President Barack Obama sprang to the attention of most Americans with his eloquent keynote address during the 2004 Democratic National Convention. If one considers that presentation as his entrance onto the American consciousness, his inaugural speech could be viewed as his coronation. What captivated the public’s attention with that first speech? And with so many of his speeches from the Presidential debates to his inauguration? Certainly the ideas he presented. But the first impression many people remembered from August 2004 was his polished speaking, the words he chose and the way he spoke: his articulation, voice, phrasing, intonation, and body language.
The old adage, “you are what eat,” can be applied to communication through the phrase, “you’re remembered for what you say, and how you say it.” It is not unusual for intelligence, ability, even competence to be judged in terms of how someone speaks.
Read the rest of the article here (pdf)