Does Ed Miliband speak with the gravitas of Obama, the grace of Clinton, or the glow of Cameron? Not quite. However, he did make the right choice by speaking without notes at this week’s Labour Conference in Manchester.
From a technical perspective, Miliband demonstrated several commendable speaking skills:
Great eye contact
Effective pauses
Appropriate pacing
Well-timed gestures
Engaging stories about people he met
Strategic repetition
Emphasis on key points
It’s clear that Ed Miliband is an accomplished public speaker. He opened his speech by discussing a local resident in Salford, reflecting on how Manchester is a ‘fantastic city’ filled with cherished memories. He acknowledged the near collapse of the country and thanked Gordon Brown, Alastair Darling, and others for their roles in maintaining unity, which earned him thunderous applause.
Miliband also recounted conversations with people he had recently met and his personal connections helped form a bridge to the audience. He praised the ‘brilliant’ National Health Service twice and shared his experiences observing nurses working cohesively in an A&E department, receiving standing ovations when he stated:
“An NHS with time to care.”
“I know my dad loved Britain.”
A Strong Yet Ordinary Speech
While Miliband delivered a well-structured, polished, and mindful speech, one that most coaches would commend, was it truly memorable? Not really. It was filled with the usual political platitudes, familiar constituent stories, and typical slants politicians use against one another.
If you were to critique Miliband using a best practice checklist, he would tick most of the boxes. Yet, for me, something was missing, imagination and inspiration. There wasn’t anything new, compelling, or particularly invigorating. Had I been present in the audience, I would have stifled a few yawns, just as I did while watching the video later on.
Suggestions for Improvement
If I were to offer Ed Miliband suggestions beyond simply being more creative and memorable, they would include:
– Limit using the term “friends”: Initially, it feels friendly, but overuse can come off as patronising.
– Avoid repetitive hand gestures: The thumb-and-two-fingers position can be distracting.
– Own the platform: Use space effectively and engage with the whole audience, avoiding having his back to any part of the room.
– Create a memorable conclusion: Wrap up with a powerful closing statement that resonates.
– Dare to be different: Take more risks to engage the audience.
If you need help developing your public speaking and 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
Image courtesy of Canva.com
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