
I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed a sales pitch where the speaker calls the president “incompetent,” labels the competition “stupid,” and then proceeds to insult his own business partners, until now.
That’s exactly what Donald Trump did during his rambling speech at the Phoenix Convention Centre last week.
With an audience of thousands in the room and the potential to reach countless more, he had a golden opportunity to rally supporters with solutions, optimism, and a sense of direction. Instead, he chose a path filled with frustration and despair.
Political rhetoric is nothing new, but this felt different.
Here are eight ways he could elevate his next campaign speech.
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Lose the Lectern
Movement creates energy. It brings the platform to life and gives the audience something to connect with visually. That’s almost impossible to achieve when you’re gripping a lectern for dear life.
A lectern creates distance, step away from it and own the stage with your voice and your presence.
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Get Some Structure
Speaking from the heart is valuable, essential, even, but it’s not enough on its own.
Every great speech needs a clear, mindful structure that guides the audience from one idea to the next.
Here’s a simple framework that would have served him well:
Attention – Start with something that creates impact.For example: “There were X million unauthorised immigrants in the U.S. in 2014.”
Relevance – Explain why it matters.
Big numbers mean nothing without context. Tell the audience why they should care.
Message – Present the solution and the benefits.
Once the issue is clear, show the path forward.
Example – Bring it to life.
Facts alone don’t move people. Stories and examples do.
Do – Tell the audience what action you want them to take.
Clarity creates momentum.
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Make It About Your Audience
No audience wants to spend an hour listening to a speaker talk mostly about themselves. Wealth, personal grievances, business disputes; none of that helps the listener.
Make the message about them.
What difference can you make to their lives?
How does what you’re saying help them, specifically?
That’s what people care about.
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Slow Down
A powerful message needs space to breathe.
Pausing gives your audience time to absorb what you’re saying and gives you time to think. If you want a point to land with impact, don’t rush past it; let it settle.
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Ease Up on the Repetition
Repetition is useful, but overuse is exhausting.
Reinforce your key message at the beginning, strengthen it in the middle, and emphasise it at the end. But repeating the same point for an entire hour turns emphasis into monotony.
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Leave Out the Bad Jokes
Enough said.
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Get a Coach
A skilled presentation coach helps you keep the integrity of your message while shaping it into something compelling, inspiring, and clear.
A great coach doesn’t just polish your strengths; they help you understand the areas that need development and give you the tools to improve them.
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Create Hope, Not Animosity
Despite all our progress, one thing hasn’t changed: people still crave leadership that inspires hope rather than hostility.
When a leader speaks from the heart and offers a vision for change, the impact is far more powerful and far more sustainable than bitterness or blame.
Explain the problem, but focus on the solution and the benefits it will bring to your audience.
Watch the full video here:
If you need help with your public speaking & presentation skills:
– Book yourself onto a powerful public speaking course.
– Invest in some really good one to one public speaking coaching.
– Get yourself some excellent presentation training
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