The One Thing You Need is Passion
by Dana Bristol-Smith

As we start into this Presidential campaign season we have a sea of contenders. At the moment, there is one shining star who is
different from the rest of the pack. As the 60 Minutes interview last week stated – his name rhymes with Osama, his middle name is Hussein, and the one thing you can say with certainty about him is that there has never been another presidential candidate like him..

He is Barack Obama.

Barack is an amazing communicator. He is articulate and smart without being lofty. He says “we” more than “me” or “I”. He inspires without being preachy. And, he connects with people on both an intellectual and heart level. He’s being compared to Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton in his ability to reach people.

He absolutely has passion and it shows in each speech that he gives. The ability to show genuine passion with sincerity, allows a presenter and presidential candidate to connect at a deeper level with their audience. To see and hear him in action visit his website.

I’m not talking about enthusiasm or being a cheerleader – I’m talking about that fire-in-the-belly passion.

For many people, and particularly business speakers, it’s scary to show passion because we are taking a risk (remember Howard Dean?). In sharing our passion in a presentation we are being vulnerable.

We’ve all heard the phrase “Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve” (who came up with that?). But I’m going to tell you to do just that. Speak from the place in you that feels passionate about your topic, or passionate about the benefits/advantages of your product/service or recommendation.

Share how others have or will benefit from using your product, or from your recommendation. We all know that people make decisions based on gut feeling more than intellectual analysis.

I’m not here to discount facts, statistics, and analysis. I’m here to say add your passionate belief with sincerity to the facts and statistics to touch both the hearts and minds of all those with whom you speak.

About the Author
Dana Bristol-Smith is the founder of Speak for Success, an organization that works with companies that want their people to communicate with confidence and credibility. You can email Dana at:dana@speakforsuccess.net

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