"We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."
This is the standout quote from one of the greatest speeches of all time and words that still give me goosebumps.
In roughly 16 minutes (once the preambles and thank-yous are over) President Kennedy proved you don’t have to speak for long to make a powerful argument.
You can read a transcript or watch the speech here. Or even better I recommend going to see the Tom Hanks narrated and produced Moonwalkers to see the epic pursuit of putting man on the moon brought to life in a new and compelling way.
The Kennedy speech is good for many reasons with communication lessons for all of us even 60 years on from that hot Houston day.
Here is what Kennedy does so well:
He makes an argument not just a speech (“I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid.”).
The rule of three helps him make key points (“the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked.”)..
Contrasts in his words and phrases persuade (“that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.”).
Similes bring something unknown into the familiar (“a new building…as tall as a 48 story structure, as wide as a city block, and as long as two lengths of this field.”).
Historic examples look to the future (“many years ago the great British explorer George Mallory, who was to die on Mount Everest, was asked why did he want to climb it. He said, ‘Because it is there.’”).
Examples from the everyday bring clarity (“fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch.”).
Alliteration makes it an easy listen (“We set sail on this new sea…”).
He simplifies (“power equivalent to 10,000 automobiles with their accelerators on the floor…”).
…but does not dumb down (“causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun.”).
He uses repetition to create earworms to be remembered (“do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out.”).
Your language should be plainer than Kennedy’s, and your tone should match the occasion.
You are not, after all, the president of the United States announcing a great national endeavour to put a man on the moon in less than 8 years.
Yet all these rhetorical devises can be used today whether you are making some informal remarks after a dinner, speaking as part of a panel discussion, a set-piece speech or delivering a presentation.
Pick one, or more, as you’re planning your communication and see if it helps you to connect with your audience and inspire them to take the action that you want.