Presidential Prose

You never know when you’ll be whisked away on Air Force One to have dinner with the President of the United States, important diplomats and visiting dignitaries, so it’s important to always listen to your mother, wear clean underwear and be prepared with a tasteful toast. 

When addressing government officials and their VIP entourage you might feel a little pressure regardless if the setting is casual or formal. You don’t want to say the wrong thing and start an international incident and, well, because you’d love to be invited back to the White House. 

Fortunately you can rely upon previous presidential prose to ease your anxiety. Use their finely crafted words to present touching sentiments that will well received. Here are a few brief excerpts by past and present leaders that can be adapted for your inaugural reception: 

“Let us mark this day with remembrance of who we are and how far we have traveled.”
 – Barack Obama, 44^th President of the United States of America 

 
“Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself, and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country but to its character.”
– George W. Bush, 43^rd President of the United States of America

 
“Let us shape the hope of this day into the noblest chapter in our history.”
– Bill Clinton, 42^nd President of the United States of America

 
“Write on our hearts these words: ‘Use power to help people.’”
– George Bush, 41^st President of the United States of America

 
“We must do what we know is right, and do it with all our might.”
– Ronald Reagan, 40^th President of the United States of America

 
These quotes will resonate with every person because they all imply one thing: you make a difference. I truly believe that you are always in the right place at the right time to make a positive difference. You don’t have to solve the entire problem, but merely move it forward for the next person to lend their expertise and move it forward.

Data source: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/inaugurals.php

Your Turn: What wise words would you share when you visit the White House?  

Keep Your Credibility

Without losing your cool or your clients

I committed a huge faux pas several months ago and almost lost my credibility as a presenter. My mental TiVo keeps replaying the moments leading up to the mishap until a self-induced coma takes over – a common disease known as “analysis paralysis.” I was the second half of a tag team training session and noticed my teammate was running way too long. When I took the floor, I had less than 15 minutes to cram in 45 minutes of material. But I kept my credibility (and cool) by remembering the three Ps: perspective, patience and politeness.

Perspective
I stood in the back of the room so only the presenter could see me circling my index finger in the, air my universal sign for “wrap it up.” When that didn’t work I tried the basketball referee, hand paddling move for traveling. Nothing. I pointed to my watch then drew my hand across my throat for “cut.” The speaker never acknowledged my presence.

I could have interrupted, played more charades or completed jumping jacks to get his attention, but decided to sit down and look at the situation from a different point of view. While I found his material to be somewhere between uninteresting and downright boring, both in presentation and content, others thought it spot-on. If the audience shared my opinion then I needed to compress my information into a compact, entertaining and powerful message or make it available through another source.

A hybrid solution came to me: I used my meager ten minutes to provide a high-level overview with a few intriguing facts and asked for business cards with email addresses in order to forward additional details. While some ponder if the glass is half full or half empty, my cup overfloweth with more than three-dozen business contacts.

Patience
Our first session of the day was far from perfect and I wanted to share some choice thoughts with my “partner” about his long-winded routine. But several events happened in the span of a few minutes that altered my plans.

First, I reminded myself that the participants are often unaware anything is wrong (unless I tell them or complain about the lack of time), proving ignorance is bliss. Second, my colleague immediately apologized for the lopsided segments before I could unload on him. He even solicited ideas on what could be trimmed from his PowerPoint slide deck. And shocking me to the core he asked, “What was with all the semaphore?”

Had I lost my temper with my associate for being uninformed with basic hand gestures, well, I’d be the backside of a donkey. Had I rushed to the front of the room, sacked the current quarterback and demanded my time, I’d alienate my co-instructor and the childlike actions would crush my credibility with the crowd.

Now for the gratuitous clichés and proverbs to hammer the point a little further:
1. In the end, it all works out
2. Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet
3. One minute of patience, ten years of peace

Politeness
It’s easy to be rude. Even easier to rebuke a presenter for being more focused on their coffee cup than paying attention to the audience or team teacher. But being kind in the shadow of your own frustration is disarming. It brings unforeseen rewards to the surface. As the Dalai Lama said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”

While my comrade was unfamiliar with the silent messages sent via body language, he responded to a friendly explanation. We completed six more presentations together and debriefed after each session, tweaking, modifying and improving our delivery.

Add up the three Ps (perspective, patience and politeness) and it equals respect. The respect you have for yourself, your audience and fellow presenter, with a calm and polished approach, will keep your credibility.

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Michael Varma is a freelance writer, award-winning presenter and professional magician. To learn more, visit http://www.michaelvarma.com/.

Contact Michael Varma, the author of Tasteful Toasts, for permission to reprint this article. Copyright August 2009 Magical Concepts.

Passionate Presentations

Speak from the heart and become wealthy

When you give a brief heartfelt wedding toast, you are paid in appreciation, kindness and gratitude. If you give a lecture with the same caring conviction, you’ll be showered with applause and cash for a job well done. Both types of speeches create exhilaration and contentment. The key is to lead with love.

Tender Talk
It may seem surprising to compare newlywed wishes with a corporate seminar, but mixing business and pleasure can make a winning combination. When you offer words of wisdom to a young couple, you’re sharing thoughts from the heart based upon your own experiences in hopes they’ll have a brighter future. As a sincere speaker you make an honest connection with the crowd, convey a message that will inspire, energize or call folks to action and they comprehend that you care. And when the light bulbs brighten over their inquisitive heads, your heart and chest will swell with satisfaction.

Discover Hidden Talents
Finding the right words for a tasteful toast or narrowing your niche for a passionate and powerful topic to place you squarely on the speaker’s circuit may take time. One way to tap into your talents is to turn the tables: pretend you’re on the receiving end of the presentation. What would you want to hear? Determine what would help or inspire you then write it down.

Brainstorm with your spouse, mentor or best friend and identify key elements that made a difference in your life. Use the top three points from your list and prepare a speech. Reread. Rewrite. Rehearse. When it is time to present, your earnestness will be evident and your voice will naturally project the passion.

For Love or Money?
Successful seasoned speakers frequently say they get paid for doing something they love: sharing their thoughts and ideas so people can better themselves. It’s almost criminal. As a professional magician, I have frequent opportunities to apply my craft in public and private. On a long plane flight to my next show I watched a mother in the adjacent seat desperately try to quiet her cranky child. Fellow passengers were clearly fed up and would do anything to make the kid shut up – er, I mean, be quiet. I leaned across the aisle and pulled out a long thin balloon from my pocket and captured the little one’s attention. Within 60 seconds I made a cute pink poodle balloon animal and released the inner cabin pressure. I was instantly the wealthiest person on the plane.

I shared the story with my audience later that night and received joyous hoots and hollers. A heckler tried to barge into the act and I asked, “Do you need a pink poodle, too?” I got the laughs and my interloper was effectively shut down. Does it get any better? Sure does, because I got paid to have fun.

Take your favor topic and present it passionately and sincerely. Should you do it for the principle or gorgeous greenbacks? I say: Both. Your heart will sing with satisfaction – a priceless feeling – and any material response beyond that inner tune will add to your wealth.

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Michael Varma is a freelance writer, award-winning presenter and professional magician. To learn more, visit http://www.michaelvarma.com/.

Contact Michael Varma, the author of Tasteful Toasts, for permission to reprint this article. Copyright February 2009 Magical Concepts.