Four Public Speaking Lessons from President Obama

Persuading your colleagues to help you move an agenda forward is often one of the most challenging aspects of public speaking and presentation. If you're looking for some tips, you can take a 300-level course in public speaking at your local college, or you could study one of the masters of the art: President Obama.

Regardless of what you think of the president's politics or the content of his speech, you need to give him a lot of credit as a persuasive public speaker. Recently, Rick Morgan at the Harvard Business Review did just that in his four-point analysis of Obama's recent UN speech.

1. Gain leverage by telling the truth rather than sticking to familiar cant. Morgan contends that most companies leave uncomfortable truths unsaid, and anyone willing to confront those issues head on wield power as a result.

2. Find simplicity amidst complexity allows you to drive the agenda. Obama, for example, boiled his speech down to four pillars -- non-proliferation and disarmament; the promotion of peace and security; the preservation of our planet; and a global economy. That might be a hopeflessly broad agenda, but he articulated it simply.

3. When dealing with a difficult audience or contentious issues, make some offerings early on. Gestures early in your presentation -- concessions, if you will -- help foster a warmer atmosphere and make people more willing to accept your agenda.

4. Once you've told the truth, sweetened the pot, and kept it simple, ask for the hard stuff. As Morgan concludes from Obama's speech, "a well-crafted speech doesn't make the difficult demands until the right atmosphere has been established. And because we have a deeply ingrained need to be reciprocal, never ask for something until you've offered something free first."

While you're learning from master speechmakers, be sure to brush up on how Steve Jobs can help you overcome presentation glitches.