March 18, 2026
“Hello everybody. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Michelle’s husband, Barack.”
Obama does something really smart here.
Now, most people introduce themselves with their name, their job title, and role, which is incredibly boring.
Obama doesn’t do that.
He starts with something unexpected, a technique called expectation reversal, which is one of the five techniques that you can use to speak just like Obama.
So, let’s start with the first technique.
Imagine you’re giving a presentation at work.
You walk in front of the room and you start your presentation:
“Hi, I’m Sarah and I work in marketing. Thanks for having me.”
That is safe but also completely predictable.
But if you want to speak like Obama, well, don’t start with what people expect.
Obama didn’t introduce himself as president. Instead, he said, “I’m Michelle’s husband.”
That’s expectation reversal. That’s when you deliberately say something different from what the audience is expecting.
Let me give you a few examples.
Instead of saying, “Hi, I’m the head of marketing.”
You might say:
“Hi, I’m the person responsible for the worst campaign in the company’s history.”
Or instead of saying, “We’re behind target.”
You could say:
“We’re behind target, but that might be the best thing that has ever happened to us.”
So, if you want people to keep listening, be less predictable.
Now let’s move on to the next technique.
This one is the fastest way to build trust with any audience.
“After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, ‘Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo’s birthday.’
And then Sasha added, ‘Uh, plus we have a three-day weekend coming up.’
So it’s uh, it’s good to have kids to keep things in perspective.”
Did you catch what he did there?
He just won the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, he could have talked about politics, about global responsibility, about anything.
Instead, he shares a personal story. He zooms into one tiny moment, a conversation he had with his daughter.
It’s not a big dramatic story. It’s a small specific moment. That’s what makes him appear so human.
Suddenly, he’s not just a president. He’s a dad.
Stories like that lower resistance. They build connection.
If you want to do the same, don’t just talk in general terms.
Zoom into one specific moment:
Where are you?
What’s happening?
What does someone say?
What are you thinking in that moment?
One specific scene. That’s enough.
Alright, now let’s talk about another technique you see in every great speech.
Check out what Obama is doing here:
“Now, I know you didn’t do this just to win an election.
And I know you didn’t do it for me.
You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead.”
He repeats the same phrase:
“I know you didn’t do this to win an election” and “I know you didn’t do it for me.”
That technique is called anaphora and it means to repeat the same phrase at the beginning of consecutive sentences.
Our brains love those types of phrases because it feels so rhythmic, so confident and it makes the message stick.
You can use this anytime you want people to really understand something.
For example, imagine you’re leading a transformation at work. You could say:
“We know this won’t be easy. We know there will be resistance, but we know it’s absolutely worth it.”
Or, if you want to inspire people at work:
“We know the market is shifting. We know the competitors are moving fast. But we also know that standing still is not an option.”
Now those sound intentional, right?
Anaphora is powerful, but the next technique helps you make an idea stand out.
Check out what Obama does here:
“Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America.
There is the United States of America.”
Did you catch it?
First, he names two opposing sides, liberal America and conservative America.
But then he rejects both. And then he replaces them with one bigger idea: The United States of America.
That’s a technique called antithesis.
It means you structure a sentence around opposites: not this, not that, but this. It’s so simple but incredibly powerful.
Contrast creates clarity. Your brain understands differences faster than explanations.
You can use this anytime at work.
Instead of saying, “We should focus on working smarter.”
Say:
“This isn’t about working harder. It’s about working smarter.”
Instead of saying, “We need to rethink our strategy.”
Say:
“This is not a small adjustment and it’s not a formality. It’s a completely new direction.”
That’s antithesis.
But let’s now talk about the next technique. It’s actually the one I use the most in my presentations.
“If we get sick, we actually want to make sure the doctors, like, gone to medical school, they know what they’re talking about.
If we get on a plane, we say we really want a pilot to be able to pilot the plane.
And yet in our public lives, we suddenly think, I don’t want somebody who’s done it before.”
Did you notice what he did here?
He wants to explain a concept, but to help understand it, he compares it to something people are familiar with: doctors, pilots—things everyone agrees on.
He says, well, if we demand competence there, why would we not demand it here?
That technique is called analogy.
An analogy is when you explain something new by comparing it to something familiar. This new thing is like that thing you already know.
You can use it anytime you want to share an idea that feels a little bit abstract. For example:
Instead of saying, “the new system will take time to get used to.”
Say:
“Implementing the software is like learning to drive. It feels awkward at first, but once it clicks, it gives freedom.”
Instead of saying, “we shouldn’t walk into this pitch unprepared.”
Say:
“Going into this pitch without rehearsal is like running a marathon without training.”
Analogies make your idea visible. When people can see it, they understand it.
I’m mindful that speaking in images, like using an analogy, can be a little overwhelming when you’re starting off.
If that’s you, you may want to check out the next article in which I share how to speak 10 times clearer.
Enjoy.
P.S. Want to become a stronger communicator?
Here are two ways I can support you:
👉 Want to tell more engaging stories? Join our next Storytelling Workshop.
👉 Want to speak with confidence and clarity? Check out our Communication Skills Training.
Both are fun, practical, and designed to help you grow fast.
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