Become A Powerful Speaker Like Obama & Steve Jobs – You Already Have The Skills, Here’s An NLP Toolkit To Master Them.

Nine.

That is the number of times former US President Barack Obama ‘paused’ in 30 minutes during a 2012 presidential debate.

Why did he pause so much?

Does he not have clarity of thought for the nation he is supposed to lead as President?

Does he have stage anxiety?

Well, these pauses reflect his clarity, tact, oratory, and expertise in NLP.

Obama?

NLP?

Ridhima, you are losing me here.

Well, apart from being a President, Obama is/was a great public speaker and it was visible in the pauses, tonality, and framing – all of which are tools of NLP. Whether or not he had NLP support might be a question for another day.

But it brings us to an important agenda that we will cover today - utilizing NLP for public events.

A quick brief as always?

Neuro-Linguistic Programming offers a unique and practical approach to understanding and transforming human experiences, empowering individuals to achieve personal and professional success. It can be used in various areas such as therapy, coaching, sales, leadership, education, and personal growth.

Furthermore, NLP is all about the connection between our thoughts, words, and actions. It gives us a set of tools and techniques to get better at talking, break free from limits in our minds, and grow as a person. NLP says that our thoughts, feelings, and actions come from how our brain works, the words we use, and the things we’ve learned. When we figure out these patterns, we can understand why we do what we do and make the changes we wish to make in our lives.

In short –?

Neuro: This is how our brain takes in and deals with info. It explores how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are influenced by our neurology. Knowing this helps us gain insights into our patterns, habits, and reactions.

Linguistic: This is all about how words shape our experiences and interactions. Both the words we say out loud and the ones in our heads, impact our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. If we learn to use words better, we can not only communicate more effectively but also influence our experiences positively.

Programming: Think of this like rewiring your brain’s habits. Our thoughts, emotions, and actions are patterns, like a computer program. NLP gives us tools to identify and change these patterns and create new empowering beliefs and behaviors.

Now if you are/have –?

• A leader
• Someone who has an important presentation lined up?
• A group discussion that will get you that job?
• A product launch where you will need dire attention from the media?
• Important networking event

… You know that attention is the most the greatest currency. NLP is how you attain attention and the desired results.

In public events, NLP techniques can dramatically improve audience engagement. A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology revealed that speakers who use NLP methods build better rapport and are perceived as 30% more persuasive. These techniques—like matching body language and using impactful pauses—allow speakers and hosts to create an emotionally charged atmosphere, encouraging active participation and retention of key messages. This makes NLP not just a tool for communication but a proven strategy for enhancing influence in public forums.

We will now explore some actionable NLP tools that you can use whilst in a public setting to turn the tide in your direction.?

1 The VAK model (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic)?

Let us face it. Your audience will be a mix of different people possessing different styles of learning and grasping. With this technique, you can cater to almost all of them.?

VAK is a core principle of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), focusing on how individuals process information through their dominant sensory modality. Research from Cognitive Psychology indicates that catering to multiple senses can increase information retention by up to 75%, as people absorb and process messages differently depending on whether they are visually, auditorily, or kinesthetically inclined.

Application:

Understanding an audience's primary sensory modality allows speakers to tailor their language, enhancing engagement.?

For example –?

• Visual learners respond to descriptive, imagery-rich language, such as “I see what you mean” or “Picture this.”?
• Auditory learners connect with phrases like “That sounds good” or “Listen closely.”?
• Kinesthetic learners resonate with action-based phrases like “I feel we’re on the same page” or “Let’s move forward.”

Reflection:

At a public event, you could seamlessly integrate all three modalities by saying,

“Picture yourself succeeding” (visual),

“This sounds like a great opportunity” (auditory), and

“You can feel the energy in the room” (kinesthetic).?

This multisensory approach ensures the speaker appeals to different learning styles, maximizing audience connection and engagement.

2 Power of Pauses

Research shows that strategic pauses can significantly enhance audience engagement and retention. A study by the University of Michigan found that speakers using intentional pauses saw a 29% increase in listener focus. We all know the impact Obama had on an audience of thousands. Pauses allow the audience time to absorb critical points and create a powerful sense of anticipation.

Application:

Speakers should pause before revealing key information or after asking reflective questions to let the message resonate.?

These pauses –?

• Emphasize the importance of the message?
• Give the audience time to process and internalize it

Thereby, fostering a deeper emotional connection. By creating moments of silence, speakers can build suspense and allow their words to carry more weight, enhancing the overall impact of their delivery.

Reflection:

Say you are a Product Head on stage to launch a Pen Drive that can store up to 1000GB of information while also being accessible on your phone and laptop, here’s where you can incorporate a pause. “Imagine never having to worry about storage, iCloud, Drive ever again?” You will immediately have everyone on the edge of their seats willing to listen to whatever you say next.?

3 Tonality?

It plays a crucial role in how a message is received, with research from Mehrabian's Communication Model showing that tone accounts for 38% of communication impact. NLP leverages tonality to influence audience emotions, making it a powerful tool in public speaking. Must read is our father of NLP, Milton Erickson, what a man in utilizing his pauses & tonality! The book, Hypnotic Techniques of Milton Erickson,?

