A swear-prone new friend who coaches executives on presentations was telling me this week, “get to the f__king point, then go the f__k away.”
That’s his mantra. Rude though it may be.
And did you watch Michelle Obama’s speech at the Democratic convention on Monday night?
“So let me be as honest and clear as I possibly can. Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head. He cannot meet this moment. He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is.”
Boom. That’s the paragraph that got picked up most broadly by the press, brilliantly done because it was succinct and targeted at the audience of persuadable voters who might be inclined to come over to her side. It’s all one has to do with a big speech, and yet, so many of us flub the opportunity.
In an 18-minute speech, Mrs. Obama did spend some time rounding up the challenges facing America, and she said the names of the Black people killed by police. She talked about the coronavirus. Not to undermine the importance of such things. But then? She got to the point.
To wrap up, she said things could get a lot worse, that Joe Biden is a good man, and left the stage, with her words echoing in the audience’s ears.
Here’s to well-chosen words delivered well, at just the right moment. And then? Dropping the mic.
It might be very direct advice, but it’s helpful, isn’t it? I hope so!
