This blog was originally published on Forbes as 5 Lessons In How To Pitch From Bill Clinton on Tuesday, October 27, 2015.
Last weekend, for the first time in this now already overheated presidential campaign—and six months after his wife announced her candidacy—Bill Clinton went on the stump for her at a rally in Iowa. Standing on an outdoor stage with a hand mike and nothing but an American flag in the background, he promptly gave a master class in how to pitch. In 15 captivating minutes, he provided five valuable lessons for all the other candidates—including his wife—who are vying for the public limelight, as well for as any person—politician or not—who is stating his or her cause.
- Use anecdotes. Nothing gets to an audience more directly than a human interest story. Ever since Ronald Reagan established the practice during his two terms in office, presidents and politicians have attempted to incorporate inspiring stories about ordinary citizens, but most of the stories ring hollow for a simple reason: the shielded politician has no connection with the ordinary citizen. Mr. Clinton made his anecdote personal: in his opening remarks he talked about his granddaughter’s first birthday, his and his wife’s 40th anniversary, and her appearance as a bartender on Saturday Night Live.
- Tell ’em what you’re gonna tell ’em—and stick to it. Right at the outset Mr. Clinton said “Hillary’s running on four big issues,” and then he immediately launched into the first: “Securing the economic recovery and make sure the benefits are broadly shared.” But before he could move on to the other issues, he was interrupted by the shouts of a heckler who was holding up a banner for animal rights. The way Mr. Clinton handled the interruption provides the next lesson but, despite the digression, he returned his track and cited the other big issues: families, Supreme Court appointments, and foreign policy.
- Handle interruptions. There were actually two interruptions; the second was from a man holding up a sign asking to fix the VA (Veterans’ Administration). In both cases, Mr. Clinton, rather than ignore or contend with the interrupter, not only acknowledged them but responded graciously and thanked them.
- Be humble. The tendency when pitching oneself (or one’s spouse) is to sound self-congratulatory. Mr. Clinton avoided that that trap with a touch of humility: “Let me remind you, one time in 50 years did we all grow together: when I had the honor of serving as your president.”
- Ask for the order. Speakers, often fearful of sounding like a used car salesman, err in the opposite direction and neglect to make any call to action at all. Mr. Clinton not only asked for his order, but shifted the action to the audience. “That’s what I want you to go talk to your friends and neighbors about. That’s what I want you to caucus about. That’s what I want you to insist that this election be about. It’s all about you and your families and your future.”
That’s pitching with an iron fist sheathed in a velvet glove.
This blog was originally published on Forbes as 5 Lessons In How To Pitch From Bill Clinton on Tuesday, October 27, 2015.