10 things you can learn from Barack Obama
My visit to the former President of the USA in Zurich
Again and again I get the answer to my question: "Which person presents particularly well?" "Barack Obama".
How happy I was that Barack Obama was coming to the Hallenstadion in Zurich. Now I could watch this speaker live and with an audience.
It wasn't a blazing campaign speech yesterday, but one can learn a lot of things from his public speaking skills too!
Analysis:
Clever and a bit American was the opening act. First a soul singer, followed by a business talk (acoustically poorly understandable) and then the star violinist Nigel Kennedy. So the audience slowly got up to operating temperature from act to act.
And then the performance of Barack Obama began.
What was immediately noticeable was the resonance of his voice.
His voice sounded relaxed, calm, and self-assured. And, in contrast to the previous speakers, it was consistently easy to understand. Yes, speaking with a microphone needs to be practiced... . And Obama has had a lot of practice. You can see that.
The typical Obama pauses
Why you like to listen to Obama so much and why you can follow his words so well are the pauses he makes while speaking. He said himself yesterday: "It shows that I'm actually thinking about what I'm saying. Which I don't think is always the case with politicians."It shows that I'm actually thinking about what I'm saying. Which I don't think is always the case with politicians.
Barack Obama
His personal stories
For example, Obama told of his honeymoon 30 years ago with Michelle in California, what room they stayed in, how they overlooked the ocean from there and how it took him a year to pay it off. All the many stories he told throughout the evening plant pictures in the audience's memory and stay there. That's what makes the performance so lively.
Dramaturgy
What he was able to play with very well was the alternation of personal stories, which usually had something humorous, and the connection to a serious topic or a message that was important to him. For example, he talked about artificial intelligence and deep fakes and what challenges that brings. So I guess a video surfaced of him walking down the Ramblas in Barcelona a few days ago in a t-shirt. He was indeed in Barcelona, but as he assured high and holy, it could not have been him . The alternation of stories and messages keeps tension and makes the audience stay attentive for a longer time and at the same time stimulates thinking. All this makes the messages stick in the memory.
Humor
His humor and lightness make listening very enjoyable. For example, when asked where he sees his career in 5 years, he smirked and said it's not easy to find a job that fits his CV.
Part of his speeches is always hope - "Here is the good news"
Yesterday, for example, was about protecting the climate. He managed to plant hope in the minds of the audience that following generations will be very engaged and it can continue to develop for the better as a result. And every small step in the right direction is significant. This leaves the audience with openness and the will to continue to make positive changes. Always a bit according to the motto: Yes, we can!
He remains approachable and conducts a real conversation.
What he does very well: He comes across as a human being and wants to be perceived as such and not just in his function as a former president. He really conversed with the moderator and also responded to reactions from the audience. He always managed to connect with the lives and problems of the audience. He wants people to remember him as a good husband, good father, someone who made mistakes and learned from them, and someone who had weaknesses. On his deathbed, however, for which he is much too young, he joked, he would like to be remembered, for example, pushing his daughter on the swing. As a speaker, he is perceived as a person you can talk to, who has strengths and weaknesses. And you want that accessibility as an audience - always. Not just when you're sitting across from a former president.
Gestures and posture
In general, his posture was relaxed and he used open gestures. By the way, that's not easy to do on an armchair like the one he was sitting in yesterday. Most people tend to sit wedged in or sink down and don't know where to put their arms and legs. Obama had his legs crossed open to his interlocutor and used free and large gestures. You can see that he has a lot of experience in this.
And one important thing
You can see that he likes to be in the spotlight and to talk. He enjoys the situation!
In this sense: Let yourself be inspired by outstanding speakers and learn from them.
Anne-Christiane Schneider
Only one thing I would do differently
While a large part of the audience was already listening to the pre-program, Barack Obama arrived from Barcelona and was driven into the Hallenstadion. If you are a very experienced speaker, have a lot of people taking care of the rest of the schedule, and have an audience in front of you that wants to see you badly, it works. However, if you are not the former President of the United States, my advice is to allow plenty of time before important appearances. Then you will have the opportunity to react to the unexpected.(written by Anne-Christiane Schneider on April 30, 2023)
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