Ten Timeless Lessons from the
Ancients
1. If you want to convince listeners that you have a good message
for them, you must first convince them that you are a good person.
2. If you want strong commitment from an audience, you must
engage strong feelings.
3. If you want commitment to last, you must be able to show that
your arguments are based on sound, logical interpretations of reality.
4. When speaking on matters of guilt or innocence, you must
emphasize the morality of past actions.
5. When speaking on matters of future policy, you must stress the
practical advantages of proposed plans of action.
6. When celebrating great achievements, you must emphasize the values
that make them great.
7. Your speech should be based on a thorough investigation of a
topic, so that you have the widest possible range
of choices
as you select ideas and materials for
emphasis.
8. You should follow an order of ideas that leads listeners to
greater illumination and stronger conviction as you speak.
9. The right words will make your points come to life in images
that your audience will easily remember.
10. The more you can speak in a direct, conversational way from a
pattern of ideas imprinted in your mind, rather than by reading
a
prepared
text or reciting a memorized script, the better the quality of
communication
you will achieve.