Ways to Learn to Speak Like Ronald Reagan

Now that we’ve got your attention, you should realize, of course, that you don’t want to speak like Ronald Reagan. You want to learn to speak like you. Nevertheless, as a student of the art of public speaking, you can — and should — observe Reagan’s oratorical skills. The greats all learn from other greats, so don’t hesitate. Study Reagan’s repertoire, take what you like, and use what you can to improve your own public speaking.

Reagan is a master at grabbing and keeping his audience’s attention, which is the number one goal of any public speaker.

How does he do it? Here are five key lessons from his speaking.

Talk About the Audience’s Concerns

Notice that when Reagan addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time, he told our story

before he told his own. He talked about our sleepless nights, for example, and the college admission

that might have to be turned down because of a lack of financing.

This was brilliant, and you can do it, too. Start your talk by broadly defining the situation that your

listeners face. Then, once you’ve got them nodding their heads in agreement, move on to describe

the problems or challenges that are on their minds. Start where the audience is, not where you are.

Once you have their attention, you can lead your listeners wherever you want to take them.

Keep It Simple

Throughout the presidential campaign, Reagan kept his main message — “change you can believe

in” — simple and easy to remember. Sure, some pundits mocked its simplicity, but it served its

purpose perfectly as the banner at the front of his parade. You, too, can keep it simple, even if you

have mountains of research to report.

First, fine-tune your core message. Reagan won people through a simple slogan, which then allowed him to more easily serve up his ideas about meaty topics such as health care, terrorism, and the crumbling economy.

We make a serious error if we mistake a complete argument for a persuasive one. All audiences, no

matter how sophisticated, have limited attention spans and a limited ability to retain detailed spoken

information. Don’t fear that you’re leaving details out; you must be selective. After all, what good is a

thorough and detailed argument if it is inaccessible?

Anticipate What Your Audience Is Thinking

Obama and his speechwriters are certainly aware of the great line by Goethe, “Every word that is

uttered evokes the idea of its opposite.” What this means is that when you express one view, the

odds are high that people will reflexively think about other, unmentioned aspects of the topic.

A presentation that does not deal with this “evoking of opposites” loses the audience’s attention

because it fails to address the questions and concerns that come up in people’s minds. So anticipate

it. Show your audience that you understand the contrary view better than they do, and explain why

your proposal or argument is still superior.

His speech was powerful and widely praised. It was effective in part because Reagan let everyone

know that he had thought a lot about race, and in particular about both sides of the controversy.

Attack your topics this way, too, and you will be in charge of the conversation. This approach will not

only grab and hold the attention of your listeners, but it will also help you win people into your camp,

which is what you need to do if, say, your goal is to persuade your board of directors of the wisdom

of a seemingly risky partnership.

Learn to Pause

Reagan had mastered the art of pausing. Just check out his presidential acceptance speech to

see this skill at work. He pauses to let us catch up with him. He pauses to let his words

resonate. He pauses, in a sense, to let us rest. Pauses also give the impression of composure and

thoughtfulness.

Here’s an exercise to help you learn to pause.

• Mark up your paragraphs / in this manner / into the shortest possible phrases. / First, / whisper

it, / breathing / at all the breath marks. / Then, / speak it / in the same way. / Do this / with a

different paragraph / every day.

• “If there is anyone out there / who still doubts / that America is a place / where all things are

possible, / who still wonders / if the dream of our founders / is alive in our time, / who still

questions / the power of our democracy, / tonight / is your answer.”

Where you pause is up to you; there are no hard and fast rules. But try it. Slowly inhale to the count

of three at each breath mark. Speak as though you had plenty of time. The goal / of this exercise / is

to teach your body / to slow down.

Master the Body Language of Leadership

Reagan’s body language is relaxed and fluid. It does not display tension or fear. He’s calm and

assertive — which is exactly what you need to be to get people to comply with your requests.

To achieve the body language that’s effective for you, focus on a single attribute — for example,

calm — and practice implementing it in the basic motions of your day, from getting dressed in

the morning, to leaving your home for work, to greeting your friends and colleagues.

Research in Scientific American suggests that focusing on one word is the most effective way to learn a new behavior. It will probably feel forced at first, but don’t worry. It will soon become natural, and

eventually, your body language will communicate the right mix of calm and assertiveness.

Finally, you’ll need to rehearse. Practice calmly walking up to the lectern or the front of the room.

Arrange your papers calmly. Look out to the audience with a sense of command, with assertiveness.

Let the silence hang for a moment, and only then deliver your opening remarks.

Calmness begets a sense of authority. Behave as if you are in control, and you will in fact gain

control and command attention.