Power from oratory is greater than kings' might

“Strictly Speaking”
by Reid Buckley
McGraw Hill, 1999


We were all part of the disbelieving public when we heard that a well-loved and famous “legal gladiator” at the impeachment proceedings – Joker Arroyo – confessed that he’s got the shivers up his spine whenever he speaks in public. Joker? He must be joking (no pun intended)!

But, such confession could be revealing the truth. Joker, the veteran of legal skirmishes and stirring polemics, found himself in an alien territory when he faced a large throng of people in a political rally. That proves only one point: In the familiar ground of the House, the Senate, the courts and the Supreme Court, he holds sway. But in the political arena, he is – to use the phrase he himself used that rankled the nerves of a senator – “uninitiated.”

In the area of public speaking, we are aware that we are coolly professional in some situations (like persuading a high-powered corporate board), but sadly inadequate in explaining a corporate citizenship program to a diverse community of non-government organizations. It is also possible that we have the mastery of the subject, but we do not have the language and the savvy to bring the message to the “gut level.”

Many issues ago of the Executive Read, we featured On Speaking Well, written by Peggy Noonan, speechwriter of two former U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. The book is a good find to guide us through excellent speechwriting but, justifiably so, does not cover other concerns in oratory or public speaking.

Well, the book, Strictly Speaking by Reid Buckley comes in where Ms. Noonan leaves off. In fact, the book offers much more. First of all, in over 300 pages, all seven parts and 22 chapters deal with every conceivable situation from social functions to a political rally; every imaginable “vice” and every desirable “virtue” in public speaking; every valuable advice on writing style, use of humor, overcoming stage fright, plus and gestures that turn the audience on or off -- and the most useful insight on concluding the speech with brilliance – and even majesty.

The book is a joy to read. In fact, you should even be ready to laugh aloud and alone when you read his anecdotes. The book jacket offers “tricks of the speaker’s trade from a master of rhetoric.” It would be understandable if this is just a try at hyperbole to sell the book, but the moment you turn to the preface, you know at once that you are transported to one of the lively seminars of Mr. Buckley, who happens to be a very effective storyteller. In fact, you come away with the impression, after reading Buckley’s book, that a public speaker must, first of all, be a master of the narrative art.
He points out: “Your life may not hang in the balance; your livelihood may. What the art of public speaking boils down to is, crudely stated, selling; morally analyzed, imposing one’s will.”

“Therein the prize: dominion over the minds and spirits of one’s audience, power over their capacity for action,” he adds.

The book is a treasure of advice – not the usual pedantic lecture -- but, in the hands of an excellent speaker, raconteur and debater, you get advice with unusual frankness, humorous anecdotes, and ringing rebuke on people – even Messrs. Clinton and Dole – on the former’s verbiage and the latter’s arid style.

“Think of it as a checklist,” the author says, on how to read the book. He offers “quick fixes” for someone who has a speaking engagement tomorrow at the PTA or a town meeting. And the book delivers what it promises, because you can pick up good and stunning advice at every page.

“The very first paragraph of your talk should shock the audience with its complexity and difficulty, or with its outrageousness,” he says, in bold, italicized letters. But he follows it with the next advice: “Having first shocked them, soothe, placate, and coddle your audience.” Simply with these lines, you can picture what kind of public speaker and mentor Mr. Buckley is. He uses words like “pugnacious,” “tough,” and “taking command.” Wait a minute, are we talking about public speaking. Yes, the Buckley variety.

A 30-minute speech is a mistake under any situation, he says. “Don’t waste people’s time,” he advises in another section, adding a wise counsel so simple we miss it: “Don’t tell them what they already know.” On finding and developing a subject, he stresses: “It is best to establish one solid point well.” He quotes sources to buttress advice, such as not overcrowding your speech with many points. Quoting a master styliest and polemicist, Willmore Kendall, he gives this formula: “A person cannot make more than one point in 1500 words.”

Beyond the verbal, Mr. Buckley has something useful to say on voice (modulation, pronunciation, enunciation, etc.), hand gestures suitable each for men and women (they are really different!), eye contact (you must individualize the audience) and – hear this – “what not to do with your hands if they have nothing else to do” – including what he calls the “fig leaf position.” Find that out for yourself. In fact, this review is just one percent of what you can pick up from the book. Dear reader, you know what to do. Especially after reading this quote in an unpublished essay of Winston Churchill:
“Of all the talents bestowed upon men, none is so precious as the gift of oratory. He who enjoys it wields a power more durable than that of a great king. He is an independent force in the world.” Churchill, as we know, inspired Great Britain to resist the Nazi advance. Oratory’s power is indisputable.