The former Chrysler CEO’s speech writing team provides some useful information for how ad agency executives can inspire their staffs, clients and prospective clients by the spoken word.
“Lee” Iacocca is an American businessman and pitchman, known for his revival of the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980s. He served as President and CEO from 1978 and additionally as chairman from 1979, until his retirement at the end of 1992. He is one of the most famous business people in the world
Iacocca’s business success—saving Chrysler and reinvigorating the American automobile industry in the 1980s—has also become a staple of B-school “case studies.” And most analysts agree a key ingredient—what Iacocca himself called “my most important management tool” —was the spoken word. “I used that tool every day,” Iacocca wrote.
Speechwriter, Jeff Porro, wrote a recent article regarding how Iacocca’s used speaking ability to bring success to Chrysler. He interviewed two members of Iococca’s speech writing team. The following 4 presentation tips are just a small portion of the rich takeaway’s you glean from reading Jeff’s entire article:
- Motive: “In every speech I give, the object is to motivate. You can deliver information in a letter or tack it on a bulletin board.” He wanted to know what we wanted to accomplish with each particular audience: the point he wanted to make, the behavior he wanted to influence, the actions he wanted them to take.
- Rehearse: Iacocca understood how overwhelmingly important it was to persuade and put a huge amount of effort into each speech. He put in the hours to rehearse and revise each speech, his delivery was so smooth, natural and relaxed, it could sound ad-libbed.
- Tell a Story: A good speech is a story.” Iacocca knew that everything having to do with communication was a story. “Iacocca was a great at telling stories with a beginning, a strong middle, and an end.”
- Keep it Simple: He stayed far away from corporate-speak. Says Tsigdinos: “Simple but effective. That’s what we strove for. No convoluted language. He was great at making direct statements that people could remember.”
Speechwriter Jeff Porro helps executives prepare effective speeches and presentations. Click on the following link to read the full version of Jeff’s article, “For today’s CEOs, lessons from master speaker Lee Iacocca.
Additional articles that may be of interest:
- Steve Jobs: 10 Presentation Tactics for Ad Agency New Business
- The Only Rule That Really Matters When Presenting for Ad Agency New Business
- Ad Agency New Business: 7 Traits Event Organizers Need From Speakers
- Agency Leadership: Can you be a great leader and not be a great presenter?
- 10 Tips to Get Speaking Opportunities for Ad Agency New Business
