There aren’t many memorable speeches that can energise and fire up a crowd. Michelle Obama’s speech at the DNC 2024 did that. I found myself enthralled, mesmerised, and in awe of her skill and ability as an orator—so much so that I watched her speech FIVE times yesterday.
As with most speeches, hers would’ve been drafted, edited, redrafted and refined numerous times by her speech writer and herself. However, it’s the combination of her charisma, delivery, timing, enunciation, tone, voice, eyes, hand gestures and posture that brought her words and message across so authentically, emotionally and powerfully.
As co-owner and CEO of an award-winning communications agency group, I get to work with our clients on a range of strategies to empower them to get their key messages to their audiences in the most effective and engaging way. So, as I watched Obama’s captivating speech, I started noting why hers, above everyone else’s, was so extraordinary and on point.
I broke it down into eight key ways that made her speech so effective.
- Personal connection: She shared her own experiences, making her relatable and genuine. By sharing her grief over her mother’s passing and shared values, she connected her own experiences with nearly everyone in the crowd who has at one point in their lives felt the same. This made her message resonate on a personal level.
- Emotional depth: She spoke from the heart, addressing universal emotions like grief, hope, and resilience. Her speech was not just about facts or policy; she skillfully combined facts with emotional storytelling, making her speech resonate not just intellectually, but emotionally.
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- Clear messaging: She communicated complex ideas simply and directly, all the while, using her facial and body language to reinforce her points. This was punctuated with deliberate pauses, allowing her words to sink in and giving the audience time to reflect on her messages.
- Rhetorical mastery: Her use of repetition, parallelism, and rhetorical questions effectively reinforced key messages, making them truly memorable.
- Storytelling: She uses stories from her life and the lives of others to illustrate her points. She told them in vivid and descriptive ways, almost like she was having a personal conversation with the audience. Her language was straightforward and easy to understand. Instead, she made her points clear, purposeful and relatable.
- Call to action: Adopting Kamala Harris’ mother’s words, “Don’t sit around and complain about things. Do something!”, she directly challenged the audience to take action rather than remain passive. She also instilled a sense of urgency. Her expansive gestures and a raised chin further punctuated the need for everyone to take action – to “do something”. These words were repeated numerous time and she got the audience to say them with her, further reinforcing the key.
- Inclusivity: She frequently used inclusive language like “we”, “our” and “us,” to engage the audience, emphasising that they’re all part of the solution for the future and foster unity. She also referenced the sacrifices of previous generations, appealing to a broad audience’s sense of responsibility and legacy.
- Confident delivery: Her strong and steady voice commanded attention and strong reaction from the audience. Throughout the speech, her body language — from her firm posture to her expressive hand and finger movements — draws in and engages the audience as well as reinforces her powerful words, making her message compelling yet so relatable.
Her ability to balance critique with hope, coupled with a clear moral vision, made her message compelling. By invoking shared struggles and responsibilities, she was able to rouse and fire up the audience. Her ability to connect with diverse audiences and her eloquent communication skills are unmatched.
I believe all these combined elements made her speech a real standout moment at the Convention. It was truly a perfect blend of personal authenticity, deep emotional resonance, masterful storytelling and strategic use of rhetoric, making it so incredibly unforgettable.
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This article was first published on August 27, 2024
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