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Move over Kim Kardashian. Michelle Obama broke the Internet and one-upped her carpool karaoke. In a moving speech that provided exactly the right balance of inspiration and attack on he who shall remain nameless, the First Lady showed as that simplicity, authenticity and storytelling trumps soundbites. She wasn’t just the First Lady of the United States, she was every parent in the United States. It is hard to pick a best moment, because they were all great moments. (We laughed, we cried, it was better than Cats.)
Like lots of PR pros probably were doing, I found myself wondering how she managed to slay a dragon, without ever naming the opposing candidate. And how she managed to talk about everything from race relations to role models without being hostile, scary or “preachy.” It all boils down to one simple concept – she shunned sound bites in favor of storytelling. This isn’t to say that there weren’t quotable moments; there were plenty. Like “When they go low, we go high.” But she told a story that everyone could relate to. And it was her story. Personal. Authentic. Intimate. Emotional. This is the stuff of great speeches, and great stories.
This is one of the great contradictions of communications today. On one hand, we are being inundated with content, which is creating a drive for brevity. Say it in 140 characters or less, or you lose the audience. At the same time, storytelling is one of the big buzzwords of our profession. (For those old enough to remember PR in the 90s, storytelling is the new press conference).
Perhaps it isn’t about length, but rather about engagement. Storytelling works, despite its length, because it evokes an emotional response. The First Lady did it by showing us her emotion, and telling her own story. So many leaders shy away from talking about themselves. They worry that it will make them seem, well, Trump-like. Arrogant, self centered, or tone deaf. And there is a fine line between sharing your personal story and talking about yourself incessantly. How do you get it right? It is more of an art than a science, for sure. As a general rule, personal stories work best when they provide context or validation of a common theme, goal or priority. Share your vision or dream, and leverage your experience or perspective to explain how to make that dream a reality.
And if you are like me, you are dying to know who wrote that brilliant speech. For anyone tasked with writing for others, this piece about Michelle Obama’s speechwriter gives some great insight into how great speeches like that happen. (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t include edits 15 minutes before you step up to the mic!)
