Rhetoric
The Greeks invented the science of persuasion – they called it rhetoric. The posts in this category give a brief overview.
Strategy. Innovation. Brand.
Building Credibility (the Wrong Way) Can Reduce Trustworthiness
As a public speaker, your first objective is to use your communication tools
to establish that you are a trustworthy person and create a bond with the audience. One element of this is credibility — the audience wants to know that you have the practical experience to give good advice. So, in general, building your credibility also builds your trustworthiness. But if you build credibility the wrong way, you will reduce your trustworthiness and cripple your ability to persuade. Learn more in the video.
You and I and Decorum
Decorum is a key concept in Greek rhetoric. The Greeks used the term to describe the art of fitting in. The audience will find you agreeable if you meet their expectations. Continue reading
Speaking Human
When we want to let people know how smart we are during a speaking presentation, we often dress up our language. We use more formal diction, bigger words, and formidable phrasing. We often toss in a lot of jargon as well. Typically, however, it doesn’t work. We just sound stuffy, self-important, and boring. We’re trying to show the audience how smart we are which is always a losing strategy. Much better to show the audience how smart they are. You do this by speaking human — conversational, easy-to-understand, and plain spoken. As the saying goes, you should eschew obfuscation. Learn more in the video.
Creating Sound Bites
Most people will forget most of what you say shortly after your presentation. Speech writers are always looking for hooks to make key ideas more memorable. These are the sound bites that you often hear on the evening news. Sound bites summarize, shorten and encode information to make it more memorable. It’s almost like writing a jingle for a commercial. How do you create sound bites? It’s not easy but there are some general rules to follow. Find out more in the video.
The Difference Between Debates & Battles
The words “debate” and “battle” stem from the same root, so you might expect to use similar tactics in each. However, if you use battle tactics in a debate, you’re likely to lose. In a battle, two parties are involved – you and the enemy. A debate involves a third party as well — the audience. In a battle, you’re trying to defeat the enemy. Debate tactics are quite different. In a debate, you’re trying to win over the audience. The different objectives may call for very different tactics. Above all, you must know your audience to win a debate. That’s even more important than knowing the competition. Check out the video.
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