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Here Are Simple Tricks You Can Use To Speak Like Former President Barack Obama

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ByMohd Azad Jasmi
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I recently attended my quarterly Board meeting in Johor Bahru, a southern state in Malaysia. I have been on the board for a few years now; for a government-linked company that is under the purview of one of the ministries in Malaysia.

Whenever I travel, I usually bring a book or magazine or find one at the airport. On this particular day, I was reading “The Everyday Hero” by Robin Sharma. However, I stumbled upon a book about Obama and his speeches in one of the airport bookshops. Although I found the book quite interesting, I did not purchase it as I was already holding a book in my hand. As I prefer to travel light, I was intrigued to learn more about Obama’s style of speech

As I walked through the airport in search of my gate with Obama’s book still on my mind, I couldn’t help but imagine myself as George Clooney’s character, Ryan Bingham, in the movie “Up in the Air.” I like that movie.

Ryan Bingham works for a human resources consultancy firm that specializes in assisting companies with employee terminations. His job requires him to travel extensively throughout the country to conduct company layoffs. In addition to his work, Ryan also gives motivational speeches where he encourages people to live without being burdened by relationships and material possessions. As a frequent flyer, Ryan is determined to accumulate ten million frequent flyer miles with American Airlines. Just as I was lost in thought, the flight personnel announced the boarding of my flight.

If you happen to be a fan of George Clooney, a management consultant, or enjoy light-hearted comedy dramas, I would highly recommend watching this movie.

Later that week, I went to the MPH bookstore and read a book about Obama’s speeches. I have always been captivated by how Obama delivers his speeches and interviews. His delivery is remarkably natural, and he appears to effortlessly connect with his extensive audience as if he were addressing a smaller group. His speeches are characterised by a great tone, exceptional voice projection, and well-placed instances of wit.

Now, let’s learn something from him.

From the books and articles I’ve read about Obama, I have learned that he is widely regarded as one of the best public speakers of our time. I believe that his exceptional skills as a public speaker played a crucial role in propelling him to the presidency of the United States and making him one of the most influential people in the world.

But what sets him apart from other speakers? How does he manage to captivate and inspire his audience so effectively?

Techniques We can learn from Obama about public speaking

1st Technique: Utilize tales

Tell Stories. A story is included in almost all of his speeches, frequently at the beginning. Because a well-told story makes us understand the situation, feel the pain, and even share the lead character’s hope, stories are extremely effective tools. Obama told the story of his parents, America, and his “audacity to hope” at the Democratic convention in 2004. He was completely unknown at the time, but by the end of his speech, he had gained a following. (Obama’s discourse)

At the point when he was battling the movement issue, he recounted the account of an American outsider, with her close by. He relies on recent accounts of gun violence when advocating for gun control. Emotions are evoked by a story. We both laugh and cry at it. It pushes us to take action. A story is vital.

2nd Technique: Eye Contact

He makes eye contact as if he were talking to each person. Even through the TV, Obama looks straight at us, as if he wants to talk to each of us. He doesn’t shout. He doesn’t treat us like second-class citizens. He looks at you as though he’s talking to someone he admires.

This is both a great way to lessen stage fright and a great way to connect with the audience. Make it look like you’re talking to just one person in the audience by looking at them as if they were your best friend. After a few sentences, you can shift from one person to another. Make it sound like you are speaking to your best friend.

3rd Technique: Maintain a natural range in your voice

His voice is used, as he naturally alters his pitch, volume, and speed. He makes a point while pausing. At the point when individuals are great at it, it appears to be regular, however, the vast majority need to practice to foster this ability.

4th Technique: Show that you are a genuine individual

He shows us that he’s human. He talks about his situation, his past, and his family with a sense of authenticity. His face and body language convey his passion, feelings, and sense of humor. He appears to be a real human being. He incorporates his story into the American ideology and political message. He utilizes normal language and associates with individuals.

He appears to proceed with empathy and occasionally weeps. He turns out to be immediately trustworthy and amiable.

5th Technique: Be respectable

He seems official. He maintains his composure, sanity, and dignity even when he displays emotions. Unlike Donald Trump, he does not insult female reporters or the wife of his opponent. He doesn’t scream constantly as Hilary Clinton does. He simply tells his story, makes his point, and draws a rational, calm, and respectable conclusion to his argument.

I’ll now give some examples from his speeches. His speeches have changed how many people communicate. He is considered to be one of the most gifted and powerful speakers in the world today. His address to more than a thousand students at the University of Illinois at Urbana was packed with lessons for all of us about public speaking.

Here are some examples from his speeches

Despite being a speech that called for action and urgency, Barack Obama opened on a lighter note

Being serious does not have to be boring. Putting his interests in American legislative issues to the side briefly, he started saying:

It’s good to be back at home. It is pleasing to see corn.

It’s good to see beans and corn. As we took off, I was trying to explain to someone: That is corn. That has beans.’ My expertise in agriculture awed them greatly.

Take a moment to not take yourself too seriously, no matter what your message is.

Knowing your audience pays off

This speech was written with a very clear goal in mind. It was made to make people feel anxious and compelled to vote. Barack Obama had done his homework before his sincerity. Before delivering his message, he wanted to make everyone feel as good as possible.

“I want to begin by addressing the room’s lone elephant. I’m aware that some people are still pondering my absence from the 2017 commencement address. When I declined, I was informed that there was speculation that I would be boycotting campus until Antonio’s Pizza reopened. The Student Body President sent a thoughtful invitation, and students produced a pretty video. To be clear, I did not participate in that late-night food argument.

Connecting with their audience is a priority for the better presenter. This necessitates knowing as much as you can about them before speaking. In advance, learn as much as you can about your audience.

Ensure that your message is crystal clear

Obama spoke for just over an hour; that is a very long time. He utilized consistently carefully and actually; making sure that everything he said backed up his decision to speak. He had only one clear and concise message.

His hour was carefully used as a stage to make sure his audience understood and felt what he was saying.

“As a fellow citizen, not as an ex-president, but as a fellow citizen, I’m here to deliver a simple message, and that is that you need to vote because our democracy depends on it.”

“I’m here today because this is one of those pivotal moments when every one of us, as citizens of the United States, need to determine just who it is that we are and what it is that we stand for.”

Your audience will not be either if you or your message is unclear. Start with a message that is compelling, concise, and clear.

Use sound bites to communicate

 A soundbite is something that your audience will quickly recall. It is crucial to the support and dynamism of your message. It’s easy to lose your audience after an hour of speaking. Make sure your words have an impact on your audience. Think carefully about what you say.

“We have the opportunity to restore some semblance of sanity to our politics in two months.”

“This moment is truly unique, as can be seen from a glance at the most recent headlines. There are greater stakes. More severe are the repercussions for any of us to remain on the sidelines.

“You never heard me threaten to shut them down or call them ‘enemies of the people, despite my numerous complaints regarding Fox News.

He is unquestionably the master of the pause. Silence is truly priceless

In the minds of many speakers, two seconds of silence feel like an unbearable eternity. The fact that those two seconds of silence are a gift to our audience is not appreciated by many. It enables your message to reach them and become ingrained in their minds. When we have so much to say, it lets them keep up with us. They can breathe as well thanks to our brief pause.

A pause conveys authority and confidence. It conveys your concern to your audience. If you want to improve your presentation skills, incorporate pauses into it.

Don’t just pause; slow down

Many presenters are pressed for time. As a result, they frequently speak too quickly. A hurried pace is difficult for audiences to keep up with. When it comes to public speaking, Barack Obama also sets the pace.

The pace and tone of the best public speakers and presenters are conversational. Maintaining up with them is simple. They inhale in between sentences and they talk with clearness.

Obama speaks with quiet sincerity each time. a pace that allows you to comprehend and follow every word he says. Don’t rush into speaking. Give your audience the gift of pausing, taking a deep breath, and slowing down.

Keep it real

Humility is one of his many strengths in public speaking. He will briefly provide you with an inside look at his personal and professional life. The majority of audiences are comfortable with the idea of learning more about their speaker. Being able to relate to them on a human level helps us. The same was true of this speech. Obama made it a point from the beginning to inform his audience:

“The truth is, if I wanted to remain married, I needed to spend some one-on-one time with Michelle after eight years in the White House.”

Additionally, she says hello. Additionally, I desired quality time with my daughters, who were suddenly young women leaving the house. By the way, I should also add that I can now tell all of the students here that your parents suffer now that I have a daughter in college.

They are crying alone. It is merciless. Therefore, call. Send a message.”

I could see many “human-touch lessons” that we can gather from his speech and personality. Don’t stop there, whether you were the previous president, CEO, department head, teacher, executive, government offers, customer service agent or lecturer. Be that person, whether you’re a brother, sister, parent, or just a partner.

Every time we speak, we have the chance to lead and have an impact. It’s easy to speak, but it’s often hard to do so effectively. We will benefit greatly from these lessons from Barack Obama’s speech. They give you a great starting point for improving your presentation skills.

To conclude, here are some of the quotes by Obama

Here are a few quotes from former President Barack Obama.

  1. “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.”
  2. “The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.”
  3. “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.”
  4. “We did not come to fear the future. We came here to shape it.”
  5. “The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, it is more speech. We need to have more dialogue and fewer monologues.”

I rest my case.

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