Sims Wyeth sintetizou num pequeno texto, Five Ways to Speak Like Obama , as principais regras para dominar uma audiência. Treino, controlo da linguagem corporal, mensagens simples e um discurso bem preparado são os segredos de oratória identificados no presidente norte-americano.
1. Falar para a audiência
Start your talk by broadly defining the situation that your listeners face. Then, once you’ve got them nodding their heads in agreement, move on to describe the problems or challenges that are on their minds. Start where the audience is, not where you are. Once you have their attention, you can lead your listeners wherever you want to take them.
2. Manter a mensagem simples
Throughout the presidential campaign, Obama kept his main message — “change you can believe in” — simple and easy to remember. Sure, some pundits mocked its simplicity, but it served its purpose perfectly as the banner at the front of his parade. You, too, can keep it simple, even if you have mountains of research to report.
First, fine-tune your core message. (…)
3. Antecipar o que a audiência está a pensar
(…) Show your audience that you understand the contrary view better than they do, and explain why your proposal or argument is still superior.
4. Aprender a fazer pausas
Here’s an exercise to help you learn to pause.
Mark up your paragraphs / in this manner / into the shortest possible phrases. / First, / whisper it, / breathing / at all the breath marks. / Then, / speak it / in the same way. / Do this / with a different paragraph / every day.
Where you pause is up to you; there are no hard and fast rules. But try it. Slowly inhale to the count of three at each breath mark. Speak as though you had plenty of time. The goal / of this exercise / is to teach your body / to slow down.
5. Controlar a linguagem corporal
To achieve the body language that’s effective for you, focus on a single attribute — for example, calm — and practice implementing it in the basic motions of your day, from getting dressed in the morning, to leaving your home for work, to greeting your friends and colleagues.
(…)
Finally, you’ll need to rehearse. Practice calmly walking up to the lectern or the front of the room. Arrange your papers calmly. Look out to the audience with a sense of command, with assertiveness. Let the silence hang for a moment, and only then deliver your opening remarks.
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