Campaign Challenge: Learn from Them as Speakers

It’s tempting to want to tune out the nonstop din of presidential campaign appearances, but smart business leaders will use this time to observe and learn from the best (or in this case, worst) habits of the candidates when they’re at the podium.

As a longtime speechwriter and presentation coach, here’s my take so far:

Hillary Clinton is one of those people who either doesn’t trust that her microphone works, or forgets in the moment that it’s right in front of her. Her volume and those grating hints of vocal strain (the latter from what is, I’m sure, an exhausting schedule) make her sound far more strident than she should.

Advice for Ms. Clinton: You don’t have to yell at people to get them to listen. Even in a crowd, a more natural, comfortable tone of voice is always more engaging. And if you’re going to gesture, vary them a bit—don’t just keep pointing at people.

Donald Trump is a speechwriter’s nightmare, who clearly doesn’t stick to the script. The ability to ad-lib is a precious gift, but not when it’s overused. Effective presentations flow naturally from one point to the next, complete with logical transitions – and they’re written that way for the benefit of the audience. So, when the speaker goes too far afield, it’s jarring – both for speaker and crowd – to have to figure out how to get back to the scripted remarks and continue without diluting the message.

Advice for Mr. Trump: When you head off on a tangent, that’s where the focus goes, too. You might have some great points to make – but we’re not hearing enough of them. React to the audience or embellish your written remarks with an ad-lib only when you can make the point short and positive.

I’ll keep watching these two on the campaign trail and report any other findings that might be useful. Let me know if there are other habits you're noticing when you observe them, too.

(Image courtesy of Ladyheart/morguefile.com.)