The Power of Language
Posted on April 11, 2008
Filed Under Branding You
Branding is all about perception, and perceptions are shaped by conversations.
When we have a positive experience with a person, product or service we are likely to share about it. When we have a negative one, we share about that too – and often more so.
The race to win the White House offers a wealth of teachable moments when it comes to learning the power of language. There is an entire philosophical discipline that explores how language impacts our perception of realty. Having a basic understanding of the power of language is critical for success in almost any endeavor.
You must become more aware of how what you say, or don’t say, directly impacts your professional and personal results. A common misnomer is that we fall victim to the words and characterizations imposed upon us by others. It is pretty much agreed that John Kerry was the victim of the Swift Boat attack ads. But I challenge that conclusion. While he couldn’t have prevented their attack, he had a choice in how and when he responded. He hesitated and suffered the consequences.
Timing and tone are always critical factors. Barack Obama was smart to promptly address news of his pastor’s controversial sermons. Whether you feel his response was adequate or not, most will agree that he proactively controlled the damage, with minimal impact to his poll numbers. He used the power of language to respond with a speech that many observers from both political parties consider groundbreaking.
Words are so powerful they can alter the course of history. Walter Mondale failed in his attempt to make Ronald Reagan’s age an issue in their political race, when Reagan utter the words, “I’m not going to exploit for political purposes my opponent’s youth and inexperience.” Look for John McCain to borrow a page from Regan’s playbook in his campaign to win the White House.
Hillary Clinton has suffered the ill effects of either misspeaking or misstating the facts about her 1996 trip to Bosnia as First Lady, depending on how you choose to interpret it.
Yes, in the end, the public gets to vote on our character, integrity and credibility as an expert or professional. However, we play a defining role in every outcome, based on how we manage the conversation.
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This is great info to know.