What was it like to deal with the financial crisis that brought the financial system of the United States to the brink of disaster?
“It's like you're in the cockpit of the plane — your engine's burning, smoke's filling the cabin, it's filled with a bunch of people that are fighting with each other about who's responsible, you have terrorists on the plane and people want you to come out of the cockpit and put them in jail. And you have to land the plane. That terrifying core objective in a crisis is to make sure you first put out the fire.”
Those are the words that Timothy Geithner used in an NPR interview to describe his role as Secretary of Treasury in the early months of 2009 when he and his team along with the Federal Reserve were trying to stabilize the economy.
Timothy Geithner at the United States Department of Treasury. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Agree or disagree with his assessment, the images Geithner conjures are vivid, direct and powerful. It is a stellar example of creating and using a sound bite that people will remember. Anyone who is seeking to persuade, negotiate, or sell -- as Geithner is doing now with his new book, Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises – is wise to learn something about how to put together short pithy summary statements, or phrases that sum up what you are trying to say. Shorter the better. Less froth more pith. Directness over vagaries.
While it’s easy to lampoon the sound bite, since politicians use them frequently as talking points, as in the case of Geithner they do give the listener an image to hang onto as the speaker makes his argument. And for that reason those who are in positions of authority would be wise to employ them.
Here are three elements that good sound bites possess
Analogy. The best sound bites use analogies making a comparison between unlike situations. Geithner likened financial crisis as the equivalent of piloting a plane on fire. It is a powerful simile. Metaphors are also powerful.
Brevity. Never over do the analogy. Doing so undermines its power because listeners will see through the imagery for what it is. In this regard a sound bite phrase is useful. As James Lowther of Britain’s House of Parliament advised new members: “Stand up. Speak up. Shut up”
Polish. You don’t get good at playing the piano without practicing. Every day. Those who use sound bites well spend time creating them but also employing them in their regularly in their communications. Practice does make perfect.
Proficient users of sound bites are attuned to their usage. This comes from being well read. Keep up with the issues but also read for pleasure. Picking up a book of poetry never hurt. Also look at quotations from great speakers. It’s a fine way to look how masters of speech honed their commentary into statements that have become seared into our consciousness. For example:
Abraham Lincoln at Gettysburg: “[W]e here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
John Kennedy’s Inaugural Speech: “Ask not what your country can do for you but rather what you can do for your country.”
Sound bites need not be solemn. For example:
Ronald Reagan citing a Russian proverb: “Trust but verify.”
Harry Truman being direct: “Do what you think is right and let them all to go hell.”
Sound bites are no excuse for avoiding logic and reason. In fact if someone, as we see in the political class, employs only sound bites they sound more cartoonish than statesmanlike. Consider sound bites as seasoning for the stew. Too much and the rhetoric is overblown, i.e. too spicy. None at all the argument becomes boring, i.e., too bland. Just right and what you say becomes memorable.
The purpose of sound bites is simple – help people remember what you said and why you said it. When concise and colorful they reflect the speaker’s personality and amplify the message.
