Speak to Lead

Public Speaking: Audience research lesson from Speaker Hall of Fame Herb True CPAE

Early in my speaking career, I had the privilege of appearing on the same program as Herb True, a member of the National Speakers Association's Hall of Fame.

Since most of you reading this post may never have heard of Herb, let me introduce you.

After years on the faculty of Notre Dame, Herb went full time speaking to corporate and association audiences. Herb billed himself as the "EduTainer," blending education with entertainment. 

For some audiences he wore costumes to make his points. When most speakers presented without A/V, Herb was using 35mm slides...lots of them. Not word slides, but exciting, interesting pictures and graphics. On a visit to South Bend, I stopped to see Herb and saw his slide collection--literally thousands of slides, all catalogued. 

Funny, informative, motivating, relevant, Herb was one of the busiest speakers in the country.

Now back to the program with Herb. Both of us were scheduled to speak to an association annual convention on a Thursday. Herb had the opening keynote; I was doing a breakout session.

The convention began Wednesday evening with an opening reception, a simulated Philadelphia block party (yes, we were meeting in Philly). While I was enjoying the Mummers and Philly cheese steaks, I noticed Herb was sitting on the floor, reporter's notepad in hand, talking with an attendee. I moved closer to hear what he was saying.

"Were you at last year's convention? What was the best idea you took home? What are you hoping to learn this year? Anything happen to you this past year that was especially good or bad? Anything that would be typical of what other members are going through? Whom do you admire most in your industry? Why? What have you learned in the past year?"

Then he would hop up, grab another attendee, sit him or her down, and go through the questioning process again.

While the rest of us were partying, Herb was mining the audience for examples, names, issues, concerns, and industry humor.

By the next morning, he had refined much of what he had mined, and gave it back to the audience as gold nuggets of industry understanding and insight. And quickly, he was one of them. 

I saw Herb the next day after we both had presented. I mentioned how I had observed his interviews and complimented him on how much of the information he had incorporated into his talk.

"Yes, it's a great source of what's really on people's minds, a great way to customize. But the main reason I do it is I love to learn! If we don't learn something new every day, we can't improve."

Then right before we parted, he looked at me and asked intensely, "Lou, what did you learn today?."

After every speech, workshop, client meeting, or at the end of a day at home, Herb's question comes back to me. "What did you learn today?"

Political Debates: Post Iowa debate Republicans need to heed advice given to Nixon

Richard Nixon in 1967, a Washingtonian Magazine article in 1984, and an experience with political bloggers in 2009, all came into alignment as I was thinking back on last week's Iowa Republican Debate.

The hardest lesson for Republicans to embrace is the reality that persuasion depends on emotion, not reason.

Just as I was dismayed in 2009 to hear a political blogger say that all they needed to do was get out the facts (click here to read the original post), I was disheartened that the Iowa debate produced few moments that connected emotionally enough to be remembered. Actually, I'd have to think hard to remember even one.

I compare that to the first time I heard Mike Huckabee speak. It was in 2007 and I still recall in some detail, and still feel the emotions I felt, when he related the story of going to town with his father to see the governor speak, and a second story about a school teacher and veterans.Two clear memories after 4 years; none after 5 days.

Which leads to the Washingtonian article. I was going through a scrapbook of interviews I did in my early days. One was with the Washingtonian in April 1984. In an accompanying article, I came across advice political consultant William Gavin gave to Richard Nixon in 1967 in preparation for his 1968 presidential campaign. 

It was true then. It's true now. And if Republicans want to win back the Senate and White House, they need to pay heed.

Here is Gavin's advice to Richard Nixon:

Voters are basically lazy, basically uninterested in making an effort to understand what we're talking about.

Reason requires a high degree of discipline, of concentration; impression is easier.

Reason pushes the viewer back, it assaults him, it demands that he agree or disagree; impression can envelop him, invite him in, without making an intellectual demand.

Let's see how they do in the next debate.

Iowa Republican Presidential Debate-Winners, losers, gotcha answers, no more huddled masses yearning to be free

Over the years, I have come to loathe U.S. Presidential debates.

I've viewed (double entendre intended) them as one of the rare curses of my profession. I've watched because I know clients will ask me what I thought about the candidates' performances.

On those occasions when I've had a horse in the race, of course, the debates were inherently more interesting, and the stakes more important. 

Otherwise, most debates are like police work: long periods of boredom broken periodically by a moment of excitement.

Tonight's Fox News/Washington Examiner sponsored Republican Primary Debate from Ames, Iowa was different. I found it entertaining.   

Kudos go to Bret Baier who wins top prize for a superb job as moderator. He has the talent of asking good questions, keeping things mostly on track, without being self-important. He has what some of the candidates lack, that sense of being a fun guy to be with.

So what did I think of the candidates?

Here, 90 minutes after the debate was over, and without having taken any notes to refer to, is what I still remember:

Listening to media pundits: heard any ultracrepidarians lately?

Ultracrepidarian. How could I have spent over 30 years dealing with the news media and not been aware of this term? Thanks to my 365 Amazing Trivia Facts Calendar (Workman Publishing), I've now been enlightened!

Ultracrepidarian: a person who voices opinions beyond his or her scope of knowledge. 

The U.S. debt ceiling crisis has provided experts a media interview heyday. But were the "experts" expert? Or were they ultracrepidarians? Or an accountant waiting for a job interview?

I recall sitting in the green room of a network affiliate here in Washington, DC. I was with a client awaiting her appearance on the morning show. Suddenly a producer rushed