Trump: How to Get Rich

People like stories, and they’ll remember them. A speech shouldn’t become a lecture. Humor goes a long way, and it will remind you and everyone else that we’ve all got a lot of things in common. Storytelling is a skill, so work on it. It’s helpful to listen to comedians. The good ones can teach you the art of great timing.

How can all of us relate to one another? How can you enable your audience to relate to you and to what you’re saying? People see me as a rich and powerful person, but like most people, I also have a daily routine and a family. I get stuck in traffic jams, too. I’ve known some real gems and some real wackos. I have cranky moments and bad days like everyone else. A lot of your experiences can be understood and appreciated by your audience because they’ve had them, too. Look for what you have in common and lead with it. You will create an immediate bond, because they will realize they can relate to you.

People are there to learn something, but also to be entertained. One reason Elvis Presley was such a great entertainer is that he made every effort to tune in to his audience—it was give-and-take all the way. Wayne Newton does that, too. Even people who thought they wouldn’t like Liberace became big fans after experiencing his live shows. And nobody did it better than Sinatra.

Some people call it charisma. I call it tuning in and delivering.

He is relaxed and funny, and he always relates to his audiences. They love him. He’s a perfect example of the give-and-take that’s necessary for successful public speaking. Regis doesn’t just speak—he shares. He’s as magnanimous a performer as he is a person. Watch him, pay attention, and you’ll learn a lot.

This will make you accessible to people even if you are up on the stage and in the spotlight. We’ve all had disasters in our lives, major and minor. To be able to laugh at them in retrospect is healthy and helpful. Use the blips that we all encounter in our lives to your advantage. I remember a particular question-and-answer period that followed one of my speeches, during the time when Ivana and I were going through our divorce and the tabloids were having a field day. The first question was from a guy who asked, You don’t mind if I call youThe Donald, do you?

So I responded, Not if you don’t mind if I call you Ivana.

We all had a good laugh and then proceeded to his real question.

Memorable public speaking involves a good deal of spontaneity. It’s a lot like negotiating—you have to focus on your goals but remain flexible. A lot of people are terrific writers but not so great at getting their ideas across orally. Writing is a form of thinking, and so is speaking. The difference is that you don’t have time to go back and correct yourself when you’re on stage. It’s not a first draft and it’s not a rehearsal. Be prepared for the performance, because that’s what’s expected of you.

Every day can be a preparation for a speech or a presentation. Have you ever said to yourself, I’ll have to remember that one after hearing someone say something particularly clever or unusual? Even offhand comments that you overhear can be useful. Remember them. Make notes if you must. Everything and everyone can become material. I was in the back of an elevator once, behind a group of guys. Their conversation was so vivid, so real, that I tuned in and tried to figure out why they’d captured my attention. Aside from the fact that they had a captive audience for a short amount of time, I realized that their speaking rhythm was syncopated, quick, and to the point. What they were saying wasn’t all that fascinating, but their delivery was. They made a normally mundane subject—what they were getting for lunch and how they were getting it—seem interesting.

It’s contagious. If your audience believes you are enjoying what you are doing, they’ll enjoy being in your company. If it’s an obvious chore to you, forget it and find someone else to speak for you. If you’re a busy executive, there’s probably someone within your organization who can speak effectively in your place. Sometimes when I’m asked to speak and my schedule won’t allow it, I will ask someone who works for me if they’d be interested in filling in. Charlie Reiss, executive VP of development in my organization, was a professor at Columbia University before he came to work for me. He’s a dynamic speaker, but I wouldn’t have known this if I hadn’t asked him to help out when I was in a bind. He has a gift for public speaking because he enjoys teaching and is enthusiastic about what he does. At first I worried he might turn out to be a bit pedantic, considering his background, but he wasn’t. Everyone had a good time.