum did many things wrong in his victory speech after winning the Louisiana primary:



He was clearly unprepared and unsure of himself.  This was apparent not only in his content, but also in his eyes.
 
Notice the way his eyes dark back and forth when he speaks. The lack of focused, sustained eye contact lowers his status and makes him appear nervous, shifty - and worst of all - unconfident.




From the Green Room: Use your eyes to connect with each person in your audience. Look directly at one person at a time. Don't rush, but instead focus on one person per thought.

Match Your Voice to Your Message

Watch Peter Diamandis' recent TED talk: Abundance is Our Future:



Diamandis' message is one of great optimism and hope. We believe his words, not just because he has compelling content but also because his voice sounds strong and uplifting.


From the Green Room: If you want your message to stick, the sound of your voice, needs to be in sync with your content.

Kony 2012: The Power of a Story

What makes the beginning of the Kony 2012 video so gripping? 

Rather than focus on the broad issue and facts about Joseph Kony's horrific crimes, the filmmaker hones in on the story of a single child - Jacob. Using concrete details, vivid language, and of course - pictures, he makes us care about the issue right from the start:

From the Green Room: If you want to move people to action, before you give them the facts, try telling them a story.

Speaking Lesson from Meryl Streep: Take a Breath

So often Oscars acceptance speeches are a torrent of thank you's - the speaker tries to get everything in before the music cuts in.

While understandable at the Oscars, this is a mistake speakers often make. We try to fill up the space with as many words as possible - and leave no room for what is one of the speaker's most powerful tools -  silence.

What made Meryl Streep's acceptance speech so refreshing - and so elegant - was her pacing. She breathed. She spoke slowly. She actually left time for the audience to absorb her words.
 
Granted, she went over her time limit. But if all of us could give that kind of speech in under three minutes, we'd be doing pretty well!

From the Green Room: Say less. Say it slower. Give yourself time to pause - and the audience time to process your words.

One Word Only

In tonight's CNN GOP debate, the candidates were asked to describe themselves in one word only.



One of these words doesn't belong with the others. Which one is it?

A. Ron Paul: Consistent
B. Rick Santorum: Courage
C. Mitt Romney: Resolute
D. Newt Gingrich: Cheerful


If you answered "C," I agree.

The other three words are concrete - and thus memorable.

"Resolute" is about as abstract a choice as you can get - and is thus utterly unremarkable and unmemorable. As proof, notice the lack of audience reaction after Romney states his choice.

From the Green Room: Whether you have one word or 1,000 - if you want your ideas to stick, use concrete language.

Madonna Teaches Us How to Mess Up

When you get up to speak, you will inevitably make a mistake. Everyone does. What separates the good from the great is not how perfect you are, but how well you can recover.

It was hard to miss Madonna's twice near falls in last night's Super Bowl Halftime Show:



What was striking about these mistakes was how she kept going and didn't miss a beat.

From the Green Room:  Sometimes your most impressive speaking moments happen when something goes wrong, and you bounce back. Embrace your foibles, and keep going!

Singing vs Song-Leading

Watch this video comparing Obama and Romney singing:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26852192/vp/46200939#46200939



Vocal talent aside, why was Obama's performance so much more compelling?

Obama's "Let's Stay Together" conveyed real emotion, while Romney's "America the Beautiful" did not.  Romney led the song, while Obama sang the song. And the audience immediately felt the difference.

From the Green Room: If you want to convey emotion, be a singer, not a song-leader. Emotions are contagious. The surest way to get your audience to feel a certain way, is if they feel the emotion coming from you. 

Don't Undermine Yourself

Listen to how Michelle Bachmann responds to her introduction  at the opening Iowa Caucus Night Speech:



Brad gives her a rousing introduction which he ends by saying that Bachmann:

"...pound for pound is the toughest person in Washington, DC."

Bachmann proceeds to take all the energy out of his words when she says:

"I was introduced in all 99 counties counties with that same phrase, "pound for pound."

From the Green Room:  No matter how embarrassed or annoyed you are by a on overly flattering, repetitive, or lengthy introduction, don't express this publicly. You will only undermine yourself.

To avoid this problem in the first place, take time to go over introduction beforehand. People are almost always happy for the speaker to give guidance on this.

Speaking Lesson from Drew Brees: It's You, Not Me

Watch New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees' speech, after breaking Dan Marino's single season passing record:



Notice how he rarely speaks about his own feelings and accomplishments, but instead focuses on the roles played by everyone else. Not only does this show tremendous moral character, but it is a much more compelling and exciting speaking style.

From the Green Room: As much as possible, substitute "you" for "I."

For example, try to avoid beginning a speech by saying something like "I'm honored to be here." Instead, begin with a "you" statement: "Each one of you made this day possible."

Speaking Lesson from Elmo

Listen to this NPR interview with Kevin Clash, the man behind Elmo:



About six minutes into the interview, Terry Gross asks Elmo what he has to do to remain invisible, especially when kids come into the studio.

He responds:

"They really don't look at me when they see Elmo. They run to Elmo because it's a friend of
theirs that they've been talking to and communicating with and singing with for so many years. We've found that the delusion is not broken by seeing us puppeteers. They see the characters in front of them. ... I get humbled by it all the time. The things that they tell Elmo, the expression on their face when they see their friend."

As a puppeteer, Clash connects with his audience by making himself invisible - by being someone Elmo. On one hand, making yourself invisible is the opposite of what you need to do as a speaker. You need to reveal yourself in order to connect to the audience.

On the other hand, there is a powerful speaking lesson here. By removing himself from the picture, Clash is able to be fully generous and present with his audience.

As a speaker, self-consciousness inhibits presence. When we are too aware of ourselves, we fail to be fully present with the audience - and we get nervous.

By focusing on the audience - by being generous - we are able to give the audience the full gift of our presence.

Be Generous

This is a great time of year to talk about generosity - one of the most powerful qualities a speaker can possess.


How do you feel when someone tries to sell you something?

At best, you may feel compelled to buy it.
At worst, you may feel manipulated, annoyed, and even violated.
But you almost never feel a true sense of connection with the seller.

Now, how do you feel when someone gives you a gift?

At worst, you may feel disappointed not to have gotten something better.
At best, you feel terrific.
And almost always, you feel grateful.

From the Green Room: Speak with generosity. Remember you are giving the audience a gift - not making a sales pitch. This subtle change in attitude makes can make enormous difference in how you approach your audience - and in how you are received.

Even to an Audience of One: Speaking Lesson from the Muppets

It happens to the best of us.

You prepare a super presentation - and no one shows up. Wait it gets worse. If absolutely nobody showed, you could at least call it a day and go home.

But one person comes. And you have no choice but to stay and give the presentation.

It happened to the Muppets.

In the 2011 movie, the Muppets have to put on the show of their lives - and only one person shows up to watch - Hobo Joe.

So what do they do?

They perform as if there were millions watching. And what happens? Eventually, millions tune in.

From the Green Room: Aim to be at your best every time you get up to speak - even if only one person shows up. You never know where that can lead.

Nancy Duarte - The Shape a Great Presentation

Listen to this inspiring TED talk given by Nancy Duarte, author of slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations:

Duarte explains that great presentations share the same basic shape - a movement between what is and what could be. She analyzes Steve Jobs' iPhone launch keynote and MLK's I Have a Dream peech - and demonstrates how - in very different ways - both speeches share that up-down shape.

While I find her analysis fascinating, what interested me even more was her ultimate takeaway: This is the shape of overcoming obstacles. By moving back and forth from what is to what could be, the speaker enables the audience to move past the resistance of the present reality - and into the possibilities for the future.