4 Application:

You can use tonal shifts to evoke different emotional responses. Tonality can also be used to create contrasts within the speech. By varying between excitement and calm, speakers can maintain audience engagement and prevent monotony.?

By mastering tonal variation, one can direct the audience’s emotional responses, making key points more memorable and creating a richer, more dynamic experience. This ability to evoke emotions through tone deepens the connection with the audience and heightens the overall impact of the message.

5 Reflection:

A powerful example is Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address, where he used a calm, deliberate tone when sharing personal struggles and shifted to a more energetic pace when speaking about future opportunities. This kept the audience emotionally invested throughout the speech.

TED Talk speakers often use tonal variation masterfully. Deep voices are always impactful!?

6 Emphasising Key Points

Research from Harvard Business Review shows that repetition and emphasis significantly enhance message retention. NLP encourages speakers to “bold” key points using their voice—through changes in volume, speed, or emphasis.

Application:

Verbally highlight important points, try slowing down the pace, raise your volume, or stress specific words.?

Reflection:?

When discussing a crucial issue like climate change, a speaker might say, “We must act now,” emphasizing "must" to convey urgency. This vocal emphasis signals to the audience that the message is important, ensuring it resonates more deeply and is remembered.

6 Ask Impactful Questions Throughout the Event

Asking questions is an important technique in NLP to engage the audience and create curiosity. Studies show questions make the audience more attentive and foster a connection between the speaker and the listener.

Application:?

Ask impactful questions at different stages:

Starting: Use open-ended questions like, “How many of you have ever felt nervous before speaking?”

Middle: Keep the audience engaged with curiosity-driven questions like, “What if I told you that public speaking doesn’t have to be scary?”

Ending: Use reflective questions like, “What will you take away from today’s talk?”

What else can happen? What’s stopping you from making the decision??

Reflection:

Steve Jobs used questions like “How do you think this will change the world?” during product launches to captivate the audience and leave them with something to ponder.

7 Using Frames in Communication

Framing is a psychological technique where the way information is presented influences decision-making. By subtly shaping the context in which information is delivered, framing can significantly alter perceptions and responses. For instance, presenting a choice as an opportunity rather than a risk can positively influence decision-making, leading to more favorable outcomes for the speaker or presenter.

One of the frames is to utilize the Milton Model Frame - and use words & questions like:??

(Milton Model Patterns are referred to here as frames for simple understanding of users)?

Words like “Isn't it?” or “I wonder” create a subtle suggestion without being confrontational.

Application:?

Use NLP frames for effective persuasion:

“Isn’t it?”: For gaining subtle agreement from the audience.

“I wonder”: To spark curiosity.

“I am curious”: For encouraging participation.

“Are you?” and “Will you?”: For calls to action.

Reflection:?

A motivational speaker might say, “Isn’t it amazing how small changes in mindset can create big results?” This gently nudges the audience to agree.

8 Building Rapport with the Audience

Rapport-building is essential in NLP to create a connection with the audience. Building rapport fosters trust and creates a sense of mutual understanding, making audiences more receptive to the speaker's message.

A speaker can also build group rapport or individual rapport depending upon the style & intentions. This helps to change the connection between the speaker & audience. In NLP, I teach more about unconscious responsiveness, rather than just surface matching & mirroring, which is also useful.?

Research suggests that people are more likely to be influenced by someone they trust or feel connected with.

Application:?

Encourage speakers to mirror the body language and energy of the audience to establish rapport, as well as use inclusive language like “we” and “us.”

Reflection:?

Tony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey, and many speakers, often use rapport-building techniques like high energy and mirroring the excitement of their audience to keep them engaged.

9 Managing Energy and Emotions through NLP Anchoring

NLP anchoring is a technique where specific physical actions are linked to emotional states. In our event, “You are amazing” got anchored so deeply! And it used to just shift people's states in seconds!?

Studies show that physical movements can affect emotional states, which can be useful during public events. This involves associating specific stimuli, such as gestures or words, with particular emotional states, allowing individuals to access those emotions on command. This technique can help speakers maintain composure and confidence during high-stakes moments by triggering a pre-established positive emotional response.

Application:?

Speakers can anchor positive emotions by using gestures or touching a specific object, which helps them stay calm and composed on stage.

Reflection:

A public speaker might tap their thumb and forefinger together when they want to feel confident, using this as a mental trigger for a confident state.

So, for that next speech, event, talk – remember these points. Better save this as your little ‘On-Stage Tool Kit’

Bottom line –? pay good attention to the way you’re saying things.

• Tonality
• Physical expressions,?
• Speed,?
• Rhythm,?
• Pauses?
• Quality and choice of words

They are powerful and useful skills. It might seem difficult at first, but so has any worthwhile skill you learned. If you don’t become aware of what you’re doing and practice it now, you’ll always get the same kind of results you’ve always gotten in the way you communicate.?

To get even better at it, it’s better to experience and learn NLP from a credible source. I am right here for more enhanced guidance and hand-holding.

Join me in the upcoming Webinar on 21st September from 11 AM to 1 PM IST where we discuss more tools and techniques of NLP that help in building confidence, rapport, and communication skills, and how you can be a great leader!!

Register here

I will see you there!!

Regards,

Ridhima Dua