Sculpt Triple Stack Stanza From Politician Sell Speech
On the airwaves I recently heard former speechwriter to the Left, Simon Lancaster.
With Conference season approaching, he outlined how to best rally the troops.
He singled out one former Prime Minister’s chosen style. I was most interested in how he saw the pattern of possibly their favourite element.
Three super-short sentences, three repetitive sentences, then three contrasting statements.
He even recommends this as part of the basic rules to make it breezy, which make for persuasive oratory.
By way of example, he supplies this delicious (if mislabeled) ode to the world-beating Full English.
“Fried eggs. Crispy bacon. Sizzling sausages.
I believe the British breakfast is beautiful. I believe the British breakfast is brilliant. I believe the British breakfast is the best in the world.
Not fatty, but fun. Not naughty, but nice. Not greedy, but a great start to the day.”
Feed me now.
At the risk of upsetting “Julia from Redborne”, a radio presenter sadly unsuited to his latenight talkjock role, patently in the wrong job out of their depth, gave him less than two minutes flat to conjure words in this precise style. He commanded him to exhort the “wonder” of his show.
Here’s what he wrote – on the spot.
Clear Speaking. Controversial. Cutting Edge.
Don’t you want to know what’s going on in the news? Don’t you want to feel and go on an emotional journey in the evening? Don’t you want to have active great conversation about the issues that really matter?
Whereas other radio stations will just give you clichéd blurb, we’re right there with the cutting insights. Whereas you can sit in tv and just go into a trance, we’ll enliven your senses. So what do you wanna be? A loser or a winner?
Whilst trade descriptions should certainly take him up on such misrepresentation of the subject matter, and it’s obviously a rushed instant unedited piece, it is readily apparent what he’s getting at.
A summation para along these lines will undoubtedly propel any sales pitch.
It won’t necessarily be easy to produce, but crack it and your audience will surely nod in tune.