Bending It Like Obama

President Obama is known for his polished public speaking skills.  Books have been written about his methods.  College courses invoke his style as representative of the ultimate goal in public speaking.  The media regularly broadcast soundbites as samples of his flawless speech making.

And yet ...

Is such perfection available to the rest of us?  Indeed, should such perfection be sought?

I propose a different slant.

It might be said that President Obama speeches compare to the performances on The Voice or American Idol, the operative word here being performances.  If one rehearses and memorizes, practices reading from the teleprompter for pace and cadence, anyone could sound like Obama.  Indeed, some might aspire to just that.  But what about a conversational tone?  In conversation, there is the occasional um, ah, and er; there is also a flight of ideas, jumping randomly from subject to subject, qualifiers, and apologies, so that speaking does not come across linearly.  Consider the following: "You know it.  I went into her office, just to kind of feel her out, because I didn't know if it was the right time to ask for a raise just then, but - and I knew it wasn't, but ...".  This is not the type of language one would put in a formal speech; but it is conversational.  Even President Obama, when speaking to reporters at a press conference, without the benefit of the teleprompter, is much more measured in his replies, hesitating at times, pondering his responses, all in an attempt to project the very best response appropriate to the occasion and to his politics.  The question is, what kind of speech are you trying to make? If you wish to emulate Churchill or Obama, by all means, craft the perfect speech, with perfect grammar and lofty, inspiring vocabulary; practice reading it until it is integral with your breathing; rehearse it until you have it down flat, and deliver your speech proudly from your chosen pulpit.  But if you are trying to connect with your audience on a personal level, be conversational and intimate; allow yourself to be less than perfect.  This is where authenticity shines.