Our current Book Club selection is
Words That Work: It’s Not What You Say, It’s What People Hear, by
Dr. Frank Luntz. Dr. Luntz is the pollster and communications consultant best known for inventing the dial-testing focus group, which allows politicians and corporations to identify key words or phrases based on people’s immediate reactions, and to tailor their message accordingly. It was Luntz’s dial testing that gave us the term “death tax” used by politicians to frame their argument against the estate tax.
In the first chapter, Luntz identifies the 10 Rules of Effective Communication. They are as follows:
1. Simplicity
2. Brevity
3. Credibility
4. Consistency
5. Novelty
6. Sound and Texture
7. Aspirational Language
8. Visualization
9. Use of Questions
10. Context and Relevance
Last night, I thought I’d do a little experiment and watch President Obama’s address to the joint session of Congress with these 10 rules as a measuring stick of his performance. Here is my take of the new President’s address based on a few of these rules.
Rule # 1 – Simplicity: Though Obama’s speech was long and covered a lot of ground (perhaps too much ground), he used simple language that every American could understand. He even began his passage about the complicated financial system recovery with the words, “I want to speak plainly and candidly about this issue tonight…” The President also summed up his entire stance on the government's role in just 26 syllables: “While the cost of action will be great, I can assure you that the cost of inaction will be far greater…”
Rule # 4 – Consistency: Several times throughout the evening, President Obama repeated key phrases of his speech, especially when wrapping up a point. Also, his expository style would make a college rhetoric professor proud; he tells you what he’s going to say, says it, and then tells you what he just said. I’m willing to bet the public’s recall of “energy, health care and education” was phenomenal.
Rule # 6 – Sound and Texture: The right words in the right order. It’s a rhetorical gift of the President that is almost unmatched. Obama’s cadence is masterful and mesmerizing, and, like a great work of art, almost indescribable.
Rule # 7 – Aspirational Language: Once again, the President hit one out of the park. If you’ve been feeling down lately, all you have to do is fire up the Tivo and play this puppy back. Obama avoided the trap that President Carter famously fell into in his “Malaise” speech. Instead he talked about building “a new foundation for lasting prosperity”, assured us that America would “emerge stronger than before”, and described his budget proposal in terms of “a blueprint for our future.”
Rule # 10 – Context and Relevance: Luntz describes context as “the why of the message” and says relevance is “what it means to me.” Using many of the principals outlined above, Obama conveyed the current crisis and his prescription for recovery in relatable terms that should have resonated with cops, doctors, school-age children and moms and dads.
On other points, Obama didn’t score as high. Of greatest concern to many is the President’s credibility (Rule # 3), but recent opinion polls seem to indicate that the President’s credibility gap is a greater problem with Republicans in Congress than with the American people.
The political views of President Obama and Dr. Frank Luntz couldn’t be more different. Still, when it comes to communication and “words that work”, it doesn’t matter who you side with. What these two men can teach us about effective communication is something that every businessperson, teacher, non-profit worker and parent in America can put to good use.
